Vivian Taylor
Imagine waking up one morning, going to work and being told you're no longer eligible to work anymore simply because you're female. Then imagine being told that you're limited to only 100 spoken words a day, you're not allowed to use sign language of any kind, you can't write notes, and you're not allowed access to cell phones, computers, or your bank account. If you're unmarried, you must get married and if you're part of the LGBTQIA population, you will be sent away to special camps and you're children -- biological or adopted, will be taken away from you. No this isn't a world in the distant future, this is America in the near future and the Christian right has taken charge and nothing seems to be standing in their way. Now imagine that something tragic reportedly happens to a member of the President's extended family and the only people that can help are two female scientists and they're expected to come up with a vaccine to treat the problem in an incredibly short period of time. The good news is that their "counters" will be removed and they'll be allowed to freely speak to their families and fellow researchers. The bad news is that the vaccine and the research may well be used for nefarious purposes by the government. The question becomes will they or won't they help? Is there anything they can possibly do to stop the government from continuing to go off half-cocked? Dr. Jean McClellan is a neuro-linguist and has been married for more than 18 years to Patrick, a medical doctor. Patrick is now a high ranking official in the current presidential regime, their eldest son, Steven, is a proud member of the Pure Boys movement that monitors and reports on others in area schools and within their community, and their daughter Sonia is only being taught what is deemed necessary to become a good wife and mother. All Jean wants is for things to go back to normal and she knows that although she hasn't been able to be outspoken in the past, she must do everything possible to force a change...no matter what. VOX by Christina Dalcher is a powerful and scary book. In some ways, it is reminiscent of both THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood and WHEN SHE WOKE by Hillary Jordan and in others, it is very different. All three books feature dystopian societies where ultra-conservative religious groups are in power and forcing their societal and moral visions on others. Adding to the drama within VOX is the notion that females should be seen and not heard and are penalized if they go over their 100 words per day with ever-increasing electric shocks via their "counters" attached to their wrists (yes, even infants and young girls). Obviously, there's a lot more going on in this story than just the societal injustices and the silencing of females, Jean and her husband Patrick are experiencing marital problems, there's an extramarital affair resulting in a pregnancy, and much more. I found VOX to be a fast-paced and highly engrossing read (I woke up very early one morning, began reading it, and simply couldn't stop until the very end). I enjoyed the characters, the dialogue, the settings, and the action. If you enjoy reading about family angst and drama coupled with societal injustice with touches of dystopian science-fiction and a pinch of horror, then VOX is the perfect read for you. (This book has a little bit of something for everyone.) I highly recommend this book to everyone as I feel it is a timely and worthwhile read, hopefully, you'll agree. For now, I'll be setting aside VOX and hope to reread it again in the near future (yes, I enjoy rereading books!). I also look forward to reading more from Ms. Dalcher.
5 people found this review helpful
Ashley
Omg. I tried. I trudged a third of the way through this book before I decided I just couldn't. Overdone tropes, unbelievable dialogue, flat characters, and shotty motivations await. Like a bad relationship, I wanted so badly for this to turn into something good - but it never did.
1 person found this review helpful
Sherry Lynn Carey
I felt that the story started a little slow, and I was unsure about it. Maybe it was because the premise was just a little too realistic and upsetting. But once I got into it I had a hard time putting it down.