First, I would like to thank Berkley and Netgalley for being kind enough to host and allow me access to this novel.

Writing a review on this novel would either be scathing in a way that I don't think is fair to do to a gifted book or sparse in a way that does not come across as genuine. Instead I will just say that I do not think this book was well written at all, and I would not recommend using up your inherently limited reading time on it.

If you want more thoughts and opinions, you can reach out to me here, on my blog (iansreads.com), and my Instagram (@iansreads). I'll be happy to get into specifics.

Master Class is a disturbing tale that readers will be thinking about long after turning the last page.

Dalcher’s debut #VOX was a 2018 debut favorite of mine and she’s back again with a unique, unsettling and thoughtful story that readers will absolutely devour. Mother’s especially will understand the protagonist’s desire to stop at nothing to protect her children. I thought she did an excellent job of explaining the path to what has become her reality and I loved the merging of the past and current storylines. The pacing of the story (short chapters) made this an unputdownable and gripping read.

Imagine a world where your value and place in the world is based on your IQ. Everyone is tested on a monthly basis and the slightest dip in your test score could mean you are sent off a different colored bus that week and possibly even sent off to a federal boarding school. Elena Fairchild is married to the Deputy Secretary for the Department of Education and he expects nothing but the best from his family. When their youngest daughter bombs a monthly test, she is sent hundreds of miles away. Elena is beginning to question everything (now that they are not in her favor) and wants her daughter back. To what ends is Elena willing to go? My words to the wise, “be careful what you wish for.”

A political dystopian where our past collides with our future. I hope #readers decide to give this dark tale the time it deserves.

Christina Dalcher, author of "Master Class" has given her novel the perfect title, which can be interpreted in many ways.  This is a terrifying, suspenseful, intense, edgy, psychological thriller that is extremely thought-provoking and frightening. The genres for this novel are Thriller and Fiction, although there is some type of Eugenic studies and experiments that are mentioned, that actually occurred many years ago. The author describes her characters as flawed, dysfunctional, complicated, and complex. A few are psychopathic and possibly sociopathic. I am not a psychiatrist or a psychologist, but Freud would have had a field day analyzing some of the characters. 

Elena Fairchild is a teacher in a complex teaching setting where students and teachers are defined by their Q ("quotient). Malcolm Fairchild, her husband is instrumental in devising the standards for the Q. Their older daughter is extremely competent, and their 9-year-old daughter seems to have a testing phobia, and at times acts out. In this system, the children with low Q scores are often sent away to a state school, where they have to stay.

It seems there younger daughter has not done well on a test and is being sent to a state school. Elena's older grandmother keeps warning her to get her daughter out. Elena teaches in an elite school and has to devise a plan to get her daughter back. You might wonder why Malcolm Fairchild is letting his youngest daughter be sent away. I wouldn't say that Malcolm is the father of the year, or for that matter husband of the year. I do have some titles for him that I can't put in writing.

I was so shocked at many things in this story that I couldn't put this book down, and I couldn't fall asleep after reading it. This is quite an intensely suspenseful, disturbing, horrific, and thought-provoking novel that I would recommend for those readers who appreciate a chilling thriller.

You ever take a second chance on an author whose first book you didn't quite love? Happened to me, right here! Vox wasn't awful, but it definitely wasn't my favorite. But when I saw the synopsis for Master Class, I just knew I had to give the author another go. And I am SO glad I did! So consider this review a reminder of why it's always nice to give second chances- and why I'll certainly be picking up her next book!

Master Class drops us into a world where the only real measure of success is a "Q Score". This score, in theory, is based solely on a person's intelligence and ability to succeed academically. But of course, it's more than that. Get a divorce? Lose points. Late for work? You're getting docked. Poor? Forget it, you've got no chance of a high score. And so, like every other system designed to divide and disenfranchise, this one was working great for those at the top. Until one of its own began to see through the façade.

Elena is at the top of society. A teacher in a prestigious school, mother of two, and married to one of the head honchos of this system, she has been seemingly enjoying all the benefits the Q system has offered her. Only, behind the scenes, things aren't as rosy. Her marriage is a sham, her husband being kind of The Worst™ in general, but especially to their younger daughter. And said younger daughter doesn't really wish to follow this system, and struggles to maintain her scores. When the unthinkable happens, and Freddie's score drops, she's sent to a federally-run school in the midwest. And Elena can no longer turn a blind eye.

One of the greatest parts about this book is that I was able to understand Elena's actions and decisions. And make no mistake, they are terrible decisions to make. And she's been making them for awhile! At the start, I wondered why on earth she'd stay with Malcolm, who is actual garbage, but it all becomes clear as the story progresses. She also has to make what has to be the toughest decision a mother could be forced to make, whether to stay with her older daughter Anna, or go after Freddie. It's an incredibly emotional story, and I could not help but feel for Elena all the way, despite some of her past mistakes. And really, her mistakes (and willingness to correct them) are a big part of what makes her so relatable and worthy of rooting for.

