Author: Christina Dalcher
ISBN: 978-0-008-30064-7
RRP: $32.99
Publication Date: 20 August 2018
Publisher: HQ Fiction
Copy: Courtesy of the Publisher
I have been totally immersed in Vox for the last couple of days and it’s a book that has stayed with me long after the book has been put down. I finished reading late last night and it has still been rolling around in my head. This was one of the most disturbing books that I have read in a while.
The front cover of my copy has a quote from Prima “This book will blow your mind” and I completely agree. There is also a quote from Elle “A petrifying re-imagining of The Handmaid’s Tale” and that is one that I can’t comment on because I haven’t read (or watched) The Handmaid’s Tale.
Vox is a near future dystopian novel that disturbed me in a way that many have not. I think that dystopian is quite a disturbing genre, it’s a genre that looks into the future and re-imagines the world a little – and never in a good way. Vox most definitely does that and I’m not sure if I find it so disturbing because I am one who would be directly affected by the world Dalcher has created or if it’s a more general fear. I also think that it’s not so hard to imagine that this could happen.
The America in which Vox is set hasn’t been hit by some undisclosed bio-weapon, there’s been no war, no sickness, no alien invasion. The America in which Vox is set had an election and the new President took society back centuries using new technologies. It was a move that some saw coming but their voices weren’t loud enough to effect change while everyone else thought it was impossible.
Jean McLellan is a wife and mother of four, now living almost wordlessly to ensure she doesn’t exceed her daily 100 word limit and subject herself to the electric ‘shock’ she will receive if she goes over. The shocks start small but the more you go over the bigger the shocks become.
It wasn’t always like this, less than two years ago she was a leading expert in her field of neurolinguistics. Now she and her daughter wear counters on their wrist, but not the highly interchangeable step counters that are the rage now; the ones we connect to our smartphones that help us reach health targets and can become an extension of our smartphones. The counters Jean and Sophia, and all the females in America, wear are word counters and instead of a happy vibration when the daily limit is reached it’s an electric shock that builds in intensity. Learning to avoid the shocks comes quickly, and seemingly easier to the young who are still learning language.
The spoken word isn’t all that is being limited; it’s also the written word, the signed word, the heard word. Females are being cut-off from language in as many forms as possible. Education is changing and the girls aren’t being given a full education, they are only taught what they will need to know to run a household; back to cooking, sewing, a little gardening and some basic arithmetic.
Vox is a book that just disturbed me on so many levels. The ‘Bible Belt’ of America expanded greatly until an evangelical preacher got ‘big’ enough to get the ear of a presidential candidate and promised he could deliver votes which birthed a partnership that set society on a fast train to the past. Preaching of the sanctity of family, or his version of family anyway. In short order women were stripped of all their independence and their identity. They were removed from the workforce, their passports cancelled, their bank accounts frozen and transferred to their husbands.
I didn’t read Vox as an anti-Christian fearmongering tale, it wasn’t Christians as a whole that engineered this shift in society. I found it to be a tale that cautioned us not to get complacent. Don’t believe that anything is impossible, don’t sit back and hope that someone else will stand up and effect change.
This is a story that explored how easily it can be for a minority to take over when people sit back and do nothing. There is a wondering about whether this is how it happened in other places at other times in history, like Nazi Germany for instance.
Jean McLellan’s eldest son is in his late teens and has been raised in a household of equality with two highly intelligent working parents. He learned to pitch in and help out, it was an expected part of being a family. The Pure Movement tells him that this shouldn’t be his role, it’s the role of the female in the house to do all the household chores. Steven is young and impressionable and easily falls under the spell of the Pure Movement.
For every oppressive movement there is a resistance, history tells us there is always a resistance.
I was captivated, I was disturbed but I was gripped and I did absolutely love this book though I was totally uncomfortable with the contents.
Dr Jean McLellan was a leading expert in the field of neurolinguistics and her research, along with some other leading scientists, was very close to a cure for aphasia in stroke victims. They were nearly ready to be able to restore speech to stroke victims, depending on where the damage was. There was a lot of medical and research information, lots of terminology to get your head around and lots of scary ways that the research could be twisted and put to less admirable uses. (I think I’ve reached my daily word limit…. the one I wanted in that sentence just refuses to come.)
Vox explores many themes relating to identity, oppression, the importance of language and also raises the question of how far you would be willing to go.
I found the character depth to vary, which is understandable because some characters needed to be left a little shady so that the suspense remained. If we know everyone intimately we can’t retain the mystery of the resistance. I did enjoy the character development and the pacing of the story, it certainly had me turning pages when I should have been shutting my eyes. It did wrap up a little too quickly for my liking though, with all the build up I would have liked a little more substance to the wrap-up. Having said that I did really enjoy this book, it sure made me think and it will stay with me for a while I think.
They say on average we speak 16,000 words a day; and I am pretty sure that my children had that done by 10am from the time they were about 4. To think that in Dalcher’s imagined America my daughter would be limited to 100 a day is unfathomable, and from such a young age when the language is developing that would stunt so much. We are left to question how long it would take to make the damage irreparable.
