Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Little, Brown and Company for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

With its dystopian setting and a cult-like group who sets themselves apart from the greater world this book's blurb was giving off an intense, slightly creepy vibe which intrigued me.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me on a few levels. Continually at the forefront of the book is the horrifying subject matter which varied from a total lack of women's rights, teen orgies and leading up to the glaring and horrific ongoing incest/sexual abuse. These are difficult, emotional and intense subjects that I found hard to read.

The story is set within a small population which has set itself apart from the greater society. It's an interesting idea but the author doesn't go far enough with this concept. Readers aren't given enough backstory about how and why their small world was created except that the leaders are following what their forefathers wanted. Nor are we shown what life is like for the greater world (referred to as the Wastelands). I needed more explanation and kept reading hoping for some enlightenment about both worlds but no insight came.

It also didn't help that there wasn't ANYTHING remotely redeemable about this small society and its demented rules/mores. The abuse was rampant and felt like it was used more for shock value because not much was happening with regards to the plot. I wanted to see the girls kick start a change within their society or something huge to happen but, for much of the book, the focus was only on the abuse and I found myself skimming through.

The story's weak plot is told via the POVs of several teenage girls. But even with each telling their own story I didn't feel like I got to know any of them well. They remained almost indistinguishable from each other and I resorted to making a cheat sheet to keep track of them. Not a good sign.

If a horrifying, uncomfortable read is what the author was going for then I give full stars but as a reader, the continually alarming, sickening abuse was too much. I'm still at a loss to figure out the point of this book. The subject matter was so extreme and yet readers are left hanging as to how and why this small society came to be and how it has gone unnoticed by the greater world. This is a book about the antithesis of a good society filled with patriarchal control and rampant abuse. I believe this book will be discussed a lot due to its extreme and shocking subject matter but I cannot recommend this book.

Intriguing at first, I became slightly disgusted eventually, which is probably the intended reaction. A mysterious island set apart from a supposedly hellish wasteland, where life is predictable if short. But female children make mothers very sad, and we soon find out why. Interesting story idea, but the just ok writing and an unsatisfying conclusion failed to make me love this one. Great potential though!

Love, love, love, Gather the Daughters. It was creepy, entertaining, and I couldn't put it down.

I had so many thoughts and questions pop up while I read Gather the Daughters, and they continue to linger after I've finished. This book is creepy in the "Oh God, I'm glad my life looks nothing like this" type of way.

This book takes place on an isolated island that was colonized by ten families some time ago, known as "the ancestors." Men dominate the society, and girls are are taught to be wives at a young age. There are strict birthing restrictions (only two kids per family), only selected men can voyage to the "wastelands" to seek necessary items, and after the first sign of womanhood, girls enter the summer of fruition where they will end up with a husband by season's end. There are an endless amount of strange and horrific rules in this society, but none more disturbing than the closeness of fathers to their young daughters. The implied (but never graphic) abuse and incest that takes place is alarming to say the least, but perhaps more so because it is just the way things always were to these people.

A few daughters narrate this book, which adds more mystery. They know nothing other than what occurs on the island, but little by little, they start to come to the realization that what they've always done might be wrong and unusual. Plus, they wonder if there is more to the world than just the island. A few girls break from the harsh traditions to various responses in the hopes of causing some sort of change.

I felt a wave of emotions when I read this - many times I cringed, sometimes my eyes widened, and other times I simply appreciated that my life is nothing like what is described in these pages.

This book can not be compared to any book I've read before. It's gritty and takes a lot of bravery to read, and I can't even imagine the bravery it took to write it. It tackles major topics like abuse, politics, leadership, gender roles. When a group of "leaders" start a colony and convince their families that there is no one else left in the world, they think they can control everything. But a generation of brave young girls start to wonder: "What is the wasteland and why can't they go?" They start to resist the futures that are pressed onto them and a revolt arises, one that is both awe inspiring but at the same time, terrifying. The men that should be protecting their daughters are the very men these girls wants to run from. You'll want to put down the book out of frusteration but your love for the characters will keep you going to the very last page.

This is a strange book. Plenty if discussion for reading groups.I did spend most if my time wondering why though.parts didn't gel but other parts freaked me out. Interesting and I'm still unsure

[Published at the website of the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography (cclapcenter.com). For any questions concerning this review, please contact Jason Pettus at cclapcenter@gmail.com.]

