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thephdivabooks's review
5.0
Master Class is without a doubt one of the most thought-provoking, socially terrifying books I have read. Not by overt horror but through the way she crafts a society that by the end of the book doesn’t seem so far off from our own. Absolutely gripping and brilliant!
I love a good dystopian fiction novel on occasion, but I’m picky about them. If you are the type of reader who tends to find that they aren’t a good fit for you, give Master Class by Christina Dalcher a try because I can almost guarantee it will change your mind! Fascinating, gripping, and an ending that will have your mind reeling!
In the book, the country breaks all people out according to their Q score—an index of their intelligence but also certain factors about their life, such as their parent’s Q scores and jobs. Elena Fairchild is a mother to two daughters—Anne and Freddie.
All kids are assigned to a three-tiered school system depending on their Q score, and Elena’s kids are in the highest tier (a prestigious school where Elena herself teaches). Students are tested monthly, and if their score drops too low, they get dropped a tier (or very rarely two tiers) in their school. While kids can go down a level based on a bad Q score, they aren’t really able to go back up a tier based on a good score.
This premise is interesting, right? Initially on reading it, I thought a lot about the logic of it all. A system that in theory places kids in schools with others of a similar ability level, so that instruction can be most effective doesn’t sound so wild in theory. But these Q scores permeate life. They determine what jobs you can get, whether you get priority checkout at the grocery store, and what opportunities your kids have.
Elena and her husband both have high Q scores, and their elder daughter Anne is a high-performer who consistently maintains a high Q score. But their younger daughter, Freddie, is anxious and constantly struggles to maintain a passing Q score for their elite school. And then one testing day, the results come back and Freddie has bombed the test, dropping her to the lowest tier school. These schools are boarding schools halfway across the country, and their parents are only allowed very limited visits.
Elena will do anything to get Freddie back, including destroying her own life and family…
There are so many twisted and addictive plot points that unfold, where you learn more about the society and Q scores—everything from their origin to how they relate to other aspects of society. The more you learn, the more terrifying it all becomes. Dalcher draws some parallels to other aspects of our actual society and history that when you see them laid out will have your mind spinning! I really can’t say much more because this is truly something you need to read to find out all of the twists for.
Timely, unputdownable social commentary that is a must-read! The ending is sure to have your mind tied up for days thinking about it all!
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.
I love a good dystopian fiction novel on occasion, but I’m picky about them. If you are the type of reader who tends to find that they aren’t a good fit for you, give Master Class by Christina Dalcher a try because I can almost guarantee it will change your mind! Fascinating, gripping, and an ending that will have your mind reeling!
In the book, the country breaks all people out according to their Q score—an index of their intelligence but also certain factors about their life, such as their parent’s Q scores and jobs. Elena Fairchild is a mother to two daughters—Anne and Freddie.
All kids are assigned to a three-tiered school system depending on their Q score, and Elena’s kids are in the highest tier (a prestigious school where Elena herself teaches). Students are tested monthly, and if their score drops too low, they get dropped a tier (or very rarely two tiers) in their school. While kids can go down a level based on a bad Q score, they aren’t really able to go back up a tier based on a good score.
This premise is interesting, right? Initially on reading it, I thought a lot about the logic of it all. A system that in theory places kids in schools with others of a similar ability level, so that instruction can be most effective doesn’t sound so wild in theory. But these Q scores permeate life. They determine what jobs you can get, whether you get priority checkout at the grocery store, and what opportunities your kids have.
Elena and her husband both have high Q scores, and their elder daughter Anne is a high-performer who consistently maintains a high Q score. But their younger daughter, Freddie, is anxious and constantly struggles to maintain a passing Q score for their elite school. And then one testing day, the results come back and Freddie has bombed the test, dropping her to the lowest tier school. These schools are boarding schools halfway across the country, and their parents are only allowed very limited visits.
Elena will do anything to get Freddie back, including destroying her own life and family…
There are so many twisted and addictive plot points that unfold, where you learn more about the society and Q scores—everything from their origin to how they relate to other aspects of society. The more you learn, the more terrifying it all becomes. Dalcher draws some parallels to other aspects of our actual society and history that when you see them laid out will have your mind spinning! I really can’t say much more because this is truly something you need to read to find out all of the twists for.
Timely, unputdownable social commentary that is a must-read! The ending is sure to have your mind tied up for days thinking about it all!
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.
motherofladybirds's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed the premise. Children being sorted and discarded, sterilizations, all things that have happened and not just in Nazi Germany. A timely reminder with all that is happening in the world right now, not to allow this to happen by default. It was pacy and kept me reading. The ending was the right one I thought.
yram997's review against another edition
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
noemillimetre's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
b3ckilou88's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
Did not enjoy.
I don't even know what to say. I just wish I hadn't finished it but I hate not reading a book fully.
I don't even know what to say. I just wish I hadn't finished it but I hate not reading a book fully.
jamiesbookclub's review against another edition
Didn't seem called to the story. The idea of educational eugenics is a great concept but the beginning was so slow. Also her German family comparing it to n*z* Germany was a little on the nose. Would potentially pick it up again but I'm not sure this book will deliver on its concept.
saracox's review against another edition
4.0
I think at some point (probably as a teenager) everyone has thought "what if we just got rid of all the stupid people?" This book takes that thought and makes it a distopian reality. Based not too far into the future, society has become a hierarchical system based on Q scores. What you can do and have depends purely on this score. A woman who helped develop this system finds herself stuck when her youngest daughter gets a score so low that she gets shipped off to a boarding school. This is a really interesting read, that I really enjoyed. It was scaringly close to home, and seemed completely feesible if the wrong people came into power. The reason this was given only 4 and not 5 stars was because if kind the beginnings of this system infeesible. It began with a groups of pupils putting it within the school system, which other schools adopted. Working in a school myself, I can't believe that such obvious discrimination would be allowed and then become national school policy. Other than this one aspect of the narrative, I found it all very interesting. Including all the scientific and historic referneces.
lindsirae's review against another edition
3.0
Fun read but ultimately a typical BS liberal fantasy - one Very Special White Woman brings down an entire corrupt system through the magic of…the Washington Post? It was weirdly paced, too, and the ending didn’t punch nearly hard enough. Oh well!