Vox is definitely worth the read, a gripping page turner that I would recommend to everyone. I think it’s an important read for it’s cautionary warning about sitting back when you should be standing up, before it’s too late.
An impressive debut that will have me watching out for more of Christina Dalcher as her career progresses.
Christina Dalcher can be found on her Website, Twitter and Facebook.
Vox is available through HQ Fiction, Angus and Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
Thanks to HQ Fiction 20 of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading Vox so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below. I can’t wait to read what they thought.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Thank you so much for the thoughtful review of VOX, Michelle!
Cheers,
Christina
*VOX*
A thought-provoking, gripping and frightening glimpse into a not-so-distant future.
Imagine that the government has decided that society and family life needed to be taken back to the “traditional way of doing things” – The Pure Movement.
That females are only permitted 100 words a day.
Enforced with terrifying and pain-inducing technology, females as young as babies, are required to wear counters around their wrists and within a 24 hour period, females must not speak, write or sign more than 100 words otherwise, the counter they are forced to wear will emit a shock with the resulting pain and damage strengthening in intensity as a female continues to transgress over the 100-word limit.
The premise of Vox was quite intriguing and I found it a captivating read with the short chapters alluding to the restrictions placed on these females. The notion that a minority group could be oppressed, silenced and marginalised in this way is all too believable. Although Vox is set in future United States of America, the circumstances that the central character Dr Jean McClellan finds herself in and the rights and freedom that have been stripped away from females, the LGBTQIA, government opponents and protesters could have easily manifested anywhere in the world. Vox also explores the dangers of complacency and not speaking up while you still have the chance.
It was intriguing to see how Dr Jean McClellan’s relationships with her husband, sons and former colleagues are tested and altered by the “new norms” of The Pure Movement and what Dr McClellan’s fears and hopes for her own daughter could drive her to do. As females are silenced, they can no longer work and are expected to tend to the home and family. Education for girls are limited to subject areas that will help them carry out their dutiful role of mother and home-maker while males are revered and afforded every opportunity. Books are only accessible by males and cameras are fitted everywhere, watching your every interaction. The ramifications of this are overwhelming and I found myself thinking what if I were in Dr McClellan’s shoes — how would I feel, what would I do, how far would I go? After finishing Vox, I also asked myself, what should I be doing now to prevent this type of world from ever emerging?
Vox had a strong start and the author Christina Dalcher created a relatable main character in Dr. Jean McClellan with all her frustrations, regret, fear, anger and desperation. I was invested in her struggles and was eager to find out how things would unfold and what the future held for everyone involved. I found that Vox was a completely satisfying and exciting read for the first two-thirds of the book, however as everything was coming to a head for the last third, I wished that the author developed this section further as everything was wound down far too quickly and too conveniently and left me wanting more detail in such a crucial part of the book. The ending didn’t sit comfortably with me either, given Dr McClellan’s regrets over past mistakes in her friendship with Jackie. With that being said, overall I did enjoy Vox and highly recommend it and I look forward to seeing more from Christina Dalcher.
Thank you Beauty and Lace, Harlequin Australia and Christina Dalcher for making Vox available for review.
Wow! I really wasn’t sure what to expect of this book when picking it up. It’s not my usual style of reading but I was intrigued by the description so thought I’d give it a go. And I’m so glad I did! This book was thought provoking and intriguing and full of little twists you didn’t expect. I do agree that the ending was all a bit too quick and glossed over after such a great build up but I enjoyed it immensely. Thanks to Beauty and Lace & Harlequin for this great read.
Thank you Beauty and Lace, Harlequin Australia and Christina Dalcher for making Vox, her debut novel available for review. It was a gripping, powerful story. Other reviewers have likened it to ‘A Handmaids Tale’, which I have not read.
The novel is set in the near future in America. The extreme Right have gained political power and the rulers and followers are ‘the Pure’ Women have lost any rights and are under the control of men. Women are no longer in the paid workforce and all females are only permitted to speak 100 words a day. This is controlled by a bracelet that issues an electric shock if they exceed their quota, Women have no access to mail, computers or telephones.
Homosexuality is banned and these people are sent to hard labour camps, as are any others who dare to resist the new rulers. The main character’s son is totally brainwashed by ‘the Pure’ and he informs on his girlfriend. When she is severely punished he realises that he has made a terrible error of judgement.
The novel is chilling as it shows how easily people can be controlled. The issue of parental control, freedom of speech, the rights of minorities, apathy of the masses, the minority who will always form a resistance, the power of technology are all discussed. There are references to Nazi Germany.
Like other reviewers I felt the end was rushed. I would have liked to know more about the resistance
This is a thought provoking, powerful story. I suggest it is a ‘must read’.
Wow, what a book. I wanted to both tear it up and not put it down all at the same time. The acceptance of the way of life, rules and behaviour is horrifying in how easy it is implemented and maintained. The look into the human mind is a scary thing when you see how it can easily be brainwashed.
Amazing in the thought provoking that this has and makes you really think about how society can literally ‘silence’ people by making free speech (almost about anything) unacceptable. There is a lot in this book which requires deeper consideration however on the surface it is a compelling book which you just have to read.