I know it's mostly my fault for having a mediocre reaction to the mostly loved <i>Gather the Daughters</i> by Jennie Melamed; and that's because I read too many of these kinds of books during the Bush administration in the early-aughts, novels that posit in one way or another that an American apocalypse would for some reason bring about a new national society of Amish people, a subject that was used so many hundreds of times between 9/11 and Obama's presidency that I even came up with a term back then, "Bushist literature," to describe the phenomenon.

<i>Gather the Daughters</i> is yet another one of these, and unfortunately doesn't do too much to set itself apart from the others; a sort of mashup of <i>The Handmaid's Tale</i>, <i>Lord of the Flies</i>, <i>The Village</i>, and James Howard Kunstler's Bushism ur-example <i>World Made By Hand</i>, its central premise is that a group of Westboro-like extreme conservative Christians manage to take over a private island just before the US is blown into smithereens, and in the resulting generations of being left alone have formed an insular society that is King James Bible meets complete patriarchy meets the Taliban, in which the women-folk exist entirely and exclusively to poop out babies and please the man they've been assigned to, and are then encouraged to commit suicide once they hit menopause.

I'm not opposed to these kinds of stories per se -- almost 35 years later, <i>The Handmaid's Tale</i> is still rightly being read and loved by millions of new people every single year -- but if in the 2010s you're going to take on a story trope that's been done so many times already by now, you better either bring something new to the table or do the expected extremely well; and unfortunately Melamed does neither of these things, turning in a manuscript that often sounds like the following made-up example, not an actual quote from the book but that might as well be...

<i>Today in the wastelands I came across a Sacred Parchment by the prophet Roxane Gay; but Blessed Father informed me that she is a Harlot of Evil, and that I should ignore her wicked lessons on Female Empowerment and Thinking For Yourself.</i>

I of course slightly exaggerate for humorous effect; but Melamed's real prose actually sounds suspiciously like this jokey example, an overwrought and too-obvious style that sounds at all times like everyone is constantly talking in Capitalized Words about Things You And I Take For Granted but that have taken on Ironically Mythic Proportions For The Sake Of Easy Metaphor among their crypto-Shaker society of calico skirts and butter-churning.

That unfortunately is not enough to elevate this book above the literally dozens of better examples from just the last 15 years of contemporary publishing; and while Melamed's heart is absolutely in the right place, that doesn't stop <i>Gather the Daughters</i> from being a bit of a hackneyed mess. Certainly worth your time if you've never read these kinds of books before -- from all the glowing reviews at Goodreads.com, it's obvious that most people who read it liked it profoundly more than me -- you're nonetheless bound to be disappointed if you're already a fan and heavy reader of apocalyptic fiction, especially from urban liberal authors who are trying to make a political point about how backwards rural conservatives are. As an urban liberal myself, I agree with that sentiment, but that doesn't mean I want to sit through 300 pages of "thee"s and "thou"s to be lectured on something I already know. Buyer beware.

Out of 10: <b>7.3</b>

I've decided that I don't have the time or energy (whispers: at this moment, anyway) to go off on a tirade about my opposition to trigger warnings but (contradictory), I will say that the bottom line is that I ultimately do feel like people/readers should ultimately have the decision-making autonomy over what they're reading, so all this to say that if you have any concerns over your possible sensitivity to just about anything that isn't all light and happy and smiles all around, you are guaranteed to have concerns about this book.

Which, of course, is one of the reasons I loved it so much. This debut is quite unremittingly harsh and bleak and dark and also (as so often happens) quite unremittingly beautiful and insightful and tender.

"It embarrasses her that everyone thinks Father beats her, but she knows it's just because she bruises so very easily. Father sometimes jokes that she'd bruise in a strong wind. If he lays a hand on her leg, it bruises. If he pulls on her arm to punctuate a point, it bruises. Sometimes she doesn't even feel it. Caitlin hates the marks; it's like her body is a tattletale, blabbing everything that everyone else's body keeps silent. Her body is so garrulous, with its bruises and pink marks and maroon spots, that she rarely talks, not wanting to add to the din. If she can't be smart or pretty, she can be quiet. And good."

