ARC Review: The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

Title: The Grace Year 
Author: Kim Liggett
Genre: Dystopia 
Source: St. Martins Press via NetGalley 
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: September 17th 2019

Summary: 

No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden. Girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive. Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for their chance to grab one of the girls in order to make their fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other. With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.

I am a huge fan of The Handmaid's Tale from when I had to read it for me English Lit class in college. I am a huge fan of dystopian novels and The Handmaid's Tales was right up my alley. The moment I learned about The Grace Year and that it was pitched for fans of The Handmaid's Tale, I knew it was going to be a must read for me. I've read Kim's previous novels and loved them so I knew this one was going to be for me. I want to say that loved The Grace Year, but I sadly didn't. The Grace Year wasn't a horrible book, it has The Handmaid Tales vibes and a strong feminist message that I did enjoy, but other then that there really wasn't much more that I loved.

My English professor once said that if a novel doesn't make you angry for the injustices it serves, then it didn't accomplish what it was written to do. The Grace Year made me angry for the injustices that woman face. Not even just in this novel but in real life. Tierney's story is of a girl who dreams of a better life where society isn't the way it is. That woman have their freedom and they aren't just used to produce children and serve their husbands. She dreams of a world where woman aren't stripped of their rights and aren't pitted against each other in the wilderness for a year when they turn 16. 

I did enjoy the mystery surrounding The Grace Year until the girls go on their Grace Year. I wasn't sure what to expect because the biggest rule in The Grace Year is that, no one can talk about it. So, Tierney isn't sure what to expect. The girls chosen to be married and sent on their Grace Year are sent away to loose their "magic" and powers that are used to seduce men and cloud their judgment.  

The ending of The Grace Year left the book a little open ended in my opinion. I came to two different interpretations for how The Grace Year ended. I'm curious to see how other reads are going to take to the ending the and twists that happen in that last half of the novel. Overall, there were bits of The Grace Year that enjoyed and others that I didn't. I think this book wasn't my cup of tea because I as expecting something different. But I can see the appeal and how other readers are going to love this one. 

Waiting On Wednesday: Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine where we highlight some of the upcoming books we can't wait to read! 

 
Title: Twice in a Blue Moon
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books 
Paperback, 368 Pages
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2019



Summary: As an adventurous send-off to her childhood, eighteen-year-old Tate Jones travels with her grandmother from their small town in Northern California to London. But the vacation of a lifetime is wonderfully derailed by the appearance of two charming Vermont farmers: grandfather Luther and his handsome grandson Sam. Sam and Tate fall hard and fast. For two glorious weeks, the couple share their hopes, dreams, and secrets. Sam admits he suspects his grandfather is dying and that this could be the last trip they take together, and Tate reveals that she is the hidden daughter of one of the biggest film stars in the world—a secret she’s never told anyone before. But when Tate is exposed by a crush of cameras and reporters, she knows she's been betrayed by the one person she thought she could trust. She is forced to decide whether she will return to her quiet life or embrace being in the public eye. So when Sam reappears in her world more than a decade later, can Tate forgive the past and rekindle the passion they shared on their magical trip abroad? And does she even want to?

I recently read The Unhoneymooners and loved it so much, and I realized that Christina Lauren (a duo!) have so many different romance books out there, which means I'm excited to get my hands on them all and start reading. So when I found out about this one, I knew that I immediately wanted to read it, which means I got to the Javits Center super early on the last day of BookExpo in order to sprint over to the ARC drop as soon as the show floor opened. Luckily, I was successful, and I can't wait to pick up this book and fall into the incredible story, which I already know I'm going to love!! *swoony heart eyes*

What are you waiting on this week? Leave your links so we can stop back! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Summer 2019 TBR!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl in which we create bookish lists about everything from our favorite characters to love triangles and everything in between!

This week's theme: Books On My Summer 2019 TBR! 

         

Are any of these books on your TBR for this summer? Make sure to leave the links for your TTT so we can stop back! 

2019 Summer Bundle Giveaway!

Hi everyone! We have some exciting news for you today here at The Book Bratz -- we're launching our 2019 Summer Bundle Giveaway! We have three (3!) sets of bundles to give away, across three of our platforms -- Twitter, Instagram, and the blog! Each bundle contains a copy of two recent YA releases -- NO PLACE LIKE HERE by Christina June, and WE WERE BEAUTIFUL by Heather Hepler, courtesy of the lovely team over at Blink YA! We have some more information about each of the books down below, as well as information on how to enter the giveaway from here on the blog, as well as our other social platforms! So without further ado, let's get into it. (Also, this giveaway is unfortunately US only, but stay tuned for future INT giveaways!) All three giveaways end on 7/1 @ 12am EST! #sweepstakesentry #sponsored

BLOG GIVEAWAY: 

To enter the giveaway from here on the blog, use the Rafflecopter link below and complete as many of those tasks as you wish to gain more entry points!

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OTHER WAYS TO ENTER:

You also have two more chances to enter this giveaway! Check them out below:

Enter on our Twitter (Check out the pinned Tweet!)

