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angelofthetardis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I'll be totally honest, when I first looked at this I was pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy it. But actually, it's another one of those terrifying dystopian novels that, if you squint, isn't actually that outlandish at all. Imagine that every woman you know is prevented from working, every girl's education is limited to basic maths and home economics (no reading or writing), and every female is limited to speaking just 100 words per day on pain of electrocution. How do you even begin to start fighting back?
The plot feels like quite a slow burn; it's certainly not an action packed storyline, but even within the fairly domestic setting there is something about the way this is written that keeps you engaged. In my opinion, it's actually the stories of the main character's oldest and youngest child that really cry out to you as a reader; seeing a teenage boy influenced into 'drinking the Kool-Aid', not just through peer pressure but through educational indoctrination and media bias feels so real and relatable, particularly considering the issues the US are currently experiencing. And the instinct to scream at the unfairness of a little girl suffering a nightmare and not being able to call out for her mummy then celebrating when she wins an award for saying the fewest words in a day... it's heartbreaking.
The book reads like the author looks at those of a religious persuasion and is genuinely perplexed at how their beliefs lead to such fanatical behaviour. Now, clearly that is not reflective of every person of faith, but the author has done a very good job at illustrate the 'extreme' end of Christian conservatism in the US (at least, it's recognisable from a Brit's POV!) It's also a great social commentary on the importance of using your voice when you can; vote when you have the opportunity, stand up for your rights and the rights of others and take an interest in current affairs, politics and the world around you so you can try to make a difference, rather than getting stuck in a situation you don't like without ever having said a word.
This book is very much the author writing ehat she knows; her accreditation as a neurolinguist is stated in the 'About the Author' section. While it does make for interesting reading, at the same time her knowledge does shine through in the use of technical jargon and other elements. As it is quite a niche field of interest, it does make the book a little hard to follow in places and a little 'mad scientist-y' in the resolution. But overall it's still a very readable and understandable book.
I was also slightly disappointed by the ending. I appreciate that the story is told from one character's perspective, but that does mean that the denouement isn't witnessed firsthand and so the key scene is actually just referred to in a vague conversation between two characters. After that slow build, it would have been nice to see the outcome firsthand .
Pleasantly surprised by this!
The plot feels like quite a slow burn; it's certainly not an action packed storyline, but even within the fairly domestic setting there is something about the way this is written that keeps you engaged. In my opinion, it's actually the stories of the main character's oldest and youngest child that really cry out to you as a reader; seeing a teenage boy influenced into 'drinking the Kool-Aid', not just through peer pressure but through educational indoctrination and media bias feels so real and relatable, particularly considering the issues the US are currently experiencing. And the instinct to scream at the unfairness of a little girl suffering a nightmare and not being able to call out for her mummy then celebrating when she wins an award for saying the fewest words in a day... it's heartbreaking.
The book reads like the author looks at those of a religious persuasion and is genuinely perplexed at how their beliefs lead to such fanatical behaviour. Now, clearly that is not reflective of every person of faith, but the author has done a very good job at illustrate the 'extreme' end of Christian conservatism in the US (at least, it's recognisable from a Brit's POV!) It's also a great social commentary on the importance of using your voice when you can; vote when you have the opportunity, stand up for your rights and the rights of others and take an interest in current affairs, politics and the world around you so you can try to make a difference, rather than getting stuck in a situation you don't like without ever having said a word.
This book is very much the author writing ehat she knows; her accreditation as a neurolinguist is stated in the 'About the Author' section. While it does make for interesting reading, at the same time her knowledge does shine through in the use of technical jargon and other elements. As it is quite a niche field of interest, it does make the book a little hard to follow in places and a little 'mad scientist-y' in the resolution. But overall it's still a very readable and understandable book.
I was also slightly disappointed by the ending. I appreciate that the story is told from one character's perspective, but that does mean that the denouement isn't witnessed firsthand and so the key scene is actually just referred to in a vague conversation between two characters. After that slow build, it would have been nice to see the outcome firsthand .
Pleasantly surprised by this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Medical content, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Homophobia, Alcohol, Lesbophobia, Death, Animal death, Gun violence, and Infidelity
Minor: Racism, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Abortion, and Blood
beau_03's review
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I’ve not picked up a book in a while and this one had me keen to continue which is always a plus. The ending was rushed, too much so, and there were some strange decisions made about how to tie off the loose ends. Seems strange for our protagonist to take the back seat for so much of the ending, given the subject. And I’m not a fan on the awkward love triangle? Line? Comparison thing going on with her decision making as it seemed a little too on the nose. But overall, the premise is interesting, the buildup is engaging and then of course you have to know how it ends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Pregnancy, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Blood and Vomit
ams45's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I found this was a really interesting read and didn’t want to put the book down!! The only issue was that I found the ending was rushed, and a lot of things were brushed over so briefly!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Slavery
Minor: Racism, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Vomit
charliebriggs96's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Homophobia, Police brutality, Racism, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Slavery
evmb_c's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I’ve never read a book that covers a topic like this so it was really interesting for me!
In the world of Vox, it’s 2016 America and women have been resorted back to living as if it was the 1900s: their husbands/male relatives control everything and have all the power, women don’t work, they stay home keeping the house in order and having babies. Gay people are either paired up to make them straight or are out into work camps. And women are only allowed to speak 100 words a day which are counted with an electronic wrist counter which electrocutes you if you go over your limit.
As someone from this century, living in Britain, I did find it hard to imagine living this life because I just can’t imagine it happening here. However I could also imagine it happening in other parts of the world/ appreciate that in some countries to this day these kind of ideologies are the norm. So this book definitely makes you think.
I loved that the chapters were super short so this was an easy fast paced book for me.
I also like the main character tenacity and willingness to not give up.
Whilst Vox covers some hard topics, and ones that maybe aren’t so fun to consider, I still found this a really enjoyable read and would definitely recommend giving it a try.
TWs⚠️
Domination of women
Alzheimer/ brain injury affecting speech
Homophobia/racism
Infidelity
Electrocution
Assassination
In the world of Vox, it’s 2016 America and women have been resorted back to living as if it was the 1900s: their husbands/male relatives control everything and have all the power, women don’t work, they stay home keeping the house in order and having babies. Gay people are either paired up to make them straight or are out into work camps. And women are only allowed to speak 100 words a day which are counted with an electronic wrist counter which electrocutes you if you go over your limit.
As someone from this century, living in Britain, I did find it hard to imagine living this life because I just can’t imagine it happening here. However I could also imagine it happening in other parts of the world/ appreciate that in some countries to this day these kind of ideologies are the norm. So this book definitely makes you think.
I loved that the chapters were super short so this was an easy fast paced book for me.
I also like the main character tenacity and willingness to not give up.
Whilst Vox covers some hard topics, and ones that maybe aren’t so fun to consider, I still found this a really enjoyable read and would definitely recommend giving it a try.
TWs⚠️
Domination of women
Alzheimer/ brain injury affecting speech
Homophobia/racism
Infidelity
Electrocution
Assassination
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
TWs⚠️ Domination of women Alzheimer/ brain injury affecting speech Homophobia/racism Infidelity Electrocution Assassinationkleindoeil's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Should be a compulsory read at school mainly in the US but in every part of the world too....
Too many feels crossing my mind after this read but mainly anger and sparks to fight for the rights of everyone and for the end of toxic masculinity
Too many feels crossing my mind after this read but mainly anger and sparks to fight for the rights of everyone and for the end of toxic masculinity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexism, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Racism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Medical content, Infidelity, Homophobia, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Child abuse, and Alcoholism
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