Omg. So this story got me hooked from the very beginning. Already diving into a new dystopian world where woman no longer have rights. What more alarming and frightening is that woman are limited and controlled on how much they can talk. Only 100 words. Can you imagine? having to be silent and lose all rights?
The characters were interesting including the protagonist, Jean. A strong willful mother, and Dr. who does her best to protect her daughter. Having to read about her first born son's behavior was just unbelievable. Some things made me feel angry and other things gave my empathy. It was a great plot and in my opinion, I felt there could have been more to have been said in the story. I wanted it to drag out more because it left me with some unanswered questions. I think the author should have made it into a series.
This was an epic read for me and also bewildering story. Like I mentioned, some unanswered questions. I give this novel 5 stars. Can definitely recommend this!

This story is not my typical read, but it was very intriguing so I decided to give it a try. It was such a unique story, but the way it could happen had me on the edge of my seat. At times, I had a hard time continuing the story just because of my personal feelings towards the characters. I would get so mad. However, it also made me continue to think for days after, which in my opinion, makes a good book.

This story had me on the edge of my seat, at least until I wanted to throw my kindle, and then went back in a few hours to continue on. This book definitely is not for everyone and you need to go in it with an open mind. (3.5 stars)

In the not so distant future half the American population has been silenced; by government degree women are only allowed 100 words daily. 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, Dr.Jean McCellan will reclaim her voice.
When I first read the description for this book I was excited to start reading but it did not live up to my expectations. Characters, especially Dr. Jean McCellan are not as developed as they could be which leaves many questions as to their actions and motivations. There are a few plot holes which could also be further explored to add more cohesiveness to the story line. In some areas I was left wondering why; leading up to an ending that felt rushed. Perhaps the biggest flaw I found in the book is in the cause of this dystopian future. The blame is fully on all Christians and all areas of Christianity, it is not hinted at or blamed on some or on a group that gained too much power. And there is a danger in this kind of all or nothing thinking, it encourages hate and dissension as opposed to understanding and awakening that can lead to compassion and collaboration. The message in the novel of the dangers of noninvolvement/nonparticipation, and ignoring the signs and the trends until it’s too late pertain to current events and balance out the former a little.

Christina Dalcher has made this one of my harder reviews to write.

Note, I was provided this ARC by Berkley Publishing via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited for this book! The premise came off ominous and immediately peeked my interest. This did mean I went in with extremely high hopes and I think that worked against me.

Vox follows the story of Dr. Jean McClellan and her life now that women have been silenced. Now that her young daughter doesn’t learn reading and writing and women are limited to 100 words a day. It deals with how this affects not only her world but the coming generation. It’s very much a ‘what if’ scenario on if you don’t keep involved and don’t stay involved FULLY with the world around you.


“Think about waking up one morning and finding you don’t have a voice in anything.”
― Christina Dalcher, Vox

Let’s do a ‘no spoilers’ type review.

The first 10% of the book is a solid internal debate. It also was a little discouraging for me. It was very sensationalized to the point that it took from the story for me. I adore dystopian and especially those involving government overlord type worlds, and where it all went wrong. However, lead your audience to it. Show them the danger and warnings that are multifaceted. This book is extremely direct and eliminated my ability to think on it profoundly, instead everything was spelled out to me to the point that I felt like I should hate all things. I don’t like hating all things. No one likes a villain that’s not complex. I like the complexity, I like the shades of grey in morality. So for me the strict structure of black and white for a fast approaching, fictional future was disconcerting.

To sum up my main thought, this book is angry. It’s an angry book.

That being said, I did enjoy the book. It was a page turner and I absorbed it quickly and avidly. It made me feel hopeless though. Instead of empowering me it made me feel sad. I also thrive on character development and good dialogue which for this book was not the strong point. In fact, half the time I would have preferred to live outside the main character, Jean’s, head in any way.

Vox is an interesting premise that could have been executed a tad more subtly. I do think the overall book is still good but the main character and side characters fell flat and short for me. I will also say the ending wasn’t my favorite.

Overall Rating: 2.5 Stars
Plot: 4 Stars
Character Development: 2 Stars
Dialogue: 2 Stars
Writing: 2 Stars
I really loved the idea and world behind this book. The author, I hope, will improve and continue to write, as her original idea was beautiful. I’d recommend this to anyone that enjoys political intrigue and possibly dystopian.