I would have liked to have seen the ending fleshed out more as it really felt like it was rushed, glossing over elements which could easily have been explored (and wanted by the readers). I do hope that there is more along this story line in future books by this author.
Wow! What a great thought provoking book!
I was intrigued by this book when first reading about it on the September list but also a little apprehensive as I had watched (not read) The Handmaids Tale and found it at times quite confronting.
Vox has taken the same path as The Handmaid Tale in general terms, the fact that women are stripped of their previous rights and privileges, unable to keep their jobs, unable to read, unable to be part of a same sex relationship, however I found Vox seemed to be bought alive in a way that seemed more believable. It really left you wondering, could this actually happen?
I found the writing flawless and the setting authentic. I enjoyed the short chapters and found the pace of the novel just right. I could definitely see this as a movie in the future and a great discussion book for book clubs.
Overall a great story that stays with you well after the last chapter and stirs a mixture of emotions. And a debut novel, I can’t wait to see more from Dalcher!
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and HQ Fiction a chance to review this fantastic book!
I was intrigued by the blurb of this novel as the storyline is quite out there and different to anything I’ve ever read or watched. Dalcher begins by really fleshing out the story, and it is quite confronting to read particularly as a woman. I thought the story would seem a bit far-fetched but as I read it, it really didn’t seem that far off field, and I could imagine how this could really happen.
The concept behind the story is that women are stripped of all their rights including their ability to work, read, write and they can only speak 100 words a day before being physically tortured. As the story progresses, we learn more and more of how controlled women’s lives are, and the severe punishments that apply for anyone who disobeys or is traitorous. As I read this, I imagined myself living as a woman in this life and it was scary.
The story was well written so much so that this seemingly outrageous storyline seems realistic. I found it very hard to put the book down and read it quite quickly as a result. I liked how the book was composed of a lot of short chapters, but this also made it harder to put down as I would kept saying to myself ‘just one more chapter’. I was disappointed however that the ending wasn’t as fleshed out as the rest of the book and seemed a bit rushed and a bit too ‘happily ever after’ in a sense.
I really enjoyed this book despite the less pleasant themes, and found it was very thought provoking. I would definitely recommend reading this. It had some great messages throughout it about doing what you can to make a difference, and maybe after reading this book we will all do one little thing to make the world a better place and prevent this being our future!
Reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, this novel is set in a modern dystopian America that is under the rule of the Pure movement. Women have been stripped of their rights, had their passports taken away, forced out of the workforce and limited to speaking 100 words a day.
Dr Jean McClellan is a strong and believable female protangonist, and the novel explores her relationships, hopes, fears, frustrations and desparation in her journey to reclaim her voice, and that of every other female within the country.
I found the ending a little rushed, I personally would have loved a bit more depth and detail in winding up the story.
A raw, gritty, confronting and compelling read, Vox is thought-provoking in its warnings of the dangers of complacency in regards to the everyday freedoms we take for granted.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and HQ Fiction for the chance to review this novel!
Vox by Christina Dalcher, what a book!!
I have not previously watched or read A Handmaids Tale, and to be honest, I didn’t think it would even really interest me until I read this book!
What a read! Such a thought provoking, well written book. I loved it! It really made me think, with the 100 words, of how little 100 words actually is, and I found myself counting my own words to get an understanding of how little the women in Vox could actually say.
I liked the majority of the characters in the book, but I did feel sad when Jean was contemplating leaving Sonia behind, and for Patrick too, who was clearly too afraid to speak up, but paid the ultimate price for his family.
I loved the final chapters of the book, I found myself reading super fast to see what was happening next! I did find the ending a little bit open- as in, I would’ve loved to know at least if the baby was a boy or a girl!
I really enjoyed Vox, and look forward to future books by Christina.
Thankyou Beauty and lace and Harlequin for the opportunity to read this book 🙂
This was my first dystopian novel (Dystopian is the exact opposite — it describes an imaginary society that is as dehumanizing and as unpleasant as possible). Prior to reading Vox I did not even know what this term meant but after reading this novel by Christina Dalcher I totally get it.
Vox makes you feel, uncomfortable, angry, shocked and left in disbelief, it is a world where woman have been silenced and given a word limit of 100 words a day and it is not just adults it is all females regardless of age. If more than 100 words are reached, woman have a thousand volts of electricity course through them via a bracelet/ word counter they are made to wear on their wrist.
It is not just words that have been taken away from the women, it is their rights, bank accounts, passports and jobs, They are watched and it is expected that the man is the head of the house. The government (Pure Movement) is wanting society to go back to a time when women were seen and not heard and obeyed their husbands. Female children are taught to select their words wisely and conditioned to stay silent, they are no longer taught to read and write only given skills on how to run a household and to be “pure”.
The novel is told through the character Dr Jean McClellan a strong educated woman who use to be a cognitive linguist he lives with her husband and three children including her 5 year old daughter. We get to see the family dynamic and the change that has occurred since the Pure Movement began as we get the back story on how and why society changed.
I really enjoyed this debut novel of Christine Dalcher it was both engaging and emotive. Thank you Beauty and Lace and Harlequin for the chance to read and review this novel.