"She discovers that grief is a liquid. It passes thickly down her throat and she drinks water and pools soggily around her food. It flows through her veins, dark and heavy, and fills the cavities of her bones until they weigh so much she can barely lift her head. It coats her skin like a slick of fat, moving and swirling over her eyes, turning their clear surfaces to dull gray. At night, it rises up from the floor silently until she feels it seep into the bedclothes, lick at her heels and elbows and throat, thrust upward like a rising tide that will drown her in sorrow."

If pressed into classifying this into a genre, I'd say it's a clever mix of dystopian and magical realism, except that dystopian might be a misnomer or misclassification and, really, the novel is never going to make that clear. Magical realism, though, I feel is definitive.

You'll see comparisons out there to The Handmaid's Tale, both as a compliment and a derogative (Oh, look, she's copying Handmaid's) and I can't truly comment either way on this as I have thus far (whispering again) failed to read Handmaid's, but I can tell you that I loved how she portrayed the possible ways that girls may emerge or respond or tailor their personalities and responses to an environment that includes sexual physical and emotional abuse but doesn't do so in a cookie-cutter way; these girls are representative of how a child might reflect the values of the community they live in but they're still whole characters and immersive personalities.

One of my top books this year. Hachette provided a reader's copy to me and this was released on July 25th.

GATHER THE DAUGHTERS is the story of a group of people living on an isolated island. The story goes that just before the country went up in flames, a small group of men and women brought their families to the island, thus escaping the fate of what would later come to be known as "the wastelands." The founders formed an entire civilization based around ancestor worship, adhering to the rules set forth by the original inhabitants of the island, such as: limiting the number of children each family is allowed to have, and the declaration that a person may live only so long as they are useful. Knowledge about the wastelands is practically non-existent, and only an elite group of men known as "the Wanderers" are allowed to go there in order to scavenge for supplies.

The island is a particularly restrictive place for girls. They are simply future wives who will marry and have children. But they are allowed a brief respite from a suffocating life bound by rules (called the "shalt-nots") when summer arrives. They run wild outdoors, doing whatever they want, every summer... until they reach puberty and their "Summer of Fruition", which marks their final summer of freedom. When it ends, they will marry and have children of their own.

During the summer, one girl sees something horrific—something that should never have happened on the island—and tells the other girls about it. This sparks a rebellion led by Janey Solomon, who is determined the uncover the secrets of the island and the wastelands. But on a secluded island bound by generations of traditions and practices that are disturbing (to say the least), will it even matter? And what price will these rebellious girls be forced to pay, in the end?

It's been over a month since I read this novel and I've been struggling with how to review it because I'm conflicted on how I feel about it. So I'm going to do something a little different from my usual review, and focus on the good, the bad, and the ugly. (I'm pretty sure one I saw this approach by one (or more?) of the bloggers I follow, but I'm not sure who it was. Whoever you/they are... thank you for the idea!)

The Good

Simply put, Melamed's writing is fantastic. Had I been unaware this was her debut novel, I would have assumed she already had a few titles under her belt (or rather, on the shelf). The island society she created is vivid, dark, and disturbing. Every character in the book—major or minor—all have distinct personalities. The different areas of the island and the homes are all described well enough for the reader to easily picture them.

Janey Solomon struck me as a particularly strong character, as well as a tragic one. Each of the four girls whose POVs tell the story are compelling characters, but Janey's portion of the story, for me, was the most intriguing.

The Bad

After all the build-up about the mystery of the wastelands, we are left with no solid answers, only suspicions. I assumed from the start there would be some sort of twist concerning this mystery, and while it was often heavily hinted at, it never happened. I was extremely disappointed by this.

Another thing that bothered me is that the story ends on a cliffhanger (in my opinion). If it ended this way because a future sequel is in the works, then it's a good thing—it works as a finale for this portion of the story, and is a great starting point for the next portion. But if this is meant as a stand-alone book, it's a very bad thing, indeed, because it hinted at a pay-off that wasn't there. With this sort of ending for a stand-alone novel, even the most brilliantly written book of all time is going to leave me feeling sour once I reach the end.

The Ugly

I've previously described this story as dark and disturbing, and with good reason. One of the accepted practices of the island is father-daughter incest. Looking back, I can see that it's vaguely hinted at in the blurb ("free of their father's hands"), but it never occurred to me that that's what it meant. It's never graphically described, but still...