Enter on our Instagram (Check out our most recent post!)

ABOUT THE BOOKS:

Title: No Place Like Here
Author: Christina June
Publisher: Blink YA
Paperback, 288 Pages
Published May 2019

Summary: Ashlyn Zanotti has big plans for the summer. She's just spent a year at boarding school and can't wait to get home. But when Ashlyn's father is arrested for tax evasion and her mother enters a rehab facility for "exhaustion," a.k.a. depression, her life is turned upside down. The cherry on top? Ashlyn's father sends her to work with a cousin she doesn't even know at a rustic team-building retreat center in the middle of nowhere. A self-proclaimed "indoor girl," not even Ash's habit of leaving breadcrumb quotes—inspirational sayings she scribbles everywhere—can help her cope. With a dangerously careless camp manager doling out grunt work, an overbearing father trying to control her even from prison, and more than a little boy drama to struggle with, the summer is full of challenges. And Ashlyn must make the toughest decision of her life: keep quiet and follow her dad's marching orders, or find the courage to finally stand up to her father to have any hope of finding her way back home.

Title: We Were Beautiful
Author: Heather Hepler
Publisher: Blink YA
Paperback, 299 Pages
Published April 2019

Summary: It's been a year since fifteen-year-old Mia Hopkins was in the car crash that killed her older sister and left her terribly scarred. The doctors tell her she was lucky to survive. Her therapist says it will take time to heal. The police reports claim there were trace amounts of alcohol in her bloodstream. But no matter how much she tries to reconstruct the events of that fateful night, Mia's memory is spotty at best. She's left with accusations, rumors, and guilt so powerful it could consume her. As the rest of Mia's family struggles with their own grief, Mia is sent to New York City to spend the summer with a grandmother she's never met. All Mia wants to do is hide from the world, but instead she's stuck with a summer job in the bustling kitchens of the cafe down the street. There she meets Fig--blue-haired, friendly, and vivacious--who takes Mia under her wing. As Mia gets to know Fig and her friends--including Cooper, the artistic boy who is always on Mia's mind--she realizes that she's not the only one with a painful past. Over the summer, Mia begins to learn that redemption isn't as impossible as she once thought, but her scars inside run deep and aren't nearly so simple to heal ... especially when Mia finally pieces together her memories of the night Rachel died.

Have any more questions? Feel free to comment down below or email us at thebookbratz@gmail.com and we'll get back to you ASAP. Now, go ahead and enter the giveaway on Twitter and Instagram as well to increase your chances! Best of luck! We'd also like to thank the incredible team over at Blink YA for sending us these books to read and then give away! <3

#sweepstakesentry #sponsored

Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Title: Red, White & Royal Blue
Author: Casey McQuiston
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Paperback, 423 Pages
Published May 2019

Summary: First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations. The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him. As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

After hearing so much about this book for so long, I knew that Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue was the kind of book that I'd be interested in, so at this year's BookExpo, I made sure to buy a copy over at the Macmillan booth. And I'm super glad that I did, because I ended up really enjoying this story! Without further ado, let's get into my review:

As the summary explains, Alex is the First Son of the United States, and his sworn enemy is Prince Henry of England. They are nothing short of rivals every time they are in the same room with one another, not able to stand one another and sometimes not even able to be civil. So when the press catches wind of their rift (thanks to a certain wedding disaster which you'll find out about), they're forced by the press to stage a series of public engagements that make them look like they've been best friends all along, as a way of saving face. But it works better than anyone anticipated -- before long, Alex and Henry realize that they have feelings for each other. Serious feelings. But those kinds of things can turn both of their respective governmental organizations upside down...or can they? Read the book to find out!

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was so funny, with so many sarcastic little quips and hilarious lines that there were several times that I found myself actually laughing out loud. The story itself was also really funny and interesting, seeing the way that Alex and Henry had to try to sell their friendship to the press, and all of the complicated things that involved behind the scenes. I really loved how there was such a wide array of characters in this book, each with their own quirks and personalities and purposes, and it all blended together to create a really rich, funny, heartwarming story that left me feeling all tingly and happy inside.

My favorite characters in this book were definitely, to nobody's surprise, Alex and Henry. I feel like they were perfect balances of one another, with Alex being sarcastic and more "daring", so to speak, while Henry always seemed a bit more withdrawn, softer, and quieter. However, they worked so well together, and even the moments where they were going at each other with insults and "fighting" were really hilarious -- the banter felt really natural and not forced at all, which I really appreciated as a reader. Zahara was also freaking hilarious and I loved her every time she was on the page, with her sarcastic quips and threats and language!

Overall, I really loved Red, White & Royal Blue. I definitely can see why there's so much hype surrounding it, that's for sure! Casey McQuiston's writing is inviting, sarcastic, and hilarious -- three things that help you fall into a story and tear through over 100 pages in a single sitting just because you don't want to put the book down. If you're looking for a read that grabs you and keeps you on the page (and also keeps you laughing!) this summer, then I'd absolutely say look no further than Red, White & Royal Blue!