VOX was a book that I saw being hyped up all over the place even before it was released, and is one of very few books that I bought a brand new copy of last year. After loving The Handmaid's Tale, I was keen to see why everyone was comparing the two books. I can see it now, but I'm not quite sure if VOX really lives up to THT at all.
VOX is set in a dystopian alternate version of our world (that feels alarmingly realistic) in which women and girls are fitted with bracelets that limit them to 100 words a day. They're not allowed to read or write, and speaking over the 100 word limit will result in an electric shock emitted from their bracelet which gets more intense the further over they go. Parents must train their daughters to limit speech from a young age.
Jean McClellan was Dr Jean before she was no longer permitted to do her job. And had her passport revoked. And her bank account shut. Just like all the other women in America. Unsure if she can even trust her husband, Jean finds herself uniquely positioned to make a difference, if she's willing to risk it all.
I really wanted to love this book, but it felt a little too close to home to be reading in 2020 (eek). I think part of the allure of The Handmaid's Tale is that it was written so long ago and we're only just starting to witness a time where the state of the world in the novel there is really feasible, whereas VOX's restriction on speech and learning for women really is something you could imagine happening right now. The plot was really interesting (and disturbing), but I found it quite a slog to get through. I honestly feel like the same book could have been written with 100 fewer pages and no parts of the plot would have been lost.
I would recommend it if you're a fan of dystopian fiction and enjoyed books like The Handmaid's Tale or 1984, and gave it 4 stars.
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