Review: Vox by Christina Dalcher

Vox by Christina Dalcher (August 21, 2018 / Berkley)

Summary:
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 Review:
First of all, let me share the backstory on how I got my hands on a copy of this. When I first came across this novel on one of my upcoming releases searches, I knew I wanted to read it immediately. So much so that I reached out the publisher...twice! I don't ever do that. If I don't hear back from a publisher, I move on and add the release to my "want to read" list in Goodreads so I can buy it or grab it from the library when it releases. I didn't hear back from the publisher regarding either request...which was fine, but disappointing. I really wanted to read this book! When my book buddy Laura (@wonderchick40) posted about giving her copy away on Instagram I was lucky enough to have her send me her copy. 

I love feminist dystopian fiction. The Handmaid's Tale has been in my top 5 favorite books since I read it about 15 years ago and Daughters of the North, The Gate to Women's Country, and Herland all rank right up there, too. I was extremely disappointed in Red Clocks because it was too current (although it could be argued that we are currently living in a feminist dystopia). I absolutely devoured Vox--I mean read the summary! In the near future, women wear "bracelets" that count their spoken words. If the allocated 100 words is passed, the wearer is shocked and each shock is progressively more intense. I don't want to go into too much detail about the story because I don't want to give anything away, but you can imagine that there would be resistance...in many forms. This is a five star read for anyone who loved The Handmaid's Tale and especially those who were let down by Red Clocks.