Vox

Vox by Christina Dalcher

Publisher: Berkeley

Publication date: August 21, 2018

Source: Publisher for an honest review

Description:

Set in an America where half the population has been silenced, VOX is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than 100 words daily, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial--this can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

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, Jean will reclaim her voice. 

My Take:

Anyone who knows me knows I love a good dystopian story - short story, novel, movie - you name it.  Fortunately for me, VOX really hit that dystopian sweet spot just when I needed to read it. 

The novel starts about a year into the new chapter of America in which all females are limited to 100 spoken words a day. This barbaric rule is enforced by a “bracelet” which counts the words and delivers gradually increased electric shocks with each word over 100.  As if this isn’t bad enough, females are also deprived of reading and writing - of any kind. For any reader, curious person, and any otherwise intelligent human being, this is exceedingly cruel. Girls are segregated into their own “schools” to learn homemaking skills - this is their only education.  Jobs for women are out of the question, of course. 

The descriptions of how this came about are told by Jean as flashbacks of regret for not taking things seriously or seeing the threats as real. Jean regrets that she viewed her friend Jackie as too extreme in her protest, too hysterical. That word is used a lot in referring to women - specifically how men view women’s reactions to things happening to them. 

Anyway, Jean is an amazing cognitive linguist who had been on the verge of a major breakthrough right at the moment that women lost their right to speak. This is a huge point in the novel. Not only are human rights being violated at every turn, but there is a huge conspiracy as well. Without giving anything away, the story involves Jean being needed by her government for her particular skills and her response to this coercion. 

The novel is fast paced, thought provoking, has some great heroic characters and really kept me emotionally invested in the story. 

Once I started reading VOX, I couldn’t put it down until I had finished it. For anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction, read The Handmaiden’s Tale or enjoys feminist, activist fiction, definitely read VOX.

Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
kindle book purchased from Amazon
Description from author website:
They didn't understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

My Take:
I found the premise for this book to be quite interesting and I have read so many rave reviews that I decided to give it a shot. I thought the story was pretty well told and I did enjoy the explanation for how the idea of love being a disease was developed and how it took over became the prevalent idea held by most people. I found the love story to be okay, but that wasn't really what held my attention. I was much more interested in how the author described all the people who voluntarily went in for this procedure and how everyone just accepted this pretty crazy idea. The propaganda and and reworked Bible stories and nursery rhymes and the  "cautionary" tales of Shakespeare at the beginning of each chapter were great.

To be honest, I was wavering between feeling the book was just okay and not really caring very much until I hit about 73% and then the story really took off for me. For the few people out there who haven't read Delirium yet, I won't spoil it, but things really got interesting and I was not expecting the book to end the way it did. I give Lauren Oliver credit for doing something different and I am looking forward to reading the second book in the trilogy.

Dystopia Reading Challenge 2013

Okay, one more challenge. No, really, just one more. I absolutely love dystopian fiction and any excuse to read more is great as far as I'm concerned. This challenge is hosted by Blog of Erised and you can find all the details here.

Books read:
1. Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky
2. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Dystopia Challenge 2011

I've decided to participate in Bookish Ardour's Dystopia Challenge 2011. I love dystopian fiction and this will fit nicely with my reading habits.  I will attempt the Contagion level - read 15 dystopian books during 2011. I haven't picked the books yet, but I will update and review the books I read for the challenge during the year. I think I will start the challenge by reading The Iron Heel by Jack London.

Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
borrowed from library
Summary from Goodreads:
Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.

My take:
I was finally able to get this book from my local library - after being on the waiting list for what seemed like forever.  I read the book in one day as has been typical for each of The Hunger Games books. This book held my attention from the first. I was totally pulled into the pain and darkness that has become Katniss' life. I was still reeling from the way Catching Fire ended and wasn't really prepared for the turns that came fast and furious in Mockingjay. I am so pleased that Suzanne Collins can keep me guessing and turning pages right up until the last page.

In this installment, Katniss is pretty broken from everything that happened in the last games. She is tormented by the lost lives and that Peeta is being held by the Capitol. She feels that everything is her fault. As the rebellion grows, we learn even more about what has been done to the victors from past games and how the Capitol controls people. I was pleasantly surprised that the rebellion is not painted as being strictly "the good guys" -- they have done and will do things that are at the very least, questionable if not downright abhorrent.  There are agendas on all sides.  Hard lessons are learned and loyalties are tested. I felt the pain and while I didn't enjoy reading about it, I believed it. This story was believable to me from start to finish. I would definitely recommend this series.