~Ash

Only a year ago, Dr. Jean McClellan was working on groundbreaking research as a cognitive linguist and today she can only speak 100 words a day. She wonders how everything could have deteriorated so quickly in a country that once held tight to its freedom. But as a woman living in the shadow of the Pure Movement, she can no longer voice any objection.

She finds herself yearning for another world. A world where her children were free to explore and a world where she didn’t resent her husband for being a part of an administration so out of control.

And she may just get her chance.

“Think about what you need to do to stay free.
Well, doing more than fuck all might have been a good place to start.”

Now the government that took away her job is asking her to once again return to her labs and provide them with the lifesaving serum that has been her life’s work.

It could be her one opportunity to change everything. And regardless of what it might cost, she’s going to risk it all for her children, for true freedom and the chance to love again.

“Maybe this is how it happened in Germany with the Nazis, in Bosnia with the Serbs, in Rwanda with the Hutus. I’ve often wondered about that, about how kids can turn into monsters, how they learn that killing is right and oppression is just, how in one single generation the world can change on its axis into a place that’s unrecognizable.”

VOX is a frightening look at what could happen if society becomes apathetic to injustice. Christina Dalcher parallels the current political climate in America with equal amounts of boldness and trepidation. Addressing everything from sexism, fundamentalism and censorship – she crafts an unforgettable ride that feels so true that you’ll literally catch your breath.

It will inspire you to act and to never take your own voice for granted again…

I absolutely loved this book. When I first heard about the premise, I thought it was fascinating but completely unlikely. After I started reading, however, I could see immediately how we got there from where we are now. And we're closer to it than I'd like to think about. (Also, I could identify at least five people I know who would probably vote for this.)

You should know going in that this book is bleak. Every time you think the government and this program has gotten worse, it turns out they were just on a ledge and there's far more rock bottom below them.

So yes, this book is not for the faint of heart. But besides being one of the most gripping books I've read in ages, it also gave me incentive to keep fighting. It can feel completely overwhelming, but it's definitely better to fight while we can instead of trying to stop things that are already happening.

Highly recommended.

The Pure Movement governs: women, and their daughters, wear bracelet-like devices that count each day’s words. Every utterance over 100 elicits a powerful shock. When the government recruits Jean McClellan, a neurolinguist who once studied aphasia—the inability to remember words or communicate—how will they use her research and can she lead the resistance? A riveting thriller that terrifies.

Thanks to Net Galley for a free ARC of this book.

It's funny, to me, that the reviews of this book seem to be wildly praising or highly critical of this book. It is a polarizing book written as a response to a polarizing time in this country.

Vox is based on the premise that the American government has become a conservative theocracy as opposed to a democracy/ republic. Women are allowed to speak only 100 words per day from birth or suffer immediate physical punishment. As I fan of dystopia, I couldn't ignore this book. As a woman, and a mother of girls, the concept is horrifying. As a survivor of systemic spiritual abuse, the concept is terrifyingly plausible.

While not flawless, this book is definitely a page-turner which raises interesting questions about who we are as a society and what we will put up with in the name of identifying with group norms. It's a short read with the plot pushing forward at an astonishing pace. While I enjoyed the thrill ride, it would have been nice to see a bit more character and plot development. However, I think this is an interesting read with some important thought-provoking points. It would make a very interesting book club read in my opinion.

Thank you to both Berkley Pub and HQ Stories for sending me ARC's in exchange of my honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you Berkley for inviting me onto the Blog Tour.

I rate this book a 4 out of 5 Stars.

I saw this pop up on Berkley's Instagram feed months and months ago, and as soon as I even saw the cover I knew I had to request it. And than HQ Stories did a competition, and they were looking for 100 #VOXChampions, and lucky me, I was chosen as one! I will include my photo for that challenge at the end of this review. It was pretty clever, I thought. But onto my thoughts of the book.

Going into this book, I thought it was going to be more of a, How does she use her 100 words to make an impact, to make a change? Was she going to get other women to fight back, and use their words to make a change together? What actually happened in the book is very different from I anticipated.

