Thank you, Berkley Publishing, for the gifted e-galley of Master Class!

Genre: Fiction
Trope: Dystopian
Pub Date: 4.21.2020

I kept putting this off and putting this off because I wasn't sure that it was "the" book for me. It sounded interesting and I have a lot of friends who enjoyed reading Master Class so I finally decided to give it a try.

The authors creativity was evident and she really has a knack for writing a thought provoking (and disturbing) story.

Unfortunately, I only made it to the 20% mark before I had to give up.

I appreciated the message that the author was hoping to convey to the audience, but for some reason, it ended up being lost on me. I do think that people would be pleasantly surprised to learn that this doesn't read like a YA novel ( I expected it to).

While Master Class wasn't for me, I will definitely be checking out the authors other books!

Christina Dalcher has done it again in writing a novel that gripped me from the start and made me question everything. In "Master Class", schools are set up in a tiered system and children of certain colors: green, red, yellow, go to schools with others of their color. Ellen has always supported the school system until her youngest is sent away to the lowest tier school. Christina Dalcher made me jump into Ellen's role and question how far would I go for my family. This book was thought provoking and emotional!

Christina Dalcher is making her mark in the literary world by writing thought-provoking dystopian novels revolving around real issues. If you guessed that her 2020 novel Master Class delves into the harrowing world of eugenics, you would be correct. Eugenics concerns the elimination of certain people and groups considered to be inferior to others who are deemed superior. Think forced sterilization or prohibiting certain people to reproduce.

The concept of eugenics is brought forth in Master Class by way of the "Q Score." Every person is assigned a Q (quotient) Score which essentially determines their worth. What goes into a Q Score? If you're a child, it is mainly determined through testing and decides which school in the tiered system you will attend, which will further influence your future standing.

Master Class follows Dr. Elena Fairchild, a teacher at one of the more elite schools whose husband Malcolm is a key player in the Department of Education. You would think that with such superior parents, Elena and Malcolm's children would also excel, but such is not the case with little nine year old Freddie. When Freddie bombs a monthly assessment, she is whisked off to a state school that is on the lowest rung of the education ladder. Elena has always been a proponent of the scoring system, but her views change when it is her own daughter on the line ... is she willing to risk it all to save Freddie from her fate?

I love Christina Dalcher's books because she doesn't just build a dystopian world and plop you in it to sit back and mildly observe. No rather, she makes you think and question your own morals and judgments. Would you behave in the same manner as the characters? Do you agree with this world she has created? What would YOU do if you had to live this life? Master Class walks a fine ethical line because eugenics have come into play throughout history, and can even be observed in less obvious ways throughout America today. Master Class will surely make you ponder the past and consider the future. Just where do we draw the line when it comes to ranking and classing society?

Dystopian elements aside, Master Class is also a story about the fierce love between mother and child. No matter what they believe and no matter the consequences, most mothers would do anything to save their children, and Master Class is a testament to that. Readers who appreciate a strong mother-child bond in novels will empathize with Elena's attempts to save her daughter from a system whose origins she herself is deeply enmeshed in.

When speaking of plot and atmosphere, Dalcher deftly constructs this "new America," and lets world-building take the stage for a large part of this novel. I appreciate that because in the dystopia genre, readers have to imagine the world that the author is trying to convey and compare it to our present state. That can be difficult when there aren't enough details. With that said, I feel that Master Class should have been a longer book because the action in the story doesn't pick up until nearly the end, making the ending and reveal feel rushed.

Readers who enjoy speculative fiction rooted in history that explores the "what ifs" of life will like Dalcher's Master Class.

Dalcher is back with another disturbing tale that sticks with you long after you finish the last page. I loved her debut Vox, and this is another propulsive dystopian story. The short chapters helped with her masterful pacing to keep my attention rapt. I could not put this one down. I also loved how she merged the past and current storylines. Though this was my least favorite of her three books (I'll be submitting a review for her latest Femlandia later today), it was still better than 80% of what is out there today. Absolutely loved it. 4 solid stars.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

MASTER CLASS is set in a not too distant future where your ability to contribute to society through your education and book smarts is what contributes to the rest of your life. Set in the time when this has been in place for about 15 years (so in place but not too settled - new dystopian life), it follows our main character Elena through coming to terms with the state of things and desperately trying to make sure her family is safe. It was a look into what the world could be like if people start to value the segregation of schools and prioritization of the "gifted" children over everyone else.

This book had a lot of really good elements to it. I thought that there was a good story to be told here that took into consideration race, socio-ecomoinc status, and disability. But that's not really what we got. Just like with VOX this is a story written by and for white women who proclaim to be feminists without understanding the intracacies of what that truly means. That being said, I did really enjoy reading it and had a hard time putting it down.