Incarceron

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
borrowed from library
Summary from Goodreads:
Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons.

A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists.

But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ...

My take:
The world-building in this exciting dystopian novel is pretty amazing. The reader follows the story of Finn, a prisoner in Incarceron who doesn't seem to be like the other prisoners and Claudia, the wealthy, pampered, educated daughter of the Warden of Incarceron. The world is pieced together for the reader through the alternating narratives.

The world that Claudia inhabits is beautiful and wealthy - happy and serene on the surface -- but underneath there is constant resentment and playing what Claudia refers to as The Game -- acting the part required of her. The Protocol must be enforced at all times -- this seems to have been in response to the state of the  world after excess technology, war, pollution, over population, etc. A decision was made to send the criminals and other undesirables to the new prison Incarceron which was supposed to be a perfect world where there would be no need for crime, etc. The need to stifle creativity and innovation and rebellion resulted in an artificially created and enforced historical period to become the norm for the rest of the population. It appears to be 17th or 18th century style - with all the requisite corsets, bindings, restrictions on technology in order to keep people controlled. This despite the fact that technology has obviously advanced far beyond the period.

Finn and the other prisoners of Incarceron live inside a prison that is alive and watches and controls them and their environment at its whim.  There are various gangs within the vast dimensions of Incarceron and Finn and Keiro his oath brother belong to one of the lowest and most violent of  groups. Through Finn's experiences the reader gets to see just how wrong the experiment has gone. Those on the outside believe that the prisoners are living a wonderful life in a perfect world. They couldn't be more wrong. The inside of Incarceron is vast - bigger even than the inhabitants know. The prison has devolved into various areas of conflicting and competing gangs. Life is brutal and short.

I really liked the way the two different worlds shared a type of mythology or legend  even though there were big differences in what was remembered. For example, Sapphique is a legend inside Incarceron but is little known on the outside except for a group of rebels. This was a very tense, fast-paced book.  I really enjoyed it and I am really looking forward to the next book, Sapphique.

Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
borrowed from library
Summary from Goodreads:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

My take:
As with first book in this series, The Hunger Games, I was completely drawn into the story after only a few pages. Considering that this series is dystopian, we all knew deep inside that Katniss and Peeta weren't going to be left alone to live their lives in peace. But we could hope - for a little while at least.  We find out that the Capitol's control over the districts isn't quite a firm as they would like everyone to believe. And apparently, Katniss's little act of rebellion with the berries during the games has stirred up more defiance than she or anyone in District 12 really knew.

It turns out that this is the year of the Quarter Quell  - everyone thought it was just another hunger games, but no, this year it is just another form of torture for the previous Hunger Games Victors - they will go back into the games. Katniss is pretty sure this choice is aimed directly at her and her rebellion - and maybe it is - or maybe it is an attempt to show all the districts that the Capitol can destroy anyone - even their victors. But there are already uprisings and growing signs of rebellion. Katniss has only one goal - keep Peeta alive. Peeta is determined to keep Katniss alive. And Katniss and Peeta's mentor Haymitch has his own plans.

This book is so good! I could barely put it down. The ending cliffhanger is just cruel to the reader. I am so anxious to read the third book. I hadn't expected the book to go in the direction it did, but now I just want to see how it all plays out. The plans and agreements made with and between the various victors was a surprise, but an intriguing one - one that I am anxious to see to the end.

On another note, I am sensing that I will have to work on a blog post about dystopian books and why we seem to love to read them so much. Are they more popular at certain times? Is there a reason besides randomness that they seem to be everywhere on the shelves these days? What does this say about us? I don't know. I'm thinking.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Summary from Goodreads:
Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with every one out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My take:
Okay, first of all, I really didn't know what to expect from this book. I had seen it in book stores and even read the back cover but for some reason it just didn't seem like something I would like. I'm not sure why since I really like dystopian fiction.  I finally decided to read it after reading so many good reviews from other book bloggers that I respect. Now, I can't figure out why I didn't grab it as soon as it was available. I read The Hunger Games in one day and it was almost impossible to put down the book to have meals with my family.  The book is so action packed and the tension is so high and the characters are so very memorable. I want to rush out right now and buy the next book. I am about to start really gushing over this book, so I'll just say that between the story that is told and the characters that really stay with you - this book  is definitely worth reading.
Rating: 5 of 5

Brave New World

 Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Summary from Goodreads:
"Community, Identity, Stability" is the motto of Aldous Huxley's utopian World State. Here everyone consumes daily grams of soma, to fight depression, babies are born in laboratories, and the most popular form of entertainment is a "Feelie," a movie that stimulates the senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Though there is no violence and everyone is provided for, Bernard Marx feels something is missing and senses his relationship with a young women has the potential to be much more than the confines of their existence allow. Huxley foreshadowed many of the practices and gadgets we take for granted today--let's hope the sterility and absence of individuality he predicted aren't yet to come.