Jean was a brilliant scientist, and she is married to a man who is the presidents right hand man. So imagine being married to a man, who works for the guy that took every right, and privilege away from you. As a female, you do not have cell phones, computers, books, paper, pens, you don't have the right to check your mail box, you cannot travel, you cannot hold a passport, every thing that we have as women is gone.

No imagine a opportunity to change that, what are you willing to give up? Knowing you have a daughter, and wanting better for her, how hard do you fight for her?

I also loved that not only was it the POTUS, it was also the leader of a Christian Church that brainwashed the Country into believing this was right, that this is the way women needed to be kept in check. Women belong at home, in the kitchen, they need to know their place. The man works, he makes the money, he makes the decisions. The women stay home, she cooks, she cleans, she doesn't talk back, she raises the kids, she knows her role. Such an old way of thinking right? Did I forget to mention that if a woman is caught breaking any rules her punishment is televised? She suffers a great deal more than that, but I'll let you read the book and find out for yourself what happens.

The last few chapters of this work were intense, and explosive, and I devoured them. I loved how it ended, I thought it was perfect. The thing about Dystopian books for me is, they really are never that far off. I mean if you think about it, All you need is one or two powerful people to convince others that something is a great idea, and then herd mentality kicks in, and before you know it, comes a movement, whether it be good or bad. So, to think that women could be caged like this, in my mind it's something that could happen. Not that it would happen, but it could. That's why I love dystopian books, they make me think, they are creative, and I ponder the realism behind them.

Have you guys read this one yet? What are your thoughts?

#SilenceIsDeafening #100Words

Do you love Dystopian?

If the answer to that question is yes, then you will probably love Vox. Vox is set in the future where women are limited in spoken words and are also limited in other areas including education. All women need is math to run a household, right? Jean, a highly educated woman, is shocked that this could happen and be allowed in America. Can she help break the silence so that women can be heard again...?

This is a great novel that will keep you engaged. I loved it!

I read Vox a few weeks ago and have been trying to think about how to describe it. The words that keep coming to mind are “angry fantasy,” “a cautionary tale,” and “dream." Certainly, it does not reflect reality. There are aspects of Vox that have no bearing on the story but are merely strange asides that you would find in a dream, such as the chimpanzee attacking Jean.

Mostly, Vox feels like a tug of war between the good guys and bad guys. It’s tidy. Either the good guys have everything neatly working in their favour or Jean’s side has their plans running smoothly. Until it favours the bad guys again. Trust or distrust is absolute with a few words spoken. Jean’s son is corrupted, until he’s not. Her husband is a coward, until he’s not. I do love that some things are not what they seem (unless they are) but they remain absolutely one way in Jean’s perspective until they become absolutely another way. She accepts the new truth without question. There’s no gray area (except in her love life). One is winning or the other is, until one whole team topples and the rope is pulled over the line.

Yet, if read as a cautionary tale it is interesting. Dalcher looks at extreme what-ifs in American society. Extremes that I think are unlikely to ever occur, but can be fun to consider.

A copy of Vox was provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

This was by far one of the best books I have read in 2018. While in a sense, it's a vague premise that has been recently done over the years with The Handmaid's Tale television show bringing awareness to the topic, but Datcher has brought a unique twist to it with her plot and characters. I took every free moment to read Vox and find out what was going to happen, it was one of those stories that immediately captured my attention and I had to know what the next move was.

"Vox" eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Christina Dalcher (https://christinadalcher.com). This is Ms. Dalcher's first publication.

I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains Violence, Mature Language, and Mature Situations. The story is set in the near future US, though a much different US. Women have been forced from the workplace and technology limits them to just 100 words per day.

The primary character is Dr. Jean McClellan. She was a brilliant researcher but has been forced to give all of that up and simply be an obedient wife and mother. Then she is suddenly asked to continue her research to help the president's ailing brother. She sees her young daughter growing up without a voice. She has seen friends silenced. She decides that she must take this opportunity and do something. She must also decide how she will react to working with her former lover again.

