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A review by chuckstafer
Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The premise of this novel sounded very interesting (cult living on an island after they ran away from some apocalypse. Girl sees something she shouldn't which starts a chain reaction of revolt and rebellion to reveal what really happened and why the cult started fresh on the island), but ultimately the story just fell flat for me.
The plot was nothing original, even though it did flash some new ideas every once in a while. I think this novel was more of an exploration of the trauma that adults can inflict on their children, both intended and unintended, and how these same children will fight back eventually. The continued implied instances of rape, incest, abuse, and misogyny did have me shocked/appalled a few times, but ultimately those incidents were not enough to completely save this story for me.
This was not a bad story or anything, it just did not hook me as I was hoping it would and did not feel original enough to really stand out either.
The plot was nothing original, even though it did flash some new ideas every once in a while. I think this novel was more of an exploration of the trauma that adults can inflict on their children, both intended and unintended, and how these same children will fight back eventually. The continued implied instances of rape, incest, abuse, and misogyny did have me shocked/appalled a few times, but ultimately those incidents were not enough to completely save this story for me.
This was not a bad story or anything, it just did not hook me as I was hoping it would and did not feel original enough to really stand out either.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment