readjacobmeadows's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Excellence in the field of speculative fiction.
ellbelle's review against another edition
4.0
I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it and didn't like it, even as I was reading it.
As others have said, the premise of the book is not original, but it is still compelling.
I enjoyed the characters. I often found myself confused about the make-up of their world, as it related to the outside world, but this fit into the hazy and confused perspective of the girls.
Ultimately, the book has left me thinking about it since I read it. More than other dystopian novels focused on women, this one prompted me to think about how abuse can become so normalized in society. So much so that it is appalling to the reader, but not questioned by the girls or women--or even the men who might question it on some internal level. I found it a fascinating commentary or look at culture and women. Super disturbing but interesting.
As others have said, the premise of the book is not original, but it is still compelling.
I enjoyed the characters. I often found myself confused about the make-up of their world, as it related to the outside world, but this fit into the hazy and confused perspective of the girls.
Ultimately, the book has left me thinking about it since I read it. More than other dystopian novels focused on women, this one prompted me to think about how abuse can become so normalized in society. So much so that it is appalling to the reader, but not questioned by the girls or women--or even the men who might question it on some internal level. I found it a fascinating commentary or look at culture and women. Super disturbing but interesting.
jjohnsen's review
4.0
A religious group escapes to a desolate island during an apocalypse, an the current followers of these "ancestors" hang on to the traditions while a small group of girls start to rebel as they question some of what they're being taught.
This is a tough read, not because of the quality of writing, but because of some of the traditions the people follow. It's interesting to read it as someone who grew up in the Mormon faith, because there are some similarities to the group. The thoughts on women's roles, knowledge of the history, protecting people from themselves, modesty, polygamy, are all there, but taken to another horrible level. Then the tough part of the reading, I had to read one chapter twice because I couldn't believe the author was saying what she was saying, but later chapters unfortunately confirmed it. The writing is great, I think it says a lot about her style that I wasn't sure what had happened, but kind of felt that it was awful even if I wasn't totally clear what was going on.
It's an interesting look at how religious teachings lead to doctrine, which lead to traditions, until sometimes followers may not even understand why they do something. I'm not one to demand a happy ending, but I do wish it ended on a slightly more positive note, there are some strong scenes toward the end, but not many characters end up in a good place. Along the way though the main characters (who are all girls between the age of 8-16) do some powerful things considering the situation they are born into, they were awesome.
I do want to say that there are some disturbing things that happen. It's never graphic, but people that are uncomfortable reading about sexual abuse should prepare themselves before reading it.
This is a tough read, not because of the quality of writing, but because of some of the traditions the people follow. It's interesting to read it as someone who grew up in the Mormon faith, because there are some similarities to the group. The thoughts on women's roles, knowledge of the history, protecting people from themselves, modesty, polygamy, are all there, but taken to another horrible level. Then the tough part of the reading, I had to read one chapter twice because I couldn't believe the author was saying what she was saying, but later chapters unfortunately confirmed it. The writing is great, I think it says a lot about her style that I wasn't sure what had happened, but kind of felt that it was awful even if I wasn't totally clear what was going on.
It's an interesting look at how religious teachings lead to doctrine, which lead to traditions, until sometimes followers may not even understand why they do something. I'm not one to demand a happy ending, but I do wish it ended on a slightly more positive note, there are some strong scenes toward the end, but not many characters end up in a good place. Along the way though the main characters (who are all girls between the age of 8-16) do some powerful things considering the situation they are born into, they were awesome.
I do want to say that there are some disturbing things that happen. It's never graphic, but people that are uncomfortable reading about sexual abuse should prepare themselves before reading it.
sophiejohannis's review against another edition
4.0
Read this in one morning because the society Melamed describes is so disturbingly riveting. On the surface, this novel doesn’t harbor any surprises for veterans of the dystopian genre — the general structure of the story is similar to children’s classics like The Giver. What sets this novel apart from others is its keen interrogation of patriarchal structures, taken to extremes by the religious zealots on the island in the novel. Anyone who’s researched the sexual and spiritual abuse rampant in fundamentalist communities will find the traditions Melamed describes — and the ones she merely hints at — horrendous, but not unrealistic in any way. Another outstanding aspect of Melamed’s novel is character development, specifically the sensitive way in which she describes the girls on the island finding small but significant and nearly always fit-wrenching ways of reclaiming their agency.
Four stars because I’m a sucker for first-person narrators when there are several points of view, like in this novel, and I would have liked to hear the girls’ actual voices rather than merely reading about their thoughts. But these four stars are well-deserved for everything else the novel has to offer.
Four stars because I’m a sucker for first-person narrators when there are several points of view, like in this novel, and I would have liked to hear the girls’ actual voices rather than merely reading about their thoughts. But these four stars are well-deserved for everything else the novel has to offer.
thereadingsparrow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
shelf_inspiration's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars
“Endure. I have done it and so can you.” -Gather the Daughters.
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
REVIEW: This book follows the members of a cult who live on an isolated island after the country was incinerated to wasteland. The cult built a new society founded on ancestor worship, controlled breeding, and the strict rationing of knowledge and history. Only those who are called the Wanderers (select founding males in the cult) are allowed to cross into the wastelands in order to scavenge the land. As for women, At the first signs of puberty, they face their summer of fruition, a season that drags them from adolescence to matrimony. They live their life having children and then when they are no longer useful, they take their final draught and die. The book follows the lives of several women in the cult and their journeys.