I enjoyed the 7+ hours I spent reading this 336 page science fiction and romance novel. This novel feels like a post-apocalypse story, though it isn't. It is a little slow at times, but overall I liked the plot. The unique twist of using technology to limit the number of words spoken was interesting. I think that the cover art was well chosen. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

I can’t deny this is a very well written book that keeps you engaged from start to finish. However, comparing it to The Handmaids Tale feels off to me. Yes, it’s a dystopian about an America in which women’s rights are taken away. However, the terrifying thing about The Handmaids tale is how plausible it is. There is a trail of logic that strips women’s rights away. The government in Vox’s trail of logic is a stretch at best. Still terrifying, but not real enough to be deeply unsettling. I also had problems with the ending. It was confusing, it happened way to quickly, and it was way to easy. There's a twist that is not founded in the rest of the book at all. It's just an easy out.

First off, I want to say a big thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel was one of my most anticipated summer debuts and I was very excited to see that my request was granted!

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
- Edmund Burke

Dr. Gianna "Jean" McClellen is a woman in futuristic America, where all females are required to wear a counter that keeps track of how many words they use per day, with a maximum quota of 100 words. If the quota is exceeded, the woman is electrocuted. All females, no matter their ages, are to wear these counters as part of their expectancy of submission to the male species. Women are expected to be docile, domestic, obey their husbands, and to be seen but not heard. Female children are being conditioned not to speak. This is the regime of the Pure Movement, a take over by extremely religious political leaders that were voted into office.

The movement is still experiencing it's difficulties in it's fledgling year, but the children and men are falling right in line. Those in support wear pins with a "P" for Pure. Males are only allowed to control the flow of information- females may not receive or open mail, access the internet, or read books. Women may no longer write, and sign language or anything stated against the government is punishable if caught by surveillance. They may no longer be employed- strictly domestic care of their household only. They are no longer allowed to curse or use heated language against a man. They are not allowed to use birth control or abort pregnancies, and there is no fornication outside marriage- no underage sex, no adultery. Heterosexual marriage is the only legal marriage, and those who fall into different sexual categories, as well as those who don't comply with the law, are imprisoned in labor camps or forced into cells with the opposite sex until the "straighten out" and "convert".

Jean recalls the time before the counter was attached to hers and her daughter's wrist, with the echo of her activist college roommate asking, what will you do to stay free? But now, with four kids, she has to decide if the cost of freedom is worth it, and truly decide what she will sacrifice for their freedom.

I dove into this eARC and immediately thought it had serious A Handmaid's Tale vibes, which I liked. The further I got into it, the more scientific and conspiracy-mystery it got, the more I loved it. I really enjoy dystopian literature, and this novel is entirely plausible- which is both angering, frightening, and shocking. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say there was more than one occasion where I gasped or my jaw dropped. Dalcher's pacing is excellent, and the way she has woven the story line together keeps the reader turning the pages, guessing what will happen next, and completely absorbed. I honestly spent the last 30 chapters of this book on the edge of my seat! A thrilling read and a chilling warning for adults that I will certainly purchase and recommend.

(This review will be posted at a later date on my blog: www.thelexingtonbookie.wordpress.com)

I absolutely loved the first 90% of this book. The situation was gripping and relevant. The characters were engaging. The action progressed at an pulsing rate and had me rapidly turning pages. There were a couple of things I didn't understand along the way such as the purpose for making a serum that killed, etc., but I accepted them and read eagerly onward.

Then I got to the last 10%, and unfortunately, my enthusiasm waned. How could such a great book end so flat? While the outcomes were all that I'd hoped for throughout, I left the book confused as to how they were achieved. Nothing really made sense for me. It seemed an illogical jumble of events leading to the conclusion. Two characters who were "baddies" turned out to be good guys which I might have cheered. However, if her husband was secretly an undercover hero all along, how could he possibly tell her things like "I think I liked it better when you didn't talk?" Why would he keep his plans from her? Why wouldn't he let her in on the undercover movement and enlist her superior brain? - Unless of course, he didn't really believe she was the genius she was written to be and then - wouldn't that strike him out as a good guy and defeat the message and purpose of the book?

I'm wobbling between a 2 meaning "OK" and a 3 meaning a moderate "I like it" with this one, mostly brilliantly written, but in the end dissatisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley for making an advance readers copy available for an honest review. (less)

Total Handmaids vibes with this book...eery how Dalcher has managed to invoke fear that this type of thing is right around the corner especially with the current political climate...where a president stokes religious flames and enacts a law where women are only permitted to speak 100 words per day. The first half of this book was incredibly creepy and tense and the world-building was very well done. I could have read an entire book just about the intricacies of how it all came to be...unfortunately, the later half of the book veers into a bioweapon conspiracy novel that I just couldn't get invested in and the story really slowed down for me. If you're a fan of female fiction and liked The Handmaid's Tale and other dystopian, sci-fi stories, this is definitely for you.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Before I get to the part where I try to dissect these feelings, let me tell you about the book.