The book also illustrates the hows and the whys of the ways of the world. What led to such a system, and how it went so very wrong in the process. Elena is never alone in her journey either, though the decisions she must make are lonely. Her family (parents and grandma) are absolutely wonderful throughout the story, and their love and support keeps Elena going. She also meets some unlikely friends along the way who really do a great job of highlighting what is happening in other parts of the country.

But more than anything, this book is incredibly thought provoking. It asks questions that you may not quite know how to answer. Not only does it present great moral debates, but asks what is the measure of someone's worth.

Bottom Line: Incredibly thought provoking and so emotionally driven, Elena is a compelling character whose journey will elicit many emotions, and many moral questions

After reading Dalcher’s first novel, Vox (and LOVING it!) I was thrilled when I heard about her newest title, MASTER CLASS. Master Class takes us into a different type of world, a world where the types of schools we attend are based on our Q-score. Have a high Q-score, attend the best school, have a low Q-score then you are taken away from your family and attend school at a federal institution.

I loved the main character Elena Fairchild. She is married and has 2 daughters. Her worst fears have come to life – her youngest daughter is taken away to a federal institution after receiving a low Q-score, and Elena is devastated. Her world as she knew it is all about to change and she races against time and her own husband to rescue her daughter and bring her back home safely where she belongs. Elena was a strong willed character, who fought for those she loved, for what she believed in, and for justice. I enjoyed her strong personality and reading about how strong-willed she was. She didn’t take no for an answer and put her own life on the line to protect those she loved.

I enjoyed reading about the trials and tribulations Elena found herself presented with as she tried to find her daughter and return her back home. She did whatever she thought was necessary to find her daughter, in the face of so much adversity, even going against her husband and colleagues. She didn’t stop in the face of so many obstacles and I loved her tenacity energy.

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, and I am sure you will too!

This was just an ok read for me - mostly because I've concluded the genre just isn't for me. I tried. Sure, some thought-provoking themes for those readers who love the genre but my sensibilities prevent me from signing on. Recommended to fans of dystopian novels.

The potential of your child is no longer based solely on how they are able to perform in school. A new standardized measure, referred to as the Q score, has become the ruling standard across schools and society. Children are regularly tested and rated, not only based on their performance, but also their parent’s successes. The higher the score, the brighter the future. These scores determine which tier of school the children will attend and ultimately their future careers. In a world where education costs are exorbitant, these measures are the way to cut costs and have teachers focus on those with higher potential.

Elena Fairchild teaches at one of the highest tiered silver schools where her two daughters attend. Her youngest daughter has just bombed her monthly Q test and she is being forced to leave her top school to attend a bottom tier federal institution located several hundred miles away. Elena has been teaching for years and thought she understood the tiered system, but now that her own family is impacted, she has started to recognize the flaws and has changed her perspective. She wants her daughter back and is willing to do the unthinkable to make that happen.

MASTER CLASS is a dystopian story focusing around the important topic of education. Dalcher has created a society in which families and children are rated and their scores are linked with each other. In order for children to succeed in life they need successful parents in addition to having bright minds. Children who may have any type of difficulty learning are immediately shunned from the top tier schools because their Q scores are too low. Those in the top tier schools, however, are not safe. They are constantly evaluated and rated. Their position in life and school is never guaranteed.

Elena Fairchild is the main character for MASTER CLASS and it is through her eyes that the reader learns the ins and outs of this dystopian world. Elena is lucky enough to be a teacher at a top tier school, have a husband highly ranked in the Department of Education, and be the mother to two highly rated daughters. Her youngest doesn’t always fit the role of high scorer the way her other daughter does and it is Freddie who ultimately scores so low that she is deemed no longer qualified for anything but a federal institution. Through Elena’s eyes we see the turmoil associated with being a parent in this situation, as well as the impact across the family. I loved the honesty and the emotions the reader was able to feel through the character of Elena. Dalcher wisely chose to give the reader a direct experience to this system of life over being an outside observer, which I think is one of the things that made me love this story so much.

The element of this book that really sold the story as a favorite for this month was the fact that Dalcher based all of this in historical events that actually happened. It’s easy to think when reading a dystopian book that the contents of the story would never happen to us, but Dalcher proves that society can easily fall to the extremes with the basis of MASTER CLASS. I genuinely appreciate Dalcher exposing me to a part of history I wasn’t completely familiar with and sending me straight down a Google rabbit hole once I had finished her book! I’ve already bought a copy of VOX and can’t wait to read more from Christina Dalcher in the future!

A huge thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book!