This was so good, and a must-read for anyone who likes to read about cults or religious sects. This is definitely a dark book and includes a lot of potentially triggering content. However, it is so beautifully written and and offers a lot of thought provoking commentary on the lives, roles, and hardships that women face. I really liked reading from the perspective of multiple characters because they all had their own struggles they were facing and each of them came from different backgrounds which had an impact on their individual actions and beliefs. I totally recommend this book and would love to read more from Jennie Melamed!
SYNOPSIS: Years ago, just before the country was incinerated to wasteland, ten men and their families colonized an island off the coast. They built a radical society of ancestor worship, controlled breeding, and the strict rationing of knowledge and history. Only the Wanderers--chosen male descendants of the original ten--are allowed to cross to the wastelands, where they scavenge for detritus among the still-smoldering fires.
The daughters of these men are wives-in-training. At the first sign of puberty, they face their Summer of Fruition, a ritualistic season that drags them from adolescence to matrimony. They have children, who have children, and when they are no longer useful, they take their final draught and die. But in the summer, the younger children reign supreme. With the adults indoors and the pubescent in Fruition, the children live wildly--they fight over food and shelter, free of their fathers' hands and their mothers' despair. And it is at the end of one summer that little Caitlin Jacob sees something so horrifying, so contradictory to the laws of the island, that she must share it with the others.
Born leader Janey Solomon steps up to seek the truth. At seventeen years old, Janey is so unwilling to become a woman, she is slowly starving herself to death. Trying urgently now to unravel the mysteries of the island and what lies beyond, before her own demise, she attempts to lead an uprising of the girls that may be their undoing.
“Endure. I have done it and so can you.” -Gather the Daughters.
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
REVIEW: This book follows the members of a cult who live on an isolated island after the country was incinerated to wasteland. The cult built a new society founded on ancestor worship, controlled breeding, and the strict rationing of knowledge and history. Only those who are called the Wanderers (select founding males in the cult) are allowed to cross into the wastelands in order to scavenge the land. As for women, At the first signs of puberty, they face their summer of fruition, a season that drags them from adolescence to matrimony. They live their life having children and then when they are no longer useful, they take their final draught and die. The book follows the lives of several women in the cult and their journeys.
This was so good, and a must-read for anyone who likes to read about cults or religious sects. This is definitely a dark book and includes a lot of potentially triggering content. However, it is so beautifully written and and offers a lot of thought provoking commentary on the lives, roles, and hardships that women face. I really liked reading from the perspective of multiple characters because they all had their own struggles they were facing and each of them came from different backgrounds which had an impact on their individual actions and beliefs. I totally recommend this book and would love to read more from Jennie Melamed!
SYNOPSIS: Years ago, just before the country was incinerated to wasteland, ten men and their families colonized an island off the coast. They built a radical society of ancestor worship, controlled breeding, and the strict rationing of knowledge and history. Only the Wanderers--chosen male descendants of the original ten--are allowed to cross to the wastelands, where they scavenge for detritus among the still-smoldering fires.
The daughters of these men are wives-in-training. At the first sign of puberty, they face their Summer of Fruition, a ritualistic season that drags them from adolescence to matrimony. They have children, who have children, and when they are no longer useful, they take their final draught and die. But in the summer, the younger children reign supreme. With the adults indoors and the pubescent in Fruition, the children live wildly--they fight over food and shelter, free of their fathers' hands and their mothers' despair. And it is at the end of one summer that little Caitlin Jacob sees something so horrifying, so contradictory to the laws of the island, that she must share it with the others.
Born leader Janey Solomon steps up to seek the truth. At seventeen years old, Janey is so unwilling to become a woman, she is slowly starving herself to death. Trying urgently now to unravel the mysteries of the island and what lies beyond, before her own demise, she attempts to lead an uprising of the girls that may be their undoing.
renbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book. Good characters and pacing, good plot. I wish there had been a little more of it, either a longer book or more detail and fleshing out the ideas. There were parts where the author kind of left it to the imagination that I would've liked to know more about. Recommended for anyone who liked and was horrified by the Handmaid's Tale
sbogdanich's review against another edition
4.0
This was a terrifying book that is kind of like a different but similar world to the Handmaid’s Tale but told from the perspective of young girls growing up in an extreme patriarchy. It was disturbing but I couldn’t put it down.
christiek's review against another edition
I just felt generally befuddled and nothing felt true. DNF at 20%
nottoolate's review
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Anyone considering reading this book should know that parent/child incest is an accepted part of the society that the story occurs in.
Beyond that-I can only imagine the author is inspired by the many insular fundamentalist Christian groups in America. It is a multiple pov story, with each character giving away small pieces that paint a horrifying picture of the society these poor girls live in. A dark but compelling story I couldn't stop reading.
Beyond that-I can only imagine the author is inspired by the many insular fundamentalist Christian groups in America. It is a multiple pov story, with each character giving away small pieces that paint a horrifying picture of the society these poor girls live in. A dark but compelling story I couldn't stop reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Rape, Child death, Murder, and Incest