Tag Archives: book reviews

Review: Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed

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31933102Title: Gather the Daughters

Author: Jennie Melamed

Publishing Information: July 25, 2017

Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction, Dystopia (I guess?)

Series information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 352 pages

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley *all quotes below taken from ARC format and are subject to change

Recommended For: Readers who want something compelling but perhaps rage-inducing. Readers who don’t mind open endings

Note: the first part of this review gives away some details regarding the plot that I don’t consider spoilers as it is pretty clear right away what is happening on the island. Down below, I get into a spoiler-filled review but will clearly note when to look away as to avoid the big spoilers! Also, I had FEELINGS while writing this so please excuse the less formal review!

Gather the Daughters is a hard book for me to review. On one hand, I couldn’t stop thinking about it but on the other hand, I kind of hated it. I’m going to be completely honest. Before I started Gather the Daughters…I almost didn’t. There were some so called “triggers” such as incest and molestation and those are pretty much the two topics that I cannot handle. Finally I realized that I couldn’t stop thinking about the book and maybe that was a reason for me to keep an open mind and give it a try.

First, let me say that Jennie Melamed has a knack for beautiful writing. It was compelling and beautiful and kept me needing more. However, Gather the Daughters is told from four different narrators. Unfortunately, it was incredibly hard to tell them apart. I found myself wondering, “which one is this again?” One of the narrators was pregnant, and that was honestly the only way she stood out to me among the others. Obviously as the story progresses they become somewhat easier to tell apart, but it took a long while to get there. The voices sounded the same and therefore I had a very hard time connecting to any of these girls.

Here is where things get frustrating as a reader. In this community, women exist to breed, basically. Wait., it gets worse. On this island, each family is permitted to have only two children. So, when a husband and wife have conceived two children, guess who becomes the stand-in to take care of the father’s pleasure? Did you guess his prepubescent daughter? If so, you are absolutely correct!

“Who is my little wife?” asks Father in a sugary tone.

“I am,” whispers Vanessa.

So, daughters are now the stand-in wives and some of the mothers often resent their daughters while the daughter becomes responsible for their father’s well-being in many ways. Continue reading →

Review: Graphic Novel Roundup

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That time when we all start freaking out about meeting our Goodreads goal. I had some rather wonderful changes happen this year which left me with much less time for reading. I had to lower my Goodreads goal twice and I am still reading half of what I usually read! Admittedly, I read quite a few graphic novels this year to even make that measly goal. So here I am to share with you some mini reviews of said graphic novels! Also, I want to make sure everyone knows about Hoopla! Hoopla is available through your local library (if you are lucky, like me) and it allows you to borrow movies, videos, music and audiobooks straight from your browser, tablet, or smartphone. The graphic novels look AMAZING on my iPad, I almost prefer them to the print! That is how I read most of the books featured in this review!

monstressTitle: Monstress

Author: Marjorie M. Liu

Genre: Fantasy, Horror

Series Information: 1 collected edition (so far)

Source: My public library via Hoopla

I waited to pick up Monstress and I was so worried that it wouldn’t live up to the hype. Boy was I wrong to wait. Monstress was amazing. It has such a deep and interesting plot with so many layers, and the artwork is absolutely stunning. This was one of those graphic novels that kept me guessing throughout, and kept me wanting more from all of the characters. The ending completely blew me away and I absolutely need to know more. In a few words, it was vibrant, intriguing and one of the best graphic novels I have ever read.

wdTitle: The Wicked & The Divine

Author: Kieron Gillen

Genre: Fantasy, Mythology, Paranormal

Series Information: 4 collected editions (so far)

Source: My public library via Hoopla

I am somewhat all over the place with my opinions on The Wicked & The Divine so let me share with you my initial review of the first two collected editions: I barely knew what was happening for the first half of this graphic novel. However, things came together and I was very impressed. I read this using Hoopla and the artwork blew me away, it was so stunning. Too impressive for words, really. Overall, it was an entertaining read, and I look forward for what’s to come. Then, upon reading book three, I wasn’t sure that I was going to continue on with the story as I found it to be so underwhelming, and the artwork was lacking the vibrant nature of books one and two. Finally, I just finished the fourth collected edition and wow! I absolutely could not stop reading. Everything came back together and the beautiful artwork returned and I could absolutely not put it down. I need to see where this series goes. As long as you can power through that third collected edition, you will be rewarded. Definitely recommended!

Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: Review of The Dead House from Jaime of The Best Books Ever

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FoF2014

Hey monsters! Today we have Jaime bringing you a solid review of a creepy read, The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich! I have to tell you guys that this one was on my TBR for this month and I just don’t think that I am going to fit it into the schedule, which makes me so sad, especially after reading Jaime’s review! Take it away, Jaime!

The Dead House

Dawn Kurtagich

September 15th, 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Part-psychological thriller, part-urban legend, this is an unsettling narrative made up of diary entries, interview transcripts, film footage transcripts and medical notes. Twenty-five years ago, Elmbridge High burned down. Three people were killed and one pupil, Carly Johnson, disappeared. Now a diary has been found in the ruins of the school. The diary belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, Carly’s identical twin sister. But Carly didn’t have a twin . . .

Re-opened police records, psychiatric reports, transcripts of video footage and fragments of diary reveal a web of deceit and intrigue, violence and murder, raising a whole lot more questions than it answers.

Who was Kaitlyn and why did she only appear at night? Did she really exist or was she a figment of a disturbed mind? What were the illicit rituals taking place at the school? And just what did happen at Elmbridge in the events leading up to ‘the Johnson Incident’?

Chilling, creepy and utterly compelling, THE DEAD HOUSE is one of those very special books that finds all the dark places in your imagination, and haunts you long after you’ve finished reading.

I LOVE a good horror story, any time of the year, but especially around this time of the year. When it is starting to get cold outside, the leaves are changing and it gets dark earlier. Fantastic background for getting the crap scared out of you. Unfortunately, I didn’t get too scared reading The Dead House. Fortunately, I loved it anyway!

Dawn knows how to write a creepy story, no doubt about it. And the fact that she writes it in the form of diary entries, newspaper articles and police reports is truly impressive. Like I said, I never really got scared, but the creep factor was high. Kaitlyn Johnson is a very unique character. She is definitely the darker half of the Carly/Kaitlyn duo. Her descriptions of living the night are right on target with an angsty, scared and lonely teen girl. She wasn’t the most relatable or likeable character ever, but I loved her anyway. Being in her head was downright disturbing! The other characters in the story take a backseat to Kaitlyn, but they were very well written characters. There wasn’t a character involved in the story that didn’t have a place in it, or didn’t add something to it. Even the most minor ones. Continue reading →