Book Title: Vox
Series:
Author: Christina Dalcher
Goodreads Link: Click here
Release Date: 8/21/18
Star Rating: 
– Didn’t like it.
Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Recently I’ve been reading a lot more fantasy or sci-fi than I used to, but a few years ago my genre of choice was dystopia or speculative fiction. I was excited to get approved for the ARC of Vox, remembering how much I enjoy books in this vein. I’m a HUGE Margaret Atwood fan after all, and The Handmaid’s Tale is not a book I enjoy (that’s not the word for the emotions that book makes me feel), however, it is a book whose importance I appreciate. Vox promised to be along those lines.
The premise is as follows:
Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words a day, but now women only have one hundred to make themselves heard.
This is an America divided. Men are allowed education, jobs, and quite literally a voice. Whereas women and girls are allowed only 100 words a day. If you go over your limit, or choose the wrong kinds of words to speak then you get stunned by a bracelet that every female person is required to wear. This is part of an autocratic theocracy which has taken over the United States Government.
The idea of silencing women and the way that affects their lives is an interesting one, but I found the book hard to connect to. One problem for me was the main character. I’m not against un-likeable main characters, but I found Jean to be capricious, disloyal, and disconnected. Interestingly, the parts of the book that had the most impact for me did not involve the main character herself. What I found most poignant was her interactions with her young daughter. Imagine watching your child grow silent as the enforced sanction on expression starts to mold her young personality. Horrifying. In the end, I think the main idea of the book was good, but was unhappy with the follow through.
Song for this book: I’m in Here – Sia
I am with you that I don’t mind reading books with unlikeable characters, but I still need to connect with the text! Did you get Atwood vibes from this at all? What do you think of Dalcher’s writing style?
Oh dear! I’ve only seen great reviews for this so far… glad to see a less positive review though! I wonder how I’ll feel about it, hmmm
You can try it anyway. I mean some people seemed to really like it. I’m just not one of them. ha!