I didn't like where the story ended up, it started as feminist and then turned completely upside down so in my opinion the story lost its essence.

Well, listen to what happened to me with this book: I finished it in less than 24 hours, which I never do! From the moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down! It was addictive, well-written, gripping, deep, and incredibly heartbreaking! And the ending... shock!

In Garner County, girls are the weaker sex, consumed by sin and magic, living as property of men without a voice, without choice. With only the role of being a wife (if chosen as wives), they are confined to a life filled with bowed heads and curious glances while death and punishment are a daily reality even for the married. On their 16th birthday, they are sent to an island during the year of grace to rid themselves of their magic and to be purified before they marry or become slaves.
Tirni dreams of a free, different life! So in her year of grace, she will shake the foundations of her world.

The plot twists? Shocking! The writing? Gripping! I've never read a 400-page book so quickly! However, I admit that in the middle of the book, the story hit a lull; I felt like nothing was happening, but then it caught fire! A book for fans of the Hunger Games with a deep feminist element and wonderful writing that captivates you!

Amazing, touching, and I didn't have enough of the 500 pages; I would have liked it to be longer. I will read it again in the future and I highly recommend it. An emotional, bittersweet ending full of hope.

See my detailed review on my book-loving channel on Youtube: https://youtu.be/k_IIglxSqCY

A group of 16-year-old girls is banished to the forest in order for them to lose the magical powers that their community claims they have and return ready for marriage. Among them is the protagonist of the book, sixteen-year-old Tierney James, who, unlike the other girls, does not want to get married but wants to engage in farming. In the forest, the girls are confronted with ruthless poachers who thirst for the girls' blood in order to kill them and sell magical youth elixirs on the black market. However, during the grace year, the poachers are not their biggest threat. Perhaps what they have to fear most of all is each other.

My opinion: "The Grace Year" is a dystopian book. That is, a social book set in a time where its society is inhumane and terrifying. The author's pen is fantastic! Although it starts somewhat slowly, after a few pages it manages to immediately immerse you in the atmosphere of the story and you don't realize how the pages pass. The story is intense thanks to the continuous development of events and frequent twists, resulting in the reader's anxiety intensifying. The heroines of the book, although they initially appear innocent and quiet, become different people along the way due to everything they experience during the grace year! That's when we realize how easily society can influence relationships between people due to its outdated ideas. In a male-dominated society, like that of the book, women seem to have the lowest position. Women who have no voice or opinion, nor the right to do what they themselves want. They are deprived of basic rights, freedom, and independence, and become subservient to men. The result of all this is that women lose their sanity, leading to conflicts among themselves due to the pressure they experience. A forbidden love is also part of the story, which I'm sure will deeply move you.

"The Grace Year" is a powerful novel with a very dynamic protagonist and a story that conveys deep feminist messages, teaching us that those who gained their independence were people who fought united, not as enemies.

"The Grace Year" is a New York Times Bestseller and has been translated into 23 languages