I think that there was a really strong writing style to this - Dalcher has a way with words, that's for sure. I could also see the parallels between the current world state, especially in the United States, and this novel. I liked seeing how things started slowly but were clearly escalating to a point that not even the rich, white, affluent families could deal with.

But the story here wasn't as intricate or deep as I wanted it to be: it skimmed the surface of other issues such as LGBT2sQIA+ persons being "downgraded" because of their status, even though they were top students. Or race and how proportionately disadvantaged people of colour would be. Or geographic location and socio-economic status having an impact (although the main character meets someone she thinks should be "dumb" based on their accent who she then respects because she has a science degree - not sure that should have been the ploy there but it is what it is). Or how having a disability can be a barrier. All of these things were briefly mentioned but not given the attention or details they really deserved.

That's not to say that this book didn't address and pack a wallop to it's main audience: affluential white women who think that this could "never happen to them." It shows the mad sprial into "mama bear" territory and how you would do anything for your children. But only at a certain point. And I think that's important for people to see: people are only doing things once they have no other choice rather than being on the front lines from the beginning. You could definitely see that Dalcher has grown as an author from between writing VOX and writing MASTER CLASS.

I liked Elena as a character - I do think she had a lot of growth during the novel. And her relationships were really interesting and well done as well. Everyone felt like a different character and I coudl easily distingusih between what they wanted and what they needed which is always great for character development.

I would say if you loved VOX, you will love this. If you thought that was okay, you'll think this is okay. And if you hated it, you'll hate this. I would recommend it to my book club and my mom but not to anyone who is a minority. But I am looking forward to Dalcher's next book and seeing how she grows as an author.

I really enjoyed this. Dystopian is my jam, especially when you add in children having their futures determined based on an arbitrary measurement set by "the man". The thought being, they can decrease funding for education overall by focusing only on the students with the most potential... therefore widening the achievement gap. So, the privileged become more privileged and gaps between groups widen. A teacher at one of the elite state schools does the best she can within the parameters of her job, but when her own child scores low on a test and immediately gets shipped off to a federal institution hundreds of miles away, things begin to have a whole new meaning. She will stop at nothing to get her daughter back. This is a VERY thought provoking book that really gave me the chills. Would read this author again!

I’m going to start this with an apology to Berkley, who generously offered up a review copy of Master Class last year. I did not get around to reading it then, what with the COVID-19 worries (and its associated worries for my parents & siblings, the kid, work, and so on). I finally picked it up last month and boy did this resonate.

In Dalcher’s world, everyone’s measured by a number. Your “Q” is a composite score based on your test scores, your education level, your socio-economic class, and so on. It’s not mentioned outright, but Master Class also implies that your ethnicity, sexuality, et al are also included in your Q. Which means the “master class” in Master Class are your white, upper-class, heterosexual, nuclear families.

Your Q score affects your entire life – from which schools you’re enrolled in, to which jobs you qualify for, even which neighborhoods you’re allowed to live in. And all the people who are complicit in this system – from the politicians to the suburban housewives – never imagine that it could be used against them.

It’s no surprise when you read that the proponents of the “Fitter Family Campaign” are also fans of the genetics studies that paved the way for Hitler’s “master class” and white supremacy.

There’s a lot that I liked about Master Class. Its backstory is very much like a frog in boiling water. You go along with something because it feels good (in this case, the “nerds” ranking higher than the jocks) and before you know it, you’re the dinner. I like that Elena eventually recognizes what’s going on, that she’s asking the questions. If you keep removing the “bottom of the barrel”, don’t you know there’ll be a new “bottom”? What justifications will they come up with then?

Master Class is a riveting read, even though parts of it plodded along. It’s a lesson in the long-term ramifications of thinking that you’re better than your neighbor, that they somehow “deserve” bad treatment (especially at the hands of government policies). It’s a lesson in electing those who tell you you’re somehow better than “others.” This is a cautionary story à la Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and it scares the crap out of me that I can see parallels with some of the conversations on the part of some of our political figures.

Dalcher built a realistic future-path in Master Class, albeit one I don’t want to live in. I didn’t care much for the way its ending felt rushed and left things unexplained. Like the train had arrived at the station and the doors were opening and it had to be done. But I still think you should add Master Class to your reading pile, and prepare to think about what it says about our current society.

drey’s rating: Pick it up!