Final Thoughts

I mostly enjoyed reading this book, but I wasn't a fan of the lack of resolution regarding the mystery of the island and the cliffhanger ending. That was the deciding factor in the three star rating I've given this book.

However... I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Jennie Melamed's next novel. She's clearly a fantastic writer, and I'm eager to see what she comes up with next!

I received an advance review copy of this book courtesy of Little, Brown and Company via Netgalley.

This dystopian novel is about a society where newborn boys are celebrated and girls are dismissed. Vanessa, Amanda, Caitlin and Janey are four young girls who the reader follows through this dark and sad book. The situation of the girls was heart breaking and complex. Well written and hard to read at the same time.

There’s something hauntingly fascinating about cults, so I was naturally drawn to Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed. But this is far more than your run of the mill cult story and there was some very strong and disturbing subject matter that I think is really glossed over in the description. This was incredibly difficult to read, the subject matter so very disturbing, but Melamed handled it all with such sensitivity and grace and wrote such a strong, moving piece that despite the subject matter, is a terrific read.

If ever there was a book that needed women to defy their upbringing and rise up against everything they knew, this is the book. It’s mind blowing how everyone just took what was said as gospel and year after year allowed the same atrocious things to happen not only to them, but to their sisters and daughters alike. How did it take so long for the women to rebel? That terrifies me! Their way of life turned my stomach – that’s actually almost too mild a description – and made me incredibly uncomfortable and viciously angry. The abuse, the incest, the wallflowers who never question any of the actions, all of it was just really hard to read and even harder to write about here.

I liked the structure of this, how it was told from the points of view of different girls who had different statuses within the community and different perspectives of their lives, some who didn’t question anything, some who questioned everything. I thought the girls were all very brave and very strong and I loved how they all came together to uncover some of the truths and untruths that they had been fed since they were children. This was very hopeful and inspiring and added a little bit of positivity to the otherwise dark story-line.

I also really enjoyed how well the perverse passages were handled, as I already mentioned. Melamed has a psychiatric background dealing with traumatized children and you can really see a gentleness to how she approached some of the worst things imaginable. There were no overly graphic descriptions and yet, she still painted such a vivid picture. This in itself shows the talent and grace she has as a writer.

I finished the last page of this and it took everything in me not to scream. The ending was fitting to the repeating history of the story-line, but it was not what I was hoping for and it was not at all reassuring. Reading this with a knowing perspective was infuriating, more so when you realize that things like this actually happen outside of this book. That is what is even more terrifying. You see some very scary qualities in the men of this book, qualities that you can easily see reflected in people in the news today, with their horrifying acts and grandiose religious beliefs.

This is a story that cut me deep and has left me very, very chilled.

4.5 stars

Let me begin this review by saying that ever since I saw the cover and read the synopsis of this book back in January I have been obsessed with it. This is just one of those books you want to own and read and look at the pretty cover for days. Sadly my physical ARC of this book never arrived but I got it in e-form. Usually when I’m excited about a book I get disappointed in some way but this one was so great and amazing that I couldn’t put it down!

The story alternates between four different points of views we have Vanessa, Amanda, Janey and Caitlin. They live on a secluded island where everything is not what it seems – men and women, boys and girls have their lives set out for them. Their purpose is to marry, have children, raise children and when the children are all grown up and parents no longer of use they get removed from society. The island and its inhabitants follow certain written rules: much like we have a Bible or other religious texts they have one too called Our Book where there are rules and restrictions which have to be respected called Shalt-Not’s. The society is created by ten ancestors who are to be worshiped and praised for creating this world where the lives of the inhabitants are blessed and safer from the rest of the world (if there is a rest of the world). The ancestors have set ten Wanderers (men chosen by the ancestors) to take care of the society and help better it by overlooking the positions and roles everyone has on the island. Here comes the exciting part [that is if you’re not already hooked by my description of the book]: In the summer children are let go to live wild and care-free while the adults are indoors. They call this period Summer of Fruition where children fight for food and sleep in the grass and rarely return home for the whole time. To slightly older girls this is the last summer before they become a woman who has to get married and bare a child and serve her purpose for the sake of their glorified community. But not everyone wants to be a woman yet and the horrifying sighting by one girl lights a shimmering fire in the hearts of others.

