Vox

Author: Christina Dalcher
Genre: Dystopian
Type: Hardcover
Pages: 326
Source: Local Public Library
Publisher: Berkley
First Published: August 21, 2018
First Line: "If anyone told me I could bring down the president, and the Pure Movement, and that incompetent little shit Morgan LeBron in a week's time, I wouldn't believe them.

Book Description from GoodReads: Set in an America where half the population has been silenced, VOX is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than 100 words daily, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial—this can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

This is just the beginning.

Soon women can no longer hold jobs. Girls are no longer taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words a day, but now women only have one hundred to make themselves heard.

But this is not the end.

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice. 

My Rating: 3 stars

This book has gotten a lot of press. Its premise is quite similar to the new resurgence in popularity of Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale which also looked at women's rights and oppression. Vox has a simple, yet powerful cover picture and I liked that it's kept the conversation of female rights, equality and the prevalence of misogyny going.

Unfortunately, while it approached big issues, they weren't explored in enough depth.  Dalcher herself is a Linguist and her inclusion of this aspect, at first, was quite an interesting addition to the dystopian realm. But the writing isn't strong and wavered between feeling too scientific and surprisingly melodramatic. The characters didn't hold their own either since they felt insubstantial, were generally unlikable and their actions often felt predictable.

Overall, I'm glad that I read this popular book. While it could have had a stronger ending and more depth, I liked that it introduces some (unfortunately) timely topics regarding equality, oppression and what happens when people don't challenge the powers that be. While this was just an okay read for me I still think it would make for interesting discussions for book clubs.