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2021 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

One of the drawbacks to releasing a new book during a pandemic is that it’s hard to find traction when everything else in the world is going crazy. This is especially true for speculative fiction, which relies on the comparison and contrast between today’s world and what the future might look like if the worst aspects of today’s society were amplified. For Christina Dalcher’s second novel (her first, Vox, was widely acclaimed speculative fiction as well) Master Class, the issues it raises seem out of step with a nation that is now stuck in a “master class” of what happens when an infectious disease runs through a country where medical care is a for-profit industry.

For the complete review, click on the link below.

Master Class is without a doubt one of the most thought-provoking, socially terrifying books I have read. Not by overt horror but through the way she crafts a society that by the end of the book doesn’t seem so far off from our own. Absolutely gripping and brilliant!

I love a good dystopian fiction novel on occasion, but I’m picky about them. If you are the type of reader who tends to find that they aren’t a good fit for you, give Master Class by Christina Dalcher a try because I can almost guarantee it will change your mind! Fascinating, gripping, and an ending that will have your mind reeling!

In the book, the country breaks all people out according to their Q score—an index of their intelligence but also certain factors about their life, such as their parent’s Q scores and jobs. Elena Fairchild is a mother to two daughters—Anne and Freddie.

All kids are assigned to a three-tiered school system depending on their Q score, and Elena’s kids are in the highest tier (a prestigious school where Elena herself teaches). Students are tested monthly, and if their score drops too low, they get dropped a tier (or very rarely two tiers) in their school. While kids can go down a level based on a bad Q score, they aren’t really able to go back up a tier based on a good score.

This premise is interesting, right? Initially on reading it, I thought a lot about the logic of it all. A system that in theory places kids in schools with others of a similar ability level, so that instruction can be most effective doesn’t sound so wild in theory. But these Q scores permeate life. They determine what jobs you can get, whether you get priority checkout at the grocery store, and what opportunities your kids have.

Elena and her husband both have high Q scores, and their elder daughter Anne is a high-performer who consistently maintains a high Q score. But their younger daughter, Freddie, is anxious and constantly struggles to maintain a passing Q score for their elite school. And then one testing day, the results come back and Freddie has bombed the test, dropping her to the lowest tier school. These schools are boarding schools halfway across the country, and their parents are only allowed very limited visits.

Elena will do anything to get Freddie back, including destroying her own life and family…
There are so many twisted and addictive plot points that unfold, where you learn more about the society and Q scores—everything from their origin to how they relate to other aspects of society. The more you learn, the more terrifying it all becomes. Dalcher draws some parallels to other aspects of our actual society and history that when you see them laid out will have your mind spinning! I really can’t say much more because this is truly something you need to read to find out all of the twists for.

Timely, unputdownable social commentary that is a must-read! The ending is sure to have your mind tied up for days thinking about it all!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

A sad and scary story like Vox. Perfection has a high cost. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

A few years ago when Christina Dalcher's VOX came out, it became a book circulated among all of my friend-readers and on and on; I anticipate the same will be true for Master Class. The U.S. has begun testing of children and measuring them and directing their future based on those test results. Score well, your bright future is assured, score badly and the opposite is true. What's truly frightening about the narrative is how possible it is to see this happen in the world around us. There will always be people who believe in the "betterment " of our society at any cost - and although this is a dystopian tale, it's all too real. Don't miss this one.

The author of best-selling Vox is back again for another terrifying glimpse at a future only steps away from our own. In Master Class, she's created a not-so-unbelievable dystopian future where our fates rely on standardized testing and a government with their own idea about what constitutes 'American.' Dalcher has a knack for honing in on some very specific horrors and then twisting the knife. Some people say Stephen King keeps them awake at night, but Dalcher's futures are the ones that haunts me.

I enjoyed this book and it really got me thinking! To base some much on some arbitrary number but then of course there is more to it then that!

Special thanks to Berkley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

I am definitely not a huge fan of dystopian type literature. I will say, this one keeps me engrossed and interested. Anything with a eugenics type of storyline is truly terrifying to me. This is a great read that will promote a lot of discussions.

Thank you for the opportunity to be an early reader.

Master Class by Christina Dalcher is a dystopian novel about school systems color coded to exclude people. It is a dystopia carefully calculated to show danger to children, something that will pull at the heartstrings of most readers, parents or not. While a bit formulaic, the concept is more than enough to tug at the heartstrings. Less of a derivative volume than the previous Vox, Master Class nonetheless features it's share of flaws and strengths.

Elena, the lead character, is a science teacher. One worried about the new tier system in schools yet timid and focused on the best courses of action overall for her family more than anything else.




It is a small family. A husband named Malcolm as well as daughters Anne, who is the apple of her father's eye and Freddie who is clearly troubled but trying. Malcolm is elitist and supports the new system, and his wife does not want to argue. The direction the story is about to go is obvious.




