The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson is touted as both thriller and as horror.  I’ll tell you in My Opinions how I would classify it.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Random House Publishing (and in particular Sabrina Shen for sending me a widget), and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
A mysterious epidemic is sweeping across the country.  COVID is over, but this next one may be worse.  It starts when an elderly woman beats another woman to death in a grocery store on April 15th, 2025 (with a tub of mayonnaise).  And so began "The Violence".  Those infected are prone to sudden explosive bursts of anger, usually resulting in the death anyone who is in their way.  When they "awake", they have no idea of their disturbing actions.

Chelsea Martin is in an abusive relationship.  Her husband controls everything, and Chelsea doesn't always know what will set her husband off next.  He likes to choke.   From the outside, it looks like Chelsea is the perfect wife, mother, hostess.  But Chelsea, in her perfect home in the perfect neighborhood is living a lie.   Inside, Chelsea is barely keeping it together.

Chelsea's 17 year old daughter Ella also suffers from her father's abuse.  Her boyfriend isn't much better.

Chelsea's mother, Patricia, is absolutely no help.  She made her way to the top by stepping on others (and marrying rich), and she has no use for her daughter or anyone else.  She is only out for herself.  However, Patricia too does not have the ideal life.

Perhaps The Violence may provide an escape....for everyone.


My Opinions:   
According to the author, her father was an alcoholic and emotionally and physical abusive, and that writing about these topics has been part of her healing process.  There is actually a lot of really wise words in this novel...which I am calling a thriller (with a lot of graphic segments).

I loved how COVID is a thing of the past in this book, and an attempt was made to show what was learned from it, and what wasn't.  There were a few political pokes as well.  The author's views on all of this was close to my own.

The plot really sucked me in, and held me tight from beginning to end.  The book is not just about another virus.  It is about physical and emotional abuse, and about dysfunctional families.  It is about women...three different generations...who start out weak, but find their strengths, each on their own.  It is really about self-discovery and awareness.

The characters are wonderful, and I found myself rooting for Chelsea and Ella right from the start.  Five year-old Brooklyn was a sweetheart (and I don't usually like children in my horror/thriller books).  I loved the way that all the women, including Patty, evolved throughout the book.   Other characters were just as good...I loved Arlene and Harlan.

This was a really quirky take on a rather bizarre epidemic, but I think that made it good.  It was a little "far-fetched", which perhaps made it more acceptable while we are still struggling with COVID.  Sometimes it was quite comical, and the Violence Fighting Ring struck me as partly hilarious, and partly ingenious.  It said to me that this author has a wonderful imagination in addition to her writing ability.

I definitely recommend this to anyone (with the warning that it is quite gruesome at times, an it does deal with abuse).  I found it highly entertaining, although I am sure it won't be for everyone.

I loved this book and it’s fierce cry of pure, female rage. Time and again, our characters are thrown huge obstacles, often by men, and they come out on top, stronger and more confident than before. Their journey is incredibly hard, but it’s beautiful to see what they’ve made of themselves. Even with all the violence and darkness, there are many moments of hope to find within The Violence. Good people, strokes of good luck, and second chances are interwoven throughout providing light and hope. It’s a spectacular story that is both timely, and timeless. The Violence is an emotional roller coaster ride through overcoming trauma, finding the strength that was always within, and hope for a better future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

This book sounded like something I would love, but unfortunately, it fell flat in so many ways. The most annoying aspect of the book was the repeated references to COVID and the author's political opinions interspersed throughout the book. There are multiple references to an incompetent president who botched the way he handled the COVID pandemic, "fake news," and other things along these lines that made the author's viewpoints very clear. I read fiction, specifically thrillers, to escape reality, not to read about a traumatizing pandemic that's still going on or to feel like I'm being berated for my own political beliefs. If I had known so much of the book would constantly refer to that, I wouldn't have read it.

However, curiosity about what would happen to Chelsea, her mom, and her daughters, kept me reading. The plot becomes more and more ridiculous as you get further into the book. By the end, I couldn't possibly be surprised because every plot twist was so far-fetched, anything could have happened. There were so many storylines going on and the ending felt rushed, despite the book feeling like it was much too long.

Chelsea's daughters, Ella and Brooklyn, were two of the only characters I liked in the book and I cared about what happened to them. I didn't like how almost every single male character was portrayed as abusive, narcissistic, or just overall a bad person.