Modern-day America. Women have been restricted to speaking only 100 words a day. A counter is locked onto their arm. If a wearer exceeds 100 words the counter will begin to apply shocks. Shocks will get more painful the more words past 100 they go. Women have been removed from all positions of power. Homosexuals are imprisoned in those therapy camp things (you know, the ones that try to change homosexuals to heterosexuals). Single women must either marry, or be brought to underground brothels (you know, rewards for the hard work the men do all day). The leaders of the country hide behind some serious ultra-conservative Christianity. Think Westboro Baptist Church - only with large quantities of money and power. When Jean is given a unique task from the President, she knows she has to do something. But is she really willing to go as far as she says she will? How much is she willing to sacrifice?

Mixed feelings. Okay, I give the book 3, 3.5, out of 5. The author attempted to show how it would be possible in today's time to silence all women, and bring America back over a hundred years. I found myself sometimes confused when Dalcher did flashbacks. There wasn't really a break in the text, you were just suddenly somewhere different than where you just were. She also has a habit of showing us what Jean could be seeing, in a way that made me have to reread several sections because I was confused between what Jean could see happening, and what was actually happening. I also felt her use of "babe" and "kiddo" were too much. It isn't that I didn't like those terms, or what she was using them for, but it's a perfect example of how writing like we speak can be off-putting. About halfway through the book I just wanted it to end. It wasn't a bad read, by any means, it just seemed to drag here and there. Honestly, the book pissed me off. I don't mean that as a negative toward the author, in fact, my anger shows Dalcher's ability to bring the characters and situations into reality. What angered me, was the idea that in 2018 society would ever let women be silenced. That somehow Westboro-Baptist-Church-like leaders would ever be able to win political office. As a Christian raised in the bible-belt it would be unfair of me to say no men like this exist. It would be more than unfair, it would be a lie. But I don't see modern Christian women supporting this type of takeover. Obviously ultra conservative Christianity is an emotional trigger for me.

Having said all that, I definitely don't feel as if I wasted my time reading it. If anything, I'm glad to know I can still get passionate about this. The book publishes on the 21st of August, give it a shot. It will make you think.

3.5/5

“Your husband’s inability to lead
may be a result of your inability to submit,” Christian Marriage Today.com

In 2017, author, Christina Dalcher, an expert on theoretical linguistics, submitted, Wernicke 27X, a 750-word piece of flash fiction to a doomsday themed contest. The story introduced the concept of destroying people's memory of language, hence the ability to communicate, by damaging the Wernicke's Area of the brain through contact with a chemical in food, Wernicke 27X.

Expanding elements from Wernicke 27X, VOX asks the question:

"What if we, as a society, took a giant step backwards, relegating women to traditional roles as mothers, wives, and homemakers? . . . The [Pure Movement] idea was to go back to Biblical roles, to separate men and women. Females are expected to conform in four ways - piety, purity, submission and domesticity." - Author, Christina Dalcher

VOX achieves this goal by placing the chief proponent of the "Pure Movement", the Reverend Carl Corbin, in the White House alongside the President. Stage One: All females of any age must be silenced; a period of retraining necessary. The intent, to reset women's roles in future generations. Think Stepford wives without language.

Washington, DC in the near future.

One morning dawned like every other over America. Mothers roused sleepy children to begin their ordinary day. Parents headed to work; the children to school. Unaware that in the blink of an eye, Big Brother would strike and the world as they knew it, stops for every female in the United States.

In an implausible scenario, women and young girls are rounded up and fitted with electronic bracelets that limit speech to 100 words per day. The penalty of exceeding 100 words? A painful charge that will lay the offender out flat, its severity increasing with every additional word.

Edicts are enforced. Women are no long allowed to work outside the home or have access to a formal education. These drastic restrictions include access to all printed materials - cookbooks to newspapers - as well as paper and pens, a potential method of communication, are verboten. All household documents, finance accounts, reading materials must but be locked up and available only to husbands and sons.