Everything seems normal. It's stressful, but even a novice reader can tell exactly where the narrative is heading. Sure enough Freddie is given a lower test score, and ordered shipped off to special government housing and school. Elena is encouraged by her parents to follow.

Our narrator has a wonderful set of German immigrant grandparents, and clearly they're entirely to bring up images of the Holocaust. Indeed comparisons to Nazis come swiftly and frequently early on. It would be poignant if used well and appropriately, but instead just feels tired. There is supposedly a very touching scene between Elena and her grandmother in which she reveals some of her past relating to the Nazis, and yet the reader is more likely to find it laughable for just how obvious it is.

This book is meant to be suspenseful, and yet it is very obvious from the get-go. The only real question an audience is going to be asking is if they're getting 1984 or Soylent Green. Neither option seems particularly impressive. The fact that the story instead takes after Tomorrow's Children is impressive only in that it reminds one of the film existing. The overall result is still uninspired in many ways. The argument against Eugenics is extremely important, yet the over obvious choices and odd worldbuilding mean that some readers will quickly become detached. Still, Christina Dalcher has clearly done her homework,  taking the time to cite past atrocities both over used and comparatively forgotten. Any reader would do well to check out those works mentioned in the author's notes if they are worried about these issues, and it is quite clear that the author feels quite strongly on the matter.

The book is a very fast read, between short chapters and overall easy prose. The author has a way of writing material that keeps it blowing quickly, though whether this is because the reader can see all of the sudden moves and desperate warnings coming is open to debate.

The author gets around clearly not knowing much about various groups by simply not including them for most of the book. Trans people are mentioned as basically not being allowed to exist, yet done so in such a fleeting way as to seem almost a relief to the author's part. Similarly heterosexuality and a traditionally "white" appearance are mentioned as the norm in places our lead teaches, and yet this is quickly brushed aside. While there is a certain narrative payoff, ultimately even when minority issues come more into focus the reader can clearly see distancing.

Well these things are not necessarily depicted as good, it is hard not to feel of certain relief in the author that she does not have to write them more than momentarily, and indeed it gives the author an excuse to keep Freddy's disorder ambiguous so she cannot be accused of improperly depicting whatever her difficulty might be.

 Further the story seems to only mildly add more codification to tiers that have always existed between higher-level schools, like the Ivy League, and the more general educational system. It does not even attempt to explain how private schools fail to exist, in spite of the fact that they are often considered an illustration of exactly this kind of problem. Given that homeschooling is at least paid lip service to in terms of difficulty (in a comparison that is laughable given how easy it is to get a gun) one cannot help but suspect some subtle elitism in the views the book expresses. It is as if the problem of unequal opportunity does not matter unless the government does it, in spite of money breeding opportunity.  While this might make an interesting libertarian or capitalist argument, the book fails to even attempt to address such matters.

The partnering of genetic testing on a prenatal level with the pro-choice movement has a discomfort in effect in this book, and it is an effect the reader will find themselves wondering if was intentional. Indeed at one point the narrator stops to ask about the futures of the unborn, and given the build-up about a woman having the right to choose repeatedly suggests that for all her first book purported to be feminist, this volume seems to have a decidedly Anti-Choice slant. Indeed, much of chapter 33 is devoted to a commercial where the idea of abortion is repeatedly attacked as merely a tool for eugenics. Combined with an attack on laissez-faire capitalism later by Malcolm, the volume starts to read like anti government right-wing propaganda that can't seem to hold itself together. Sure enough, later someone complains about progressives, and a reader's eyes will roll, agree or not. The fact that conservatives have usually been the ones to support genetics goes unmentioned.

Even the internal logic of the obvious raises questions. Elena's grandmother was in the Hitler Youth , and yet this story is meant to take place in the relatively near future. The difficulty in making such dates line up is hard at best, and the problems only compound since dates in the book typically hover around the 2050s. While it might technically be possible to have such a small generational gap, it is at best straining to the credulity of the reader. Given that the medical capabilities outside of genetic testing seem to have if anything back slid, the idea of a 44 year old woman in that year having a grandmother who had been Hitler Youth is not only unrealistic, it is downright absurd.

Presenting an alternate history, or adding another generation would have been far more believable in terms of world building. At the same time the additional generation would raise questions as to why Elena's grandparents came from Germany which the story doesn't want to take the time to answer anyway, and would only have more questions given that they booked wants us to understand the USA is no longer a desirable place to live and has not been for some time.