My take:
As I previously stated, I wanted to read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley for a couple of reasons.  First, because my fifteen year old son has read it twice and I had never read it. And second, as someone with a degree in literature, I felt that this was one of those books that should have been required reading, but was not. I'm not sure why I hadn't read it for myself -- I really like dystopian fiction. I read Island by Adlous Huxley last year and it was kind of a slog for me. Perhaps that is a reason I kept delaying reading Brave New World.

The first third of Brave New World was a bit difficult to get through because it took some time to get familiar with this strange new world. I did enjoy the book as a whole and it has given me much to think about. This strange world that the inhabitants view as wonderful, peaceful, happy, seems horrific to me. But so many of the horrific things are not so different (except in degree) from our present, particularly the prevalence of media and pharmaceuticals in their lives.

The really strange and creepy thing that stands out about this world is how the population is divided up into strict castes - Alphas, Betas, Deltas, etc. Each caste is physically distinct from the others and also have intellectual grades to go along with their rank. I was particularly disturbed by the way these castes were created on purpose in the lab and then how they were programmed to behave and to think in certain ways. It was basically torture. And the Alphas just kept saying  that the lower castes liked what they did and didn't want anything more, etc. And, of course, that was all true -- after all the brainwashing and mental programming done to them. Any doubt or emotion that might cause a disruption in the system was dealt with by handing out more soma. I don't want to give too much away about what happens in the story, but the bottom line is that I think this is a very important and disturbing book that everyone should read.

Life As We Knew It

 Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Summary from Goodreads:
It's almost the end of Miranda's sophomore year in high school, and her journal reflects the busy life of a typical teenager: conversations with friends, fights with mom, and fervent hopes for a driver's license. When Miranda first begins hearing the reports of a meteor on a collision course with the moon, it hardly seems worth a mention in her diary. But after the meteor hits, pushing the moon off its axis and causing worldwide earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, all the things Miranda used to take for granted begin to disappear. Food and gas shortages, along with extreme weather changes, come to her small Pennsylvania town; and Miranda's voice is by turns petulant, angry, and finally resigned, as her family is forced to make tough choices while they consider their increasingly limited options. Yet even as suspicious neighbors stockpile food in anticipation of a looming winter without heat or electricity, Miranda knows that that her future is still hers to decide even if life as she knew it is over

My take on it:
I received this book through a contest by One Librarian's Book Reviews. I was quite excited to win because I love dystopian and even some apocalyptic books. In addition to my own inclination to like this type of book in general, I had also read several glowing reviews for this book. From the first page, this book held my attention. It is written as a diary and while some people may have an issue with that, it worked for me. I have read a few reviews that raised the issue that they felt the story wasn't exciting enough or fast-paced enough. But I think that very few people could write diary entries about their own life that would sound as exciting or fast-paced as a thriller even during a catastrophic event. It seemed just like she was documenting what happened to her. This story about family, love, survival and growing up demonstrated how lucky Miranda was  that her mother and brothers were so resourceful and clear thinking during this crisis.


I have to admit that while reading this book I kept looking up at the sky and wanting to start stockpiling food, clothing, blankets, matches and wood (and we don't even have a wood burning stove). Much of how this catastrophic event unfolds sounded plausible to me and I just couldn't put the book down. I am fascinated with stories of survival and I always try to figure out how I think I would have reacted in the same situation. This story was disturbing enough that I didn't really want to dwell on how I might act in a similar situation. As I was reading a certain episode of the book, I kept remembering stories my grandmother told about  when she was a child and her family all got scarlet fever and she had to take care of everyone and cook and clean and generally take care of things. The details in the particular episode in this book seemed to be in line with what my grandmother told me about her experiences nursing sick family members without modern conveniences and that really helped me believe some of the events in this story.

 I am planning to read the other two books in this series The Dead and the Gone and This World We Live In.