What can I say except that this was an utterly and completely captivating book from the writing to the author’s imagination. The story itself is brilliantly thought of and very well executed – there were a few things that come with every debut which weren’t exactly to my taste – but overall it was unlike anything I have ever read. The themes in this book are dark and that makes the book not suited for every kind of reader but for those who love dark things this will be a perfect read.

To anyone reading this review I URGE you to head over to your local bookshop/online bookshop and purchase yourself a copy of this one! I know I will! ALSO: The US cover is 100x better than the UK one OK! The most amazing cover I’ve seen in a while and it’s definitely worth owning and showcasing.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher (Little Brown US) for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review..

4.5 stars

I hate not finishing an ARC before publication day, but I was in wedding mode for my son and time got away from. Yet, I hopped on my blog and recommended the book before finishing it; that’s not something I would normally do. I expressed hope that I wouldn't regret doing so. I do NOT regret the early recommendation. I loved this book!

Really, the story starts off quite subtly to me. There are a few characters that get their own POV (don’t worry, the chapters are marked so you know whose POV you’re getting each time) so it takes a few chapters to get with the flow and get to know each voice. Since this is a dystopian story those first few chapters are also used to get the reader familiar with the island this society lives on…their customs, rules, idiosyncrasies, etc. This is not a dystopian novel in the way of The Stand or V for Vendetta or The Hunger Games, where you know almost immediately what the conflict is and that there will be a battle or fight of some kind at some point. No, this is much more under the radar…like The Handmaid’s Tale (the book, I haven’t had a chance to check out the show on HULU yet). You know there’s something off, then you know what it is that is off but don’t know what anyone will do about it, then you start to see the whole picture.

I can’t say much about specific characters or how I feel about said characters without spoiling some things. But I want to say that in the end I felt that all the women (including the girls…they truly are women though because of the issues they must deal with) are strong in their own ways. I can very easily look at Janey and say she’s the strongest, I can even say Vanessa is a pretty strong person. Once I really begin to see the whole picture I realize that even Caitlyn’s mom is strong. I may not agree with her choices, I may not understand her choices, I may be angry about her choices…but she was surviving and making sure her daughter did, too.

Which brings the question: When is it worth surviving and when is what we have to sacrifice to survive not worth it? Each of the women in this story have different answers to that question, which is evident with the way they each live their lives. The same can be said for some of the men, also. Especially those that think they know how their society is being run but learn that they are maybe not as in the know as they think they are.

I truly cannot say much more, I want you to discover the many layers of this story for yourself. I can tell you that this would make an excellent book club selection. There are so many theories running through my mind that it would be great to talk to my book club about what their thoughts are. Also, I saw some people questioning if this would be good for a teen. It depends on the teen and I would strongly suggest you read it before giving it to any of your underage readers. I give this one an R rating for a reason. And it’s definitely not for younger teens, I think some of the things would be over their heads.

I believe this is Jennie Melamed’s debut novel. She looks to have a great future in writing if I were to judge by this book.

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

This book was definitely disturbing in content, had some redeeming qualities, but ultimately I didn't really enjoy it and wouldn't recommend it. The author hints at a lot of events, and not just the incest between father and daughter. I was often confused and annoyed and left wishing that, with all the words used, Melamed couldn't just tell the reader something concrete. It took me about a third of the book to be able to tell the characters apart in their different POV chapters, which was also annoying, and left me not feeling connected to any of the characters for a while. Finally, the ending was vague and unfulfilling.
There are some things I enjoyed about the book, such as Janey (once I figured out who she was) and the brief rebellion. So, enough to merit 2 stars but I'd never recommend this book to others.

Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed: Melamed’s haunting debut is the perfect study on life within a cult. Following a radical society on the brink of revolution, the first half of Gather the Daughters read similar to Hunger Games – a group of children desperate for change but nowhere to go as the world around them burns in the fire… but reading on, it’s undoubtedly more akin to Summerisle of The Wicker Man. (4 Stars)

3.5 stars--somewhere between liked and really liked.

The negative: This has all been done before. And, it's a big downer.