Christina Dalcher is very good at making the reader hate villains, like the manipulative and yet somehow simultaneously clueless Malchom. He is unable to see why his wife is upset about what is going on, yet simultaneously so good at reading people he's been effortlessly manipulating everyone involved. The problem is this still doesn't feel right. Even a sociopath would be able to recognize the emotions in others, and know better than to continually push buttons and tell something snapped. Yet he doesn't, leaving a villain that is unbelievable and ridiculous rather than interesting. Elite story  addition that adds to his motivations still does nothing to make his behavior more sensible. Further none of the other characters come off as particularly likable, with those against the system often being rude and mean spirited even to other victims, and the saintly grandparents seeming out-and-out silly for how obvious they are. Even Elena seems downright unsympathetic by not picking up on or caring about many of the problems sooner, and that impulse on the part of the reader never goes away. An occasional very specific moment is given in which reason to hate the childless is put forth, that they are all universally in favor of the harshest system that hurts the most kids. At best this idea is absurd at at worst it is out-and-out insulting. Again, this seems more of an accidental result of bothering to mention this group at all, rather than a sustained and targeted attack.

A point in favour of this book is that it does not follow Vox in relying too much on the cult created by the television version of The Handmaid's Tale. Instead Master Class presents a different, yet extremely predictable dystopian world. The color code of the schools is obvious, although the silver yellow and green color being chosen is an interesting twist that could have had some merit. The author also takes time to move back and forth in Elena's life, and while this is used to illustrate the buildup of the system a little, it does not do so to any impressive degree. They also proved extremely good at a slow build-up, with a few interesting new ideas thrown in from time to time. The author's prose is quite good, and will keep the reader going. The moods set and opinions meant to be evoked in the reader by any given character are understood quite well.

 Further behind the basic desire to protect one's child is more than understandable. While Elena may not always be likeable oh, she is most definitely capable. The way that Elena seems torn about the potential results for her daughter Anne if she tries to help Freddie is truly moving, some of the strongest in the book. Her further looks at the depressing way she expects children to just accept these things is touching, a reminder that many see the world as what it is.

Christina Dalcher is a very good author, she has very nice prose and strings together a good plot. However the subject matter of Master Class is almost eye roll inducing it is so obvious. If targeted to a young adult audience, who might not be quite so familiar with these storytelling tools, the book might seem a little fresher. The idea of using the dystopia to reflect upon the problems with modern school systems in the way they are implemented is a good one. The book overall is extremely direct and not at all suspenseful. There is little to suggest a special insight, even if the author might have one. If one is a fan of the author's work, or if they have a taste for very familiar feeling dystopia this book is easy to recommend. There is some good here, and for those in the mood for such a book it is a good choice. Given the book on book growth that the author has shown, I look forward to the next volume with Christina Dalcher's name on it.




(Berkeley 2020)

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A darkly disturbing look at what society can be when one group has the power to dictate who fits into their version of perfection and what the world should be like.

Dalcher did it again. She managed to captivate, freak me out, and make me think about serious issues all while being oddly entertained by this dystopian world she created. MASTER CLASS brings together the best and the worst of what humanity can do to each other.

I will not lie, there are moments of this book that were just painful for me to read. I felt every emotion with Elena as she fights to get her daughter back with her. The story broke my heart while it slowly put it back together. Also, I found it interesting how Dalcher gave us flashbacks to a younger Elena and the beginning of the colored card system. This foundation allows the reader to see how an idea can be corrupted for a specific purpose.

This story takes a very close look at perfection and what that means to certain people. It also highlights the injustices that certain groups have to deal with on a daily basis. I wanted to rage against those who sought to remove from “their” society those they didn’t deem to be the perfect specimen. MASTER CLASS is an extremely timely novel that uses suspense and tensions within the plot to propel the reader to truly think about the message.

Honestly, this is a brilliant book. It may be hard for some to read and face the topics Dalcher is shedding a light on, but this book is well worth a read. I cannot wait to see what the author gives us next.

As a teacher I’m naturally disturbed & disgusted with standardized testing, but the system that’s in place in Master Class is outright terrifying albeit still hits too close to home at what we look at in public schools nationwide. ⁣
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I normally don’t post this late at night but I couldn’t wait to praise how much I LOVED my first Christina Dalcher novel and I look forward to more (hello VOX!). Fast paced and short chapters are ever so satisfying right now! Dystopian fans, definitely pick Master Class up. ⁣
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The premise of this book was so intriguing, but the metaphors and themes were a little too heavy handed for me. I know other patrons at my library are loving this book, so I'll definitely be recommending it to more!

This is usually not my genre of books but I thought it sounded very compelling. I was hooked from the beginning. This dystopian book was such a page turner. I really enjoyed this book!!