The author did include a note about the content warnings in the book, which I appreciated. In case you're wondering, the animal abuse/death scenes are extremely graphic. In one scene, a dog is stomped to death and there's another scene with melted cats, so if you can't handle reading things like that, this book isn't for you. (These scenes didn't impact my review at all, but I wanted to warn other readers these scenes are graphic).

*Content warnings: domestic abuse, animal abuse/death, references to suicide.

Thank you to Del Rey Books, NetGalley, and Delilah S. Dawson for sending a free eBook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been three days since I finished “The Violence “ and I can’t stop thinking about it. It was a propulsive read - I couldn’t put it down and sped through it this past weekend. It was timely and frightening and truly made me reflect on all the little ways women are forced or pressured to be smaller than we are. Loved it and highly recommend.

Special thanks to Random House,-Ballantine, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I liked this book because I can handle torture. If you can't handle domestic abuse, abuse to animals, physical and verbal abuse, this book is not for. This book is about another pandemic on the heels of Covid, mentioning Covid in the book, Initially they don't know how it starts, but find out it started with a mosquito bite.

This book is not a horror, its very violent and very long. Its funny because I read The Hot Zone, The Cobra Event years ago and gosh I think it had to be 20+ years ago, but what scares me about these books,, is eventually I'm terrified that there is a virus similar waiting to come out. Though this book is fictional, I am scared of viruses that affect the brain and make people rabid, or super naturally violent enough to demolish the person in their way.

Anyway saying that, I did like this book. Its pretty long. Its based on a family, the Martins, Chelsea, David, their two daughters and Chelsea's mother Patricia, who is too busy with her social life to notice their is abuse going on in Chelsea's life. Anyway, Chelsea wants to protect her family from this new violence "storming" the nation. But there is an opportunity here to take care of the abusive husband and she forms an idea.

I liked this book, enough to give it 4 stars. I have been the victim of physical and emotional abuse by men in my life, but also I have seen abusive women as well in my experience. This book focuses on men. Anyway, I think a lot of people will enjoy this book if they are looking for gore. I think also you have to be in the mood for it. I think I'm scared of viruses like Ebola, since I read The Hot Zone. This book didn't scare me but you get the idea. I start to wonder if things like this can happen. A little farfetched but hey you never know. Grrrrrr.

The Violence was not what I thought it was going to be. I was mesmerized by Delilah S. Dawson’s writing. I couldn’t put this book down. The characters were very well developed, the plot was excellent, and the ending was nothing how I thought it was going to be. This book really left me speechless at the end. The characters went through so many emotions and trauma that at times everything they were experiencing made my mind feel a bit heavy. I thought the idea of “the violence” disease was really unique. I was amazed at how flawlessly the chapters flowed together. I loved this book! I highly recommend based on its uniqueness and it’s unlike any thriller I’ve read before. And the ending…wow..perfct!

Trigger warnings: trauma, abuse, animal death, violent death

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My review will be posted on Instagram @thrillersandcoffee

I devoured this book and absolutely loved it. The concept was so intriguing and I loved the Florida setting. The characters were fantastic and I loved watching them grow throughout the story. If you are comfortable with the trigger warnings, I highly suggest you pick up this violent book!

Waring this one is different. It makes you see something semi-apocalyptic. Sort of also reminds you a little bit of a justification for the idea of the purge.

The book The Viloence plays into the idea that one day people become violent and commit crimes that are out of character for themselves, due to an illness or sickness. Throughout the book the author brings to light a question of what does it mean to survive, and fight for your humanity even during the darkest times.

There are moments where I’m not sure how to rate this book. It was awkward, it was disturbing, it was engaging, and there was questions that were left lingering. However the author of did a really good job of taking the reader for a ride.

While many dystopian/apocalyptic books are really geared towards young adults, this one appeals to multiple generations as the main character is a mother who is fighting for the survival of herself and her children.

I wanted to give this four stars, and yet it’s worthy of more than three stars. But I am torn because it is not a novel that is for everyone

The word Violence just doesn’t do justice to this book! It truly is violent and graphic so I had to take a few breaks reading it! We have Covid and they have The Violence! If I have to pick one I will still with all strands of Covid. This is a thrill in every sense of the word and if that’s your genre you will love it

An intriguing premise, relevant to the fear and panic we are feeling today. I believe that readers will be split on their ability to find the scenario the world the characters find themselves in realistic or not. For me personally, the amount of violence and torture, regardless of the premise, felt gratuitous at times. This pulled me out of the story, and I found left without much of an impression.