The positive: I found this engrossing reading. The characterizations and psychology are spot on. The details of this civilization (which, as far as I can tell, was founded by deviants and not caused by any post-apocalyptical scenario) were chilling. I really rooted for the daughters to learn the truth, break free, and cause a riot. The ending depressed me, though it's fitting. (And the book's cover is stunning.)

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

#BookReview GATHER THE DAUGHTERS by Jennie Melamed
@Jennie_Melamed US @littlebrown UK @TinderPress



GATHER THE DAUGHTERS is an exquisitely written and strong debut novel about a dystopian society known as "the island." The island was settled generations ago by "the ancestors," ten families which fled "the wastelands" (the mainland) after some sort of apocalyptic catastrophe (possibly a nuclear attack). The families live strictly by the rules set down by the ancestors in "Our Book." This is in an agrarian community. Gender roles are very traditional: men do outside labor, women have children and take care of the homes. Most men are farmers, although others have professions such as tanners, carpenters, roofers, i.e. that which is related to keeping the infrastructure. Families are limited to having two children. Children attend school until puberty but there are scarcely any books nor much paper. Some of the men are "wanderers," men who go back to "the wastelands" to scavenge for materials.

Vanessa Adams, age thirteen, is the much-loved daughter of a wanderer, James Adams. James has a library which has been in his family since the ancestors first came to the island. Father (as Vanessa, and all children, address their male parent) permits Vanessa to read these books. Her mother also is a benevolent parent who dotes on Vanessa while ensuring she learns how to clean, cook and take care of the home. Vanessa is still at home because she has not yet reached her "summer of fruition," i.e. she has not started her menses. Vanessa has her own opinions about how life could be improved on the island, but she keeps them to herself. She is an obedient daughter. All the girls attend the labor of older women. Some women bleed out and die. Many of the babies are stillborn or "defectives." Most women hope to have sons.

"Vanessa once asked Mother why everyone cries for girls. It doesn't seem fair that boys are greeted with celebration, but everyone cried when she came sliding into the world on a river of salt and blood. Mother told her she'd understand when she was older."

Other girls on the island are not blessed with loving parents. Amanda, age fifteen, had her summer of fruition last year, and is married to Andrew, a gentle young man who loves Amanda. She is expecting their first child. Amanda's father was not kindly. Caitlin Jacob is beaten by her father regularly. It is spring, and the next season will be Caitlin's summer of fruition, when she will be paired with a young man, married and begin to have children. Janey Solomon, who is seventeen, has starved herself for years to prevent her menses from starting. She adores her younger sister Mary, and loves her father and her mother. Most of the children on the island, and the adults as well, are frightened by Janey's strong, determined personality. Janey does not want to have the life her mother and all of the other women have had. She dreams of life on other islands, life where women have control over their destiny. When something horrific happens to one of these four, the act sets in motion a series of events which will change life on the island forever.

Jennie Melamed's first novel is astounding.The novel explores violence against women (physical, sexual and psychological), women's reproductive rights, and restriction of women's rights in general in a skillful and straightforward manner. GATHER THE DAUGHTERS addresses the issue of girls being confined to the role of breeders without any freedom to divert from this role. Melamed's prose is beautiful and clear. The descriptions of the girls and of nature are particularly hypnotic. The novel is told in the third person, and each chapter is written from the point of view of Vanessa, Amanda, Caitlin or Janey. Each character is distinct and compelling. The pacing of the story flows synchronous with the plot. The girls are subjected to "the unspeakable" (my quotes), deeds and ways about which there eventually are frank and open discussions by the characters. Hopefully the novel will launch similar discussions among readers.

Other critics have compared this novel to THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood, THE GIVER by Lois Lowry and NEVER LET ME GO by Kazuo Ishiguro. However, I think it better to liken GATHER THE DAUGHTERS to P.D. James's CHILDREN OF MEN, Nathaniel Hawthorne's THE SCARLET LETTTER, and Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery." This literary dystopian thriller is raw, savage, intense and magnificent. I very much look forward to Jennie Melamed's future works.

