Silence can be deafening.
Now the new government is in power, everything has changed. But only if you’re a woman.
Almost overnight, bank accounts are frozen, passports are taken away and seventy million women lose their jobs. Even more terrifyingly, young girls are no longer taught to read or write.
For herself, her daughter, and for every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice. This is only the beginning…
Review:
Hmm, I’m a little torn with this one. Did I like it? Yes. Love it? No.The Handmaid-style premise was really interesting; a world where women are literally silenced by counters on their wrists limiting them to 100 words a day. The danger of comparing a book to a well-loved classic is that people are going to expect a lot, and if you under deliver readers will be incredibly critical. I think that's what happened here, it was too hyped for it's own good.
I love the way the story mirrored society today and the way we seem to be split into two types. The first being the type who basically ignores activists and marches and anything political. The second being the type to march, and write letters and campaign to right wrongs. Vox is a cautionary tale that warns about what can happen if we ignore what's happening in the world around us. Especially in the overly controlling, conservative, Christian world.
At the same time, Vox did not really "grab" me. It's poorly plotted and mostly predictable. I picked it up every evening but I wasn't really excited to see what happened next. I felt like the book was slightly too long with everything wrapping up too neatly and too quickly towards the end. I felt like some aspects were under-explored while a lot of paragraphs were dedicated to, often mundane detail.
One example of this was her son. I loved the conflict present in their relationship and I would have loved to read more of it. Again, it was resolved too quickly for my liking. The same goes for her husband Patrick. I feel like his reaction to certain secrets that emerged within the story could have been used to create more tension and friction.
Saying all that, I wouldn't NOT recommend Vox. It's a fun, what if, dystopian read that I'm sure many people will enjoy. You just have to be able to suspend belief for a little while and enjoy it for what it is without asking too many questions.
Rating:
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