It is almost 2AM and I just finished this amazing book. History comes back to haunt in this terribly beautiful novel. Everyone should read this and understand.

As a fan of Christina Dalcher's Vox, I knew I had to read her newest book, Master Class. These books are both the kind of dystopian tales that scare the bejeebies out of me, but that I love.

Master Class did not disappoint in that area. In fact, because it's based on real historical events, it's much too plausible. The story is scary, heartwrenching, and the ending was bittersweet.

Elena and Malcolm and their daughters are the perfect family living perfect lives because their Q (intelligence) ratings are high. They get to live in the more elite part of town, attend the best schools, have short or no lines at the grocery stores, have the best jobs, etc...

That is...Until their youngest daughter's Q drops to the yellow status. 9 year old Freddie is taken away on the dreaded yellow bus to a state run school in Kansas where her family will be unable to visit except for a few hours every 3 months.

Elena can't handle the thought of her daughter being alone in a strange place so does whatever she can to get Freddie out, and finds herself in a nightmare situation.

This book was so thought-provoking and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough through the last half.

*Thank you to NetGalley and to Berkley Publishing Group for the advance copy!*

This book had... A lot going on. I wasn't sure about it at first, seeming a little too similar to the tropes played with in so many other similar books. I've never read the other author's book, Vox, but after reading this I think I'm probably going to pass. Dystopia fiction is one of those things that's difficult to nail, and this kind of... Tries? But doesn't hit the mark enough. I'm unsure how society would change that quickly, without checks and balances, the entire concept seems like it's trying to be something but falls flat because it's just so out of the realm of possibility.

There's a lot of things in here that were decent, the characters were okay despite a few of them seeming far too outlandish for something that's supposed to be based in a current reality/realistic world. The protagonist, Elena, is... Okay. She's just alright. Despite being a smart person, she acts like a blank slate for most of the book, and seems to blame her odd behaviors on "just being a mother", using it as a scapegoat for her absurdity. I can handle that, though, considering we have other characters who are more stereotype than character.

Ultimately, this one's definitely going to be popular, but... It's too similar to other things I've read recently. It has the "Handmaid's Tale without the religion" vibe, wanting to be more than what it is, and the fact that they pulled a martyr complex out of it kind of makes me upset.

Elena Fairchild is a teacher at one of the elite schools and she has two daughters, two very different daughters. One daughter excels at school and loves living by the Q score. Her other daughter has struggled for a bit and after a failed test is doomed to move to a state school where she will be put to work at a camp and life sounds more work than school.

With hints of history repeating itself and without wanting to spoil a thing, I will keep my review short and simple. I loved the plot and the ability for the author to make nods to the past and making the reader really think about how this society was set up and the good and the bad that can come from it. I loved the characters. The characters are amazing. They have depth and they are put in crazy situations and their reactions are just so interesting to follow.

The "world" in this book doesn't seem as far off from reality as her first book. I think because it was closer to reality it was easier to get into this book and it flew by. I read this in one sitting.

I read Christina Dalcher's first book, Vox, and LOVED it, so the minute I heard about the second book, I was counting down the days. I had very high expectations for this book and it outdid them all! I love when a sophomore novel lives up to all the expectations, now I will read Dalcher's books without even reading a synopsis.

Gut-wrenching, Intense, and viscerally painful to read.

There were times I had to put the book down. To force my mind away from the awful reality of what the near-future dystopian genre shows when do not pay attention to the signs. The slow boil of a frog as they say; where little changes here and there, can lead to consequences no one saw coming.

From the outside, Elena and Malcolm Fairchild are the epitomes of success. The right look, the right education, but most importantly the right 9-plus Q score. The number which says you have the right stuff, that you are of a certain ‘tier’ in society. Now, let’s flip that. What if Elena and Malcolm have two daughters. One is easily in the 9-plus range and attends a ‘silver’ school, the school full of children with the inherent gifts from cohesive nuclear families. But the second, not diagnosed on any spectrum, only qualifies for the ‘green’ school, a step lower, but not the worst. Yet has anxiety and is beginning to fall in the below 9 range on her monthly tests. This Monday will be different, Freddie will be sent off on the ‘yellow’ bus to a state-run school where education and resources are not wasted.

The intensity of this book is overwhelming. History is repeating itself with one question, “Should generation after generation continue to reproduce substandard intellect?”, opens a door that was closed generations ago with the first discussion of eugenics. So, the next time someone questions one more test or a small evaluation change, think about where it could lead.

The story has a very timely premise. Should governments and societies focus funding towards those that extremely gifted? While the book looks through the ramifications of this type of policy, I found it difficult to find the characters compelling. This book is definitely for reader's who enjoy plot rather than complex characters.

