In an America gone horribly wrong, women no longer have a voice. Literally. Ever since President Myers and the Pure Movement overtook the country, women have been relegated to a mere 100 words a day. Punishment for going over the 100 word limit is doled out through electric shock by the means of counters locked on every female’s wrist ... even the wrists of children.
Dr. Jean McClellan, once a renowned neurolinguist, solely takes care of her home and children nowadays. Not only have women lost their voice, but they also can no longer hold jobs, nor do they enjoy the privilege of reading and writing. Jean hates to see what her country has become, and even more difficult is wrapping her head around how exactly they got here. Sure there were warning signs, but Jean never took them seriously. Now it’s too late. For her, for her daughter, and for the millions of other women living in this suppressed state ... or is it?
I went into Vox by Christina Dalcher with high expectations. Dystopia is one of my go-to genres when I am looking for a book that will knock me off my feet and help me forget my own worries for awhile. After all, things don’t ever look so bad when compared to a dystopian world, right? Vox did not disappoint. Dalcher dispenses bits and pieces about this new America in easily digestible chapters throughout the first quarter of this book. Intermixed with details from Jean’s life as a near mute, the story of America’s rapid demise is shared in little vignettes. This is where Vox is strongest, showcasing this new American state and the women who are trying to adapt to an oppressive life in it.
However, what began as a piece of feminist-focused literary fiction, quickly turned into an action-packed thriller. While there is nothing wrong with either genre, here they didn’t mesh well. I had trouble falling into step with the new pace and tone of the novel after Jean becomes involved with a secret project for the US government. Instead of focusing on the dystopian elements of the novel, Dalcher instead brings in a lot of technical and scientific detail, as well as a steady stream of “bad guys” who must be destroyed at all cost. While the book was nowhere near being bad, it wasn’t the novel I was expecting to read. I was prepared for Vox to be more psychological, philosophical, and introspective rather than action-packed. But with that being said, if you’re a reader who prefers your dystopia in the vein of the heart-racing Divergent series over more cerebral reads such as The Handmaid’s Tale or The Road, you may just find much to love with Vox.
- Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH? DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS! Vox
GENRE: Dystopian Fiction TONE: Suspenseful; Thought-Provoking LOCATION: United States SUBJECT: Communication; Former Physicians; Language and Languages; Misogyny; Mothers and Daughters; Near Future; Political Persecution; Resistance to Government; Sex Discrimination
BROOKE GAVE THIS BOOK 3/5 STARS, WHICH MEANS THAT SHE LIKED IT! IF YOU LIKE IT TOO, YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY THESE TITLES:
