The Grace Year

i had really high hopes for this book. the description makes it come off as this female lord-of-the-flies-esque feminine rage type story with strong hints to overthrowing the patriarchy and rebelling against the system that they've suffered under forever.

(the rest of this review will be spoilers)

except that never fucking happens. the whole system of the grace year and the men(derogatory) and the poachers has you on the edge of your seat to be sure. the first half of the book, before the grace year starts through fall and a bit of winter, was incredible. seeing how some of the girls want to work together and how some of them just see each other as enemies was a fascinating study of how the patriarchy turns women against each other and then they end up furthering the system that puts them down. this was shaping up to be an incredible story.

and then tierney falls in love with a poacher. you know. one of the guys that hunts and skins and cuts up grace year girls like her every year?

to say i was massively disappointed that this story ended up being more of a romance than a feminine rage book would be an understatement. even if the author tried to humanize ryker by having him admit that the only way to feed his family and take them to a better life was to hunt the girls – he still hunted the fucking girls. she literally finds a notebook with a sketch of her with dotted lines where he PLANNED to cut her up and still thought “oh its okay!! he's different!!”

there were other choices he could've made to support his family. and i figured he was set for death, especially when she actually decides to run away with him (because god forbid she actually try to take care of herself like grown woman, like she's been saying she could the entire book) but the fact that she ends up in the EXACT position she has been FEARING for the entire book: a mother and wife, and she's just?? okay with it?? because her daughter is fulfilling this prophetic dream she's had instead of her standing up and doing it herself? and then I'm pretty sure she DIES?

i was just...so disappointed in the direction this book took. i honestly would've dnfed when i realized the direction it was going with tierney and the poacher but i was already halfway through the book and i figured i might as well finish it.