Arc Review: Vox By Christina Dalcher

 

Synopsis:
Silence can be deafening.

Jean McClellan spends her time in almost complete silence, limited to just one hundred words a day. Any more and a thousand volts of electricity will course through her veins.

Now the new government is in power, everything has changed. But only if you’re a woman.

Almost overnight, bank accounts are frozen, passports are taken away and seventy million women lose their jobs. Even more terrifyingly, young girls are no longer taught to read or write.

For herself, her daughter, and for every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice. This is only the beginning…

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Plot:
The plot of this is definitely heavily influenced by The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, it has a very similar world, women have been stripped of their freedom and their rights.
The first half of the book is pretty slow, not much happening but there is world-building, helping set the scene of Jean’s current situation. It is an interesting concept, it really makes you think about what it’d be like to have your voice stripped from you.
I feel as though the story could’ve benefitted from being cut down a bit, though it is just  320ish pages, it felt longer and dragged in places. There was a lot of medical detail, which doesn’t add in anything unless you understand it, which I’m assuming a lot of people won’t.
There were a few plot twists, which I didn’t predict – which was really great and surprising and definitely added more enjoyment, as well as picking up the plot.

The last 100 or so pages was definitely the best part, the pace picked up and it got a lot faster to read. I did worry since it’s quite similar to The Handmaid’s Tale that it would end similarly but I’m glad it didn’t. Although the ending was quick, everything was resolved fairly quickly, maybe a bit rushed.

Characters:
Jean: She’s an okay protagonist, I did feel for her and her struggles. I did sympathise with her, I can’t imagine living in a place like that and watching your children being brainwashed into believing the ludicrous views of this society.
I definitely do not agree with the adultery – her husband was awful and there was no way of her splitting up with him, given the current situation but I still can’t get behind it, it was happening before the counters were forced upon women.

Side characters: Patrick, Jean’s husband – so boring, so annoying, hated him!
Steven, Jean’s eldest son – Such a little shit.

Jackie, Jean’s old college friend – She was a crazy feminist, loved her!

Rating: 3.5 Stars!
*Thank you so much to HQ for sending me an ARC of Vox and to be apart of Vox Blogger Day!*

Vox is available in the UK on August 23rd
Preorder your copy now! Amazon UK | Book Depository

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