Highly Recommended.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this novel through NetGalley. GATHER THE DAUGHTERS was published in the United States on July 25, 2017. GATHER THE DAUGHTERS UK

<i>This book has references to child abuse and incest. While it is not overtly graphic and a lot of the abuse is implied, it is an integral part of the story line. Still, this book is tough to read at times...</i>

I always feel odd when I 'like' a book that has such horrors of human nature involved, but this book really held me spellbound. Told from 4 separate POV's, (all children ranging from the ages of 13-17) the story unfolds on an island where it quickly becomes apparent that these children are living in a cult. This is their story, told from their limited perspective of the world they live in. You will feel their joy, (summer of freedom), and you will experience their terror (summer of fruition). There are scenes that are dark and haunting, but they are balanced out with scenes of love and triumph. You can't help but be drawn in to their world-these are some incredibly well written characters!

The hierarchy within the cult is familiar: Men rule, women are there for the men. Sadly, this also includes the daughters. This book had it's own language as well which I found very creative. For example: the summer of freedom(such joy!), the summer of fruition(seriously messed up), the shalt nots, the scourge, the Wanderers, the final draft, the defectives, and the Wastelands. All these words helped to create a world that I couldn't escape from.

My only complaint? The pace dropped about midway through and became a bit repetitive. But the ending was strong, even if it did leave me with some questions I would have liked answered. (The biggest is what decade does this take place in?!)

I was surprised to see that this is a debut book-I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

ARC provided by NetGalley

Vanessa and Janey two main voices in this island tale.
They both are the only ones with red hair, Janey is the toughest and she doesn't go along with the 'shall not's', not as much as every other daughter and son does.
The daughters plight, their standing and wanting for answers, a testament of naivety seeking wisdom, but a wisdom that is un-indoctrinated.
The first people to settle in the island, named 'the Ancestors' in this tale,they had left ways and a book of which commandments within are repeated in a chorus of 'Shall not's' these all ooze a disquieting eeriness and the foundations of indoctrination.
The author deals with the telling well and has the reader along with some empathy to how they will break the chains of abuse, and there is ugly abuse in this tale, but it's not so ugly presented in a fully descriptive way, it is there in a naive way vaguely pointed out at times, it's the norm for the daughters unless and outsider can tell them otherwise. The author has layered her experience as a psychiatric practitioner dealing with traumatized children and given them a voice upon the page and show the reader just how they are betrayed, unknowingly exposed everyday to abuses and lies in order to have them institutionalized in a way to the islands system and the people's control and darkness.
Jane a pillar of strength to the daughters, has her own sermons to wake them that all is not what it seems, without evidence she only has so many believe her, and when the elders detect the rebellious and the rebellion they are beaten and weakened and so as winter falls they no longer can hide out and try to live without their families.
Escape escape! The reader will be thinking but how will the daughters be free.
Book burning Fahrenheit 451 comes to mind reading this as does Handmaids tale.
With handmaids tale being revisited on the screen in a talked about tv adaptation this would serve as a great addition to the dystopia tales like that and of Fahrenheit 751. 
Vanessa, Janey, Amanda, and Caitlin their realms you have a third eye view at, and it will stay with you as a stark warning as just how lives could be like for some daughters, these daughters memorable ones that will ruminate in the mind for some time. The author has done a great job in writing with lucid prose and communicate the minds of these "hearts at conflict with themselves", (as William Faulkner once mentioned worth writing about) and the need for truth and so we have the cult life in the island children told that is it they are the future nearly all have fallen. The ugliness within may have readers feel unpleasant but the shocking headlines from around the world have contained these crimes.

Quite a terrible world for women is created within these pages. Exactly what these girls lives are like are gradually unfolded and the full horror is exposed. I was consumed by this story, but almost feel guilty saying that, sort of like the gawkers who stop to gaze upon a traffic fatality. It was though the girls, who we get to know quite well, that made me keep reading. Girls who banded together to change things, and save themselves. Beautiful, courageous young ladies.

What has happened in the world is not detailed, but hints are given. That is, if what the wanderers, all men, say is to be believed. Parts of the book reminded me of Lord of the flies, the wild abandon of Summers. Maybe a little Handmaids Tale, but only traces, this story truly is the authors own. Even a day after finishing I still think about those young girls, this is a book that sticks in the mind, whether one wants it to or not. Definitely not an easy nor comfortable read. So, so glad this is only a book, but so vivid, written so well, a very talented storyteller.

ARC by Netgalley.