Delilah Dawson gives us a world beset by a new pandemic, on the heels of the COVID pandemic. Amidst this uncertain environment we have Chelsea, a product of a dysfunctional family trapped in an abusive relationship. I read these sentences and I'm describing a book I would think I'd never read, much less enjoy, but such is the power of Dawson's writing that I did read it, voraciously, and did enjoy it, immensely.
Dawson is able to capture how we feel right now and project it just a few years in the future, a shell-shocked population faced with another unseen threat. There are times when I felt so uncomfortable reading this, because she was able to bring the pain of abuse off the pages, and other times when I laughed and even cheered for the characters.
What I most want to say is that if you know what this book is about, do not be scared off by it. This raw portrayal is rare in fiction, and when it is this well-written and sits in a creative and engaging plot, reading it is an enriching experience.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House publishing for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

“A mysterious plague that causes random bouts of violence is sweeping the nation. Now three generations of women must navigate their chilling new reality in this moving exploration of identity, cycles of abuse, and hope.”

The title of this novel tells you exactly what to expect. Violence. Lots of it. In the very near future of post-COVID 2025 there is a new disease threatening the world spread by mosquitos – The Violence. If you’ve seen the movie Mayhem, it is kind of like that. People go from 0-100 in the blink of an eye and become vicious killers. In this new world of The Violence, we follow three women as they learn to survive and take back their power. There are all the trigger warnings that I’m sure you can imagine with a title like this. Physical & sexual assault, domestic violence, murder… you get it. It is an intense read but there is a spark of hope throughout

Book is out today! Go pick up a copy.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Penguin Random House in exchange for my honest review.

Oh wow, did I love this book! I have to be honest, I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it because I generally do not gravitate towards genres of violence and thrillers, and the cover had me hesitating to even read the summary, but when the publisher reached out to me with the opportunity to read an early copy and I read the description she provided, I decided to give it a try. Boy am I so glad that I did!

During lockdown due to COVID, I watched a lot of movies and series with my teenage son that I normally would not watch, but did because he asked me to. Though some were far more gory and violent than what I should have let him watch, I have to admit that some were really pretty good once I got past the violence and gore. This book reminded me of a combination of Bird Box, The Rain, and a little bit of Hunger Games. I think there are a few more but I couldn’t quite put my finger on which ones. I was hooked right from the beginning and hated when I had to stop reading for work and real life stuff. I found myself reading in the middle of the night when I should have been sleeping and stayed up for hours reading. I flew through it and was thoroughly captivated. I experienced a myriad of emotions, and got pretty worked up a few times.

The characters were great, especially the powerful liberating women. I love reading about women standing up for themselves, showing strength, resilience and survival such as in The Violence. The letter from the editor at the beginning of the book summarized the book perfectly and it truly set the perfect tone for the book. As soon as I read that letter I knew that what I would be reading would be a lot more than what I thought it would be.

I would love a part two and maybe even three or four, and think that this should be made into a series!

****DISCLAIMER*****
-Also mentioned in the author’s note-
Themes of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, animal death, and graphic violence are contained within this book. Some of these scenes may be distressing for some readers.

If you’re experiencing abuse, please seek support. You are not alone.

Enthralling read! I can't say enough about this book. Eerily timely, though it takes place in the not too distant future. It can't be put in any box or genre. Part thriller, part family drama, part novel of survival, part commentary on the state of our society. Incredibly unique and I'm so glad I took the chance on this. It's the first book I've read in a long time that I was fully engrossed in and couldn't wait to get back to reading. I'll never look at a Yeti the same, that's for sure! Of course there is violence and uncomfortable subject matter but it's not the worst thing you'll ever read and is a necessary part of the story. Don't overthink it. Just read it now! Partial disclaimer - if you don't believe covid is real and are a fan of our former president DT, this probably isn't the book for you. :-)

The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson follows Chelsea, her husband David and their daughters Ella and Brooklyn. Chelsea puts on the perfect exterior as a defense mechanism to prevent the violent outbursts from her husband. This has led to Chelsea and Ella being isolated and stuck in an abusive relationship. Not even Chelsea's mother, Patricia, cares to help Chelsea. instead focused on what flowers are needed for the country club. However, in the backdrop a new condition known as The Violence is spreading and leading to growing violence in their community. How will Chelsea react to this violence and will she use it for her own personal gain?