Behind the scenes in the schools, a redesigned school curriculum advances their real agenda - instill in the young the importance of dividing the roles of the sexes.

The Patrick and Jean McClellan family, in many ways, is atypical of the rest of America. Patrick works in the White House serving as science adviser to the President; an oxymoron in an administration that derides science. Jean is a scientist specializing in cognitive linguistics. They have four children; three boys and one daughter.

There had been rumblings and warnings that religious extremism was spreading like wildfire and women were losing ground rapidly. Dr. Jean McClellan was too busy with her medical research to worry. Known internationally for her work on Wernicke's Aphasia, a traumatic collapse of a person's ability to understand or express language, Jean is close to developing a serum that will repair the brain. And just like snapping your fingers, Jean McClellan learned she was no longer a working professional.

As time passes, Jean is struggling to understand what is happening and feels helpless. Her eldest son has become dismissive and surly, her daughter is severely traumatized, and her husband complicit with the new norms. As the effects of the movement advances through society, rebels attempt to break through but are "dispatched'.

All feels hopeless, until the President's brother has an injury to his Wernicke's Area of the brain. And just like that, Jean barters freedom for her daughter's silence against helping restore the brother's memory of language. She enlists the help of a close (really close, if you get my drift) male colleague and together they learn the true extent of Reverent Carl and the President's insidious motives.

Rating this book was a hard decision and in the end I gave in to my inner voice and gave it 4/5 stars. There were some parts of the story that just jarred against the reality of this scenario ever occurring.

But before anyone dismisses VOX and its premise as a pipe-dream of a few radical religious extremists; Google the "Cult of Domesticity" an early 20th century movement in America. If you are a feminist and want to set your hair on fire, look into the True Woman Movement, part of a larger religious campaign active in the US today called Revive Our Hearts or click here to review their True Woman Manifesto.

I'm not saying religion is harmful or frightening! As Christina Dalcher says, "This is a call to [women] to pay attention NOT a call-to-arms."

I want to thank Berkley Press and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy of VOX

In the not-too-distant future, Sam Meyers, advised by the fanatical Reverend Carl Corbin (leader of the Pure Movement), becomes President. Just a year into the Administration, they had systematically disenfranchised women. Women were no longer allowed to work, their passports were invalidated, premarital and extramarital sex were illegal, LGBT and other undesirables were put into labor camps--and women were fitted with word counters. These counters monitored women's speech, and if a woman uttered more than 100 words in a day, she was shocked with an electric current that increased with the number of infractions.

Dr. Jean McClellan, previously a preeminent neurolinguist, was lured into the President's service when his brother and key adviser, Bobby Meyers, suffered a skiing accident and developed aphasia. While Jean worked on a cure, she--and her daughter Sonia--were exempt from wearing the word counters. In a state-of-the-art lab, reunited with her previous team, Jean wrestles with the implications of her work and the fact that when it concludes, she'll be subjected to the word counter again. Her estranged best friend from graduate school, Jackie Juarez, previously active politically but now assumed to be in a labor camp, became the voice of Jean's conscious asking Jean what she would do for her freedom. Jean pushes herself to the limits of what she will do not just for her own freedom, but for that of all women in the United States.

The book has an interesting premise and draws from the likes of The Handmaid's Tale and Future Home of a Living God. In flashbacks, Jean considers how the government laid the foundation for such widespread oppression--for one by requiring a religious class in high schools that taught the "proper" realms of men and women--and how she was complicit for failing to become involved politically. She also traces how men respond to their new power, often through reflections on her husband, Patrick, who doesn't believe in the Pure Movement but who is willing to keep Jean's books locked up and prevent her from using the computer, so far as telling her that things aren't that bad. How a class of people might react to newfound power is an interesting component of the book. Jean's son, Steven, becomes a true believer in the Pure Movement, and it is revealing how she struggles in her relationship with him.

The society under Meyers is harrowing, and, like many of these dystopian novels, not impossible to imagine. Especially in the last half of the book, I was compelled to read to find out what would happen. Diminishing my enjoyment of the novel, though, were frequent plot holes, unconvincing twists of logic, or simply confusing passages. I also didn't like the writing style which to me was too conversational and casual. That said, I do think readers who are fans of this genre will enjoy Dalcher's addition.