Another great novel by Christina Dalcher! I loved Vox and was worried Master Class wouldn’t be at the same level. But this one surpassed all my expectations! I love Dalcher’s writing style and how she creates realistic near-future/dystopian worlds, since every detail is accounted for. This book was captivating and the story was shocking, especially considering the fact that many concepts were not too far from reality. Honestly I knew nothing about the eugenics movement that was in the United States and the state school system that came from it (seriously, go google this, it is insane). The underlying truth to the story makes this book especially terrifying and realistic (and completely addictive). I love this author and I did NOT expect the ending! Master Class is thought-provoking and brilliant, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone! Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing for my free copy in exchange for an honest review. Publish Date 4/21/2020

Christina Dalcher's Master Class is an altogether too eerie tale set in a society that feels uncomfortably realistic and contemporary. In this version of society in which anyone whose IQ or academic testing scores aren't up to snuff are relegated to progressively lower "schools" and roles in society, an educator must choose between members of her own family. This was too short- I tore through it and felt the mother's heartbreak, and was breathlessly reading towards the shocking end.

I was happy to receive an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. Having read Christina Dalcher's last book Vox and enjoying it so much. Again she didn't disappoint. Could something like this actually happen in the United States? A few years ago I would've said no, but now with everything going on in the world I'm not so sure. Though I feel for Elena in this story, I felt she was also one of those people who are ok with bad stuff happening to other people as long as it didn't affect her. But the moment it does affect her family she suddenly has a problem with it. I recommend this book for it is a good read.

The plot of this book is simple: How far will a mother go to protect their loved one?
The interesting thing about this book? It's Dystopian!

There is something really comforting reading about a Dystopian society in the modern-day COVID-19 era. It makes you think, things could always be worse.

In this book, in order to determine what type of school a child goes to, they must take an IQ test. If a child scores high they are going to be setup with a future full of hope.. however, if they score low.. their options are quite limited. Being an educator, Elena knows her child is at risk for scoring very low on the test, and she won't have her child ripped away from her. What will she do, though? Become a mama bear!

This was such a good book! I was so surprised. I wasn't really taken with the cover, however, but I read it anyway. It was such a surprise and very good. That is why.. you must always remember.. give a book a chance if you don't like the cover. It may end up being a great book - like this one!

2.5 stars
Disappointed-had high expectations for this after seeing all the high ratings.

There was a lot of potential here, just read that marketing blurb! The concept of this dystopian world was really intriguing to me.

Where it fell flat unfortunately was the lack of intensity throughout. I'm not sure if that is due to the lackluster characters, or from the predictability of how things unfolded.

I am definitely in the minority with this one, so hopefully you will have a better experience!

ARC provided by NetGalley

I tried with this one. I half enjoyed Vox. There were things that held me back from loving Vox. And those same things were even more prevalent in this one. I struggled to make it through. The contradictions in the thoughts of government really weighed on my thoughts on this book.

This is a book about government taking over our daily lives and very thought. The one-sided, misguided view of parties (which are opposite of how it is in the real world) had my eyes rolling from start to finish. I feel like if one is to try to write a book as a "warning", they should have a better understanding of politics and what each "side" actually represents. This book has flip-flopped and mixed up party lines. I found myself highly disinterested because of false facts disguised as facts.

I can't say that I would recommend this book to anyone. If the politics had been better researched and told from a factual side versus a personal side, I might have enjoyed it more. Just like the previous book from this author, I don't want to know her own personal beliefs. I want a fictional story, not a story full of half truths and brainwashing.

I don’t often read science fiction. But I can really appreciate a well done dystopian book that has a premise taken from the current state of affairs. Master Class proposes a world where a child’s future is totally based on a standardized measurement, their Quotient. This score acts as a caste system, determining education and job possibilities. It doesn’t take into account other strengths, such as artistic ability. Or even the concept that a person might be a genius in one area but not all. Or God forbid, somewhere on the autism scale. It’s the exact opposite of The No Child Left Behind premise. This is Eugenics 2.0.
I did wonder if I was the only one that saw a similarity between the head of the Dept of Education in the book and Betsy DeVos. In the book, Elena’s husband works for this Betsy DeVos takeoff and fully supports the party line. So much so, that when his younger daughter’s Q number slips, he’s willing to just let her go. But Elena is not. But then she’s faced with a Sophie’s choice type of dilemma.
This book is scary and depressing. It was one of those books I had to keep putting down because it was freaking me out. Malcolm, the husband, made me cringe. How he could turn against his younger daughter is just appalling.
The book also points out how often we, as people, are willing to turn a blind eye to something until it affects us personally.
I didn’t read Vox, but having finished Master Class I definitely want to go back and read it. Dalcher has that unique ability to take a premise and draw it out to its scary future possibility. This book raises some truly meaningful questions.
My thanks to netgalley and Berkley for an advance copy of this book.