Wow, what an unique premise and a fantastic cover to go with it! The writing in this book made it easy to read, but compelling to fly through it. It created this tense atmosphere with the rising violence ramping up your stress as each chapter passes. Surprisingly, there wasn't much horror or gore that I would have anticipated with the cover and the plot. It also had a happy ending, which I wasn't necessarily anticipating.

Chelsea was a complex character that I really sympathized with given her terrible situation. Seeing the way she coped with the people in her life just to get by really led me to root for her getting out of this cycle and away from these terrible people. Brooklyn was my favorite character, but I enjoyed seeing Chelsea as a parent to both Brooklyn and Ella and how they all reacted to their unimaginable situation.

Overall, a great novel that promises lots of tension and enjoyable characters that I would recommend!

Many thanks to the publisher Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Synopsis: Have you ever thought about what the next pandemic will be “after” COVID? Well The Violence is just that, a next level threat that causes people to black out and kill people and animals, after they have been stung by a mosquito. Then they wake up and have no memory of what just happened. For some, like Chelsea Martin, a mother of two, who is in an abusive relationship, this might be just the out she is looking for to leaving her husband and starting her life over.

Thought: I really enjoyed this book. I think that the characters were relatable and gave more to the story than people just killing random people. This book reminds me of what would happen if COVID met the Purge and an unexpected turn of events. When I saw that this book was 512 pages I was curious on how the author was going to keep me engaged throughout. But with different chapters switching between characters it kept me interested and intrigued on what each of the characters were going to experience next.

This book does have several trigger warnings that you should be aware of and it might not be for you.
Domestic Violence
COVID/Pandemic
Animal killing (but would not consider abuse)
Difficult Mother Daughter relationship

Overall I highly recommend this book but would also caution to read over the triggers. If anything this one made me feel better about COVID, which is killing people but this made a pandemic like COVID seem like not a big deal. At least we aren't all running around murdering each other but we kind of are and that is a topic for another time.

Here there's 'Violence' with a capital V: It's 2025. Covid is finally over but now there's a new plague which is showing up in warm places like Florida. People who come down with the disease suddenly go into a murderous rage and kill whoever or whatever is near them for no apparent reason. When the 'the storm' passes, they have no recollection of what occurred, until they see the aftermath.

And then there's 'violence' with a small v: the mental and physical abuse the strong inflict on the weak. Unfortunately quite often these 'monsters' are husbands, fathers, boyfriends who abuse those they claim to love most. No, it's not always men who abuse, but more often than not it is. Quite often this is hidden from the world at large--no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.

This story deals with both kinds of violence and for that reason I'm labeling the book 'feminist horror.' There is a scene of horrible animal cruelty and much graphic violence, so sensitive readers should be aware. The author herself has experienced abuse at the hands of her father so the novel is somewhat cathartic for her.

The main characters are Chelsea Martin, her husband David, their 17-year-old daughter Ella, their 5-year-old daughter Brooklyn and Chelsea's mother Patricia. David has had Chelsea firmly under his thumb even before they were married, mentally and physically abusing her and, on one recent evening, even his daughter Ella. Chelsea is desperate to get her family away from David, but where and to whom can she turn? All their friends think David is such a wonderful guy and even her wealthy but cold mother refuses to help. When the Violence plague begins, Chelsea comes up with a plan and sets so much more than escape in motion.

What I liked most about this story is how much these women grow as people. They learn and grow stronger, doing what they have to to survive, no longer counting on men to save the day. Brave story of survival at all costs. I also appreciated the occasional and unexpected bit of humor. Gallows humor, anyone ?

Favorite quote from Grandma Patty to Brookie after a nightmare: "Monsters feed on fear. Monsters need to know that you see them and are frightened of them, that they are bigger and more important than you. If you run or cry, they like that. But if you stand up to them--or even better--don't care about them, they falter."

I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity. I would enjoy reading more by this author in future.

The Violence is a really interesting look into a new pandemic and generations of women who dealt with much more than they should have. I enjoyed the characterizations, as well as the atmosphere that was created.

Not what i expected. I requested based on the cover and was surprised at the content. I"m not a big fan of horror or scary stories--this is one that is like a train wreck you hate to read but can't stop. Kind of have mixed feeling. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for a review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an ARC of this title.

I gave this a sporting try but tapped out at ~40%. I was very here for the premise - it felt like this could have shades of Naomi Alderman's The Power, but it kept cranking up the ridiculousness and was getting more cartoonishly violent in a way that didn't feel suited the story. As each main character's situation began to resemble the other's, I started losing interest. This just wasn't my book.