Vox - Book Review

What strikes me most about Vox is that even though it's a work of fiction, in this day and age, you can almost see something so extreme happening. That's the kind of mindset I think most of us are in right now. Nobody thought Donald Trump would be president and that happened, and more and more crazy stuff just keeps on happening. Until what, though? What would it take for you to say, "Enough"?

What if you couldn't say it? What if your words were limited to only 100 per day, a counter on your wrist keeping track, ready to zap you if you go over? That's the reality for the women in Christina Dalcher's book.

It's set in an America very similar to ours - when an African-American president hands over the White House keys to the guy no one said had a chance, when women are protesting, exercising their rights. And then suddenly, thanks to executive orders they no longer have rights.

Jean, a scientist, is now relegated to listening to her three sons and husband talk about their days, while aching to properly comfort her young daughter who doesn't understand the gender separations and who is losing any vocabulary she once had.

Prior to the wrist counters, Jean had been engrossed in her school and work, trying to find a cure for a very specific type of brain damage that causes people to lose the ability to speak. She was so engrossed that she never marched, never even voted.

But now her knowledge is needed by the government and it just might be Jean's chance to bring the government down.

If you're a woman and/or you have daughters, then you'll definitely want to read this book. Read and discuss it with your book club. Tell everyone you know to read this book. It is so good and it definitely makes you think and makes you want to take action. It may be a work of fiction but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take it lightly.

Vox is published by Berkley and is on bookstore shelves now. I received a free advance review copy at BookExpo.