Christina Dalcher’s 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.

Master Class is just as disturbing and fascinating as Vox. Christina Dalcher skillfully takes our fears and makes them believably real. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

In the near future, families struggle with the same old questions, how smart is my child, how good is their GPA and test scores, what college will they attend, and how will that affect their lives? In this new world, that is decided for you. Students are separated according their intellectual and academic quotient (Q). For Elena Fairchild, a teacher, she will need to accept her own daughter’s fate by welcoming this tiered education system or tear it down and how her past transgressions will influence that decision. For fans of Dalcher’s Vox and The Handmaid’s Tale.

Master Class is the latest novel by Christina Dalcher. I loved her book, Vox, and was so excited to get to read this newest book. Elena is a teacher at one of the best schools run by the government. Children are tested monthly to determine which of the state schools they'll attend. Elena's younger daughter has just tested low enough that she is being forced to move away to attend a school in another state. Elena decides to test just how strong her love for her daughter is by joining her at her new school in any way that she can regardless of consequences. Thrilling to the end. Read and enjoy!

This was another shocking dystopian read. I think what made it even more terrifying was the current climate we are in the theme of the book can be almost plausible. Master Class explores some haunting ideas and social themes where our value and worth lies in our intelligence and its potential contribution to society. Where the rich and poor are even more segregated as children whose “IQ’s” or in this case “Q”. Those who have high Q’s go to private schools and get the best education while those with poor Q’s go to federal private school receive inadequate funding and education.
Overall Master Class is a thought provoking dystopian that brings an implausible story to the for front of plausibility

Terrifying and thought-provoking. Christina Dalcher has once again written a disturbing and way too realistic tale. Imagine a world where a person’s worth is measured by a single score a quotient or Q. Your queue is determined by your intelligence, your families status, and your financial standing. Have a high Q, as a child you will attend an elite silver school and received the best education followed by the most desired career opportunities have a low Q, as a child you will be shipped off to a federal boarding school and what happens after that is anyone’s guess. Elena would have never thought this system of categorizing people by intelligence that she dreamed up with her boyfriend Malcolm in high school would ever be utilized by the entire country. It was all good when it meant that the popular cheerleader had to go to the end of the lunch line. But now that her younger daughter is being shipped off to a federal boarding school, Elena is not so sure. Determined to save her daughter Elena heads out on a journey of self discovery, hard decisions, and terrifying revelations.

This is one of those books that really makes you think, I think it would be great for book club. Could you leave one child behind to save the other? Or how your perception is often altered when things directly impact you or your family. Would Elena ever see this categorizing process as evil if it didn’t negatively affect her own daughter? There is also a strong theme of history repeating itself running through the story. While this was not the most entertaining book I’ve ever read and I don’t think I necessarily connected with any of the characters it sure held me captivated from first page to last.

This book in emojis 💻 🚌 🧬 ✏️ 👩‍🏫 🤔

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

3.5 A shameful and part of America's history rears its ugly head and is taken to extremes. Although this is not something I learned from history textbooks, I have read many books about this since I was out of school. It is the best future and now everything is monitored by Q scores. Scores which measure ones IQ, but also includes other socioeconomic indicators, family members performance, and the positions they hold in the work force.

A creepy read that insidiously leads to a family, a family that is considered golden. That is until the unexpected happens and their youngest daughter is caught up in the system to her detriment. What will a mother do to save her child? What would it be like to have a world where only the top tier matter?

I liked the ending, was a very different one from the one I was expecting. Not all neatly tied into a happily ever after scenario. A very interesting, thought provoking read? Can it happen here? Again or have we learned our lesson? Somehow I doubt it.

ARC from Netgalley.