The Grace Year is something of a mix between The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies and The Handmaid’s Tale. I also got a lot of vibes from Under the Never Sky. Nevertheless, it’s a completely unique book. It’s disturbing and intense, intriguing and eye-opening. It’s a dystopian thriller with a feministic perspective that puts a finger on some really important issues like independence, equality and how strong and powerful we all can be if we support each other, and how scary the alternative is.

Tierney James lives in an isolated village where the men rule everything and were women that speaks their minds are considered as dangerous creatures trying to lure men by using magic. It is believed that girls on the verge of womanhood possess powerful magic that can ruin men. During their sixteenth year all girls are therefore banished from the county to fend for themselves in the wild and get rid of their magic in the fight for survival. Only then can they return, broken and meek, to enter into the marriages decided for them.

I really rooted for Tierney right from the start. She is fierce, has a mind of her own and dreams of a better world, and dares to questions the current order of things. Unlike the other girls, she does not dream of getting married and become the property of a man, but would rather prefer the harsh life on the fields. Destiny has other plans for her though… As she is sent off for the grace year, Tierney soon discovers that it’s not the magic or the brutal life in the woods that she must fear. Not even the poachers (men waiting in the woods to catch and kill the girls), but rather the other girls. Alone in the woods a very complex and twisted relationship forms itself between the girls, who are indoctrinated to believe they have magic powers.

The book was a little slow in the beginning, but about halfways it really took off and I was completely sucked into the story, reading the last part feverishly. This book is brutal and violent, but it also shows the good in people and how they can grow if they are given the opportunity. The world building is amazing and very credible. There is also a cute and very well-executed enemy to lovers part, which is one of my favorite tropes.

I really hope that there will be a sequel though, as there are so many unanswered questions and so much more I want to learn about Tierney’s life ahead.

Rating:
4 stars

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​Kim Liggett

I was such a big fan of The Hunger Games trilogy, so of course I had to read this prequel about Coriolanus Snow (i.e. President Snow to-be) as a young, poor, student and mentor in the 10th Hunger Games. Picking up this book, I was intrigued to know how Suzanne Collins would try to make us sympathize with one of the most evil villains in YA literature and had hoped for something that would shake things up and alter my whole impression of him. But unfortunately that didn’t happen. If anything, this book made me like President Snow even less.

Even though the book provided Snow’s perspectives and gave more depth to his character, it didn’t really do enough to endear him to me. It was interesting to learn more about the consequences of the war and how Snow had to struggle with keeping the façade up and protect his family legacy, while starving in post-war Panem. But already from the start, there was something selfish, manipulative and spineless about him, with his ambitions and his need to always keep up appearances. Also his mentorship and kindness towards Lucy Gray was really just another project for his portfolio and a means to get him the desired university scholarship. And as the book continues, he becomes more and more ruthless, willing to do anything, betray anyone, in his quest for power.

I did enjoy the backstory of the games though, and to see how Snow impacted them to evolve the way they did to Katniss’s time. It was also interesting to get the history as to why the mockingjay became a symbol for the rebellion. I loved Lucy Gray Baird’s character and I enjoyed getting to know more about Snow’s cousin Tigris and his grandmother, but I never really felt attached to any of the characters the way I did in the original series. I missed the bravery and honesty of the original characters, and their struggle for the freedom and their willingness to sacrifice themselves for the greater good that made the original story so addictive and engaging.

All in all, this book felt unnecessary. I did enjoy parts of it, but it didn’t make me change my mind about President Snow. My main problem was the lack of characters I loved and rooted for, which made me not feel as invested in this book as I had hoped for. It was also a bit slow and it definitely would have benefited from being shorter. So even though the book was enjoyable enough, it was still quite the disappointment.

Rating:
3 stars

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Suzanne Collins

This political rom com follows the two teenagers Jamie and Maya as they are paired together for a political campaign and their journey on social social activism and political awareness paired with personal problems and family drama.

