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rblashath's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
al_davies's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
iwburg's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
kathinkahelene's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Full review hopefully to come
pestowitch's review
4.0
Incredibly disturbing and oddly compelling. Gather The Daughters details the experiences of young teen girls living on an isolated island populated by a misogynistic society, bordering on cult levels. The author is a psychiatric nurse with experience in helping abused children, and it shows. The abuse the girls suffer at the hands of their families and society is awful, and scarily all too close to some people’s realities. Whilst haunting, the harrowing is never explicitly shown beyond some vague descriptions and implications. The book itself has gained some comparisons to The Handmaid’s Tale due to similar themes, but I think GTD works well as an additional commentary from the perspective of young girls. The writing flowed well, although had a few overly flowery metaphors here and there which irritated me. My only problem with the book is that it ended so abruptly. I could have read about the girls fat behind the end of the story and I certainly hope the author will be publishing a sequel.
freyy98's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
kara_jane's review against another edition
5.0
Years ago ten men came to island off the coast of a crumbling nation, where they make up their own society based on ancestors worship. Generation later community is still following these rules. The only people who are allowed to leave are the wanderers, the discendants of the original ten men.
The daughters once shows signs of puberty have their summer of fruitation which is when they go from childhood to marriage. Once they have their two children and their children have children and are no longer usefil they take the final draft and die.
***SPOILERS MAYBE?***
In Gather The Daughters meet four girls Amanda who had her summer of fruitation and is expecting her first child with her husband Andrew. I really like her she wants nothing more then to protect her unborn child.
Vanessa is the daughter of a wanderer who is very well educated for a girl because her father sees nothing wrong with her reading books (WAY TO GO DAD!) she hasn't had her summer yet.
Caitlin is the daughter of a family who arrived on the island to have a better life, she doesn't remember anything from the wastelands.
Lastly is Janey a girl who is in her late teens and hasn't had her summer yet. She is one of my favorite main characters, she is firece and will not let anything stand in her way even if it kills her. She is very headstrong independent woman who wants nothing more then to protect her sister Mary and the other girls who haven't has their summer of fruitation.
This book had me staying up late on a work day just to know what happens. I love how you get more POVS of different girls and how they see their society. Jennie Melamed did a fantastic job in her debut novel. I honestly didn't even know of this book until I saw it's on a bookstagram account called salt water reads where they had Jennie's book as their August pick. So thank you for introducing me to this amazing book! I hope to see more from Melamed.
The daughters once shows signs of puberty have their summer of fruitation which is when they go from childhood to marriage. Once they have their two children and their children have children and are no longer usefil they take the final draft and die.
***SPOILERS MAYBE?***
In Gather The Daughters meet four girls Amanda who had her summer of fruitation and is expecting her first child with her husband Andrew. I really like her she wants nothing more then to protect her unborn child.
Vanessa is the daughter of a wanderer who is very well educated for a girl because her father sees nothing wrong with her reading books (WAY TO GO DAD!) she hasn't had her summer yet.
Caitlin is the daughter of a family who arrived on the island to have a better life, she doesn't remember anything from the wastelands.
Lastly is Janey a girl who is in her late teens and hasn't had her summer yet. She is one of my favorite main characters, she is firece and will not let anything stand in her way even if it kills her. She is very headstrong independent woman who wants nothing more then to protect her sister Mary and the other girls who haven't has their summer of fruitation.
This book had me staying up late on a work day just to know what happens. I love how you get more POVS of different girls and how they see their society. Jennie Melamed did a fantastic job in her debut novel. I honestly didn't even know of this book until I saw it's on a bookstagram account called salt water reads where they had Jennie's book as their August pick. So thank you for introducing me to this amazing book! I hope to see more from Melamed.
top0's review
5.0
What an incredible, heartbreaking book. I didn't love this book, that would be the wrong word, but I am glad I read it and would absolutely recommend it to others. Prisons are not always made of iron bars, and this book is a brutal testament to that fact.
I thought the understated aspects of the book were the most powerful. Towards the end Melamed writes, " Many daughters got new father's, and cried and cried". All of the implications in that one sentence are so overwhelming.
The writing was extraordinary and it's the one of the only times I can say I am very happy I've read it but don't know if I ever want to read it again.
I thought the understated aspects of the book were the most powerful. Towards the end Melamed writes, " Many daughters got new father's, and cried and cried". All of the implications in that one sentence are so overwhelming.
The writing was extraordinary and it's the one of the only times I can say I am very happy I've read it but don't know if I ever want to read it again.