Jamie is the very definition of adorkable; awkward, shy, clumsy and cute and with political ambitions that seem somewhat unachievable as he is a choke artist when it comes to speaking in public. Once he even got so nervous that he threw up on a politician during an interview…

“Let’s face it. Some people are meant to change history. And some people are meant to change out of their vomity interview clothes.”

(This quote reminded me a lot of another of my favorite books, Red, White & Royal Blue, but compared to that book this one has a heavier focus on the political parts, especially the practical aspects of passing bills and canvassing voters etc.)

I immediately fell in love with Jamie. He’s so goodhearted, so self-conscious, so perky cute and considerate. I could definitely relate to his social anxiety and how the thought of making a toast at his sister’s bat mitzvah clouded the whole Summer. Speaking of his sister, she was just wonderful. So sparky and outspoken and always making fun of Jamie in a loving way. I absolutely adored their affectionate relationship.

Maya is a Muslim girl who is having the worst Summer dealing with her parents’ break-up and her best friend abandoning her for a new university roommate, and who agrees to do the political campaigning solely to get her parents to give her a car. At first, she’s too preoccupied with the crises in her life to think about anything else. Especially as her parents don’t want her to date anyone she’s not serious about and certainly not someone who isn’t a Muslim. But when an Islamophobic bill is threatening to be passed and antisemitic images are being glued to cars, she and Jamie find each other in their political awakening and the desire to make a change.

I really loved Jaime’s and Maya’s cute banter and how they built their friendship from the ground up. To paraphrase Jamie, I loved their “slowmance” and the very, very, slow friends-to-lovers trope and how they got to know more about each other’s cultures and being receptive at the same time.

Both the characters and the story felt very realistic, especially when it came to the political climate, the tension and hatred beneath the surface and the simple black-and-white attitudes to complex problems. Which frankly is very scary and makes you fear for the future of our world. But luckily, the passion and how much the characters wanted to make a difference made up for that.

All in all, Yes No Maybe So is a cute and charming love story which deals with some heavy issues such as antisemitism, Islamophobia, cultural differences and family difficulties, but that is also light and fun with a lot of bantering and satiric dialogues. And the best of all is that it leaves you feeling hopeful and believing that anyone can make a change.

“There is hope. Hold it tight, and keep fighting.”

Rating:
4 stars

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​Author info:
Becky Albertalli
Aisha Saeed

With the Fire on High is such an amazing and different story for a YA book. The main character, Emoni, is far from your typical YA heroine. First of all, she got pregnant at 15 and is now a senior in high school with a toddler. Second, she’s got a passion for cooking, which I can’t think I’ve come across in a YA book before. The one place Emoni can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen and Elizabeth Acevedo makes an amazing job describing the joy of cooking.

All foodie scenes added such a wonderful vibe to the story, with the descriptions of the food Emoni cooked and how she tasted it, added spices and unconventional ingredients, and the beautiful foodie illustrations and recipes sprinkled throughout the book.

Another thing that was quite different about this book was how realistic it was. It really showed the struggles and sacrifices Emoni has to do for her baby, and how hard it is for her to get all parts of life together with school and all her extra work. Being a mom means that she’s never able to put herself first and that she always has the responsibility for someone else, especially as her abuela (grandma) is getting older and as she’s not on the best terms with her daughter’s father. And when the chance comes for a culinary class and trip to Spain, nothing happens by magic.

I also really loved the way Emoni struggled when starting to have feelings for the new cute guy in class, Malachi. With a little daughter and the bad experience from her previous relationship she’s not ready to jump into a new one easily. The fire is on high when it comes to cooking, but when it comes to love it’s a slow burning one… Almost too slow at times, I really rooted for Malachi and wanted Emoni to let him into her life much sooner. He’s one of the sweetest teen boy characters ever! This book also has some amazing LGBTQ+ rep coming from Emoni’s kick ass best friend, Angelica.

All in all, this is a gripping story that is endearingly realistic yet heart-warming and hopeful.

Rating:
4 stars

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​Author info:
Elizabeth Acevedo