Title: The Violence
Author: Delilah S. Dawson
Genre: horror dystopian
Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.
Dystopia is my favorite book genre. I’ve burned through the classics, so I’m excited whenever a new one comes out. And the fact that this one is also horror makes for the perfect combination. What I loved most about this book was that it was not only a great plot but an excellent study of human nature.
From Goodreads: When Chelsea Martin kisses her husband hello at the door of their perfect home, a chilled bottle of beer in hand and dinner on the table, she may look like the ideal wife, mother, and homemaker—but in fact she’s following an unwritten rulebook, carefully navigating David’s stormy moods in a desperate nightly bid to avoid catastrophe. If family time doesn’t go exactly how David wants, bad things happen—to Chelsea and the couple’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Ella. Cut off from all support, controlled and manipulated for years, Chelsea has no resources and no one to turn to. Her wealthy, narcissistic mother, Patricia, would rather focus on the dust on her chandelier than acknowledge Chelsea’s bruises. After all, Patricia’s life looks perfect on the surface, too.
But the façade crumbles when a mysterious condition overtakes the nation. Known as the Violence, it causes the infected to experience sudden, explosive bursts of animalistic rage and attack anyone in their path. The ensuing chaos brings opportunity for Chelsea—and inspires a plan to liberate herself and her family once and for all.
This synopsis is just the beginning. So much more unfolds after this point. As you peel back the layers of trauma Chelsea and Patricia suffered at the hands of men, you realize why they act the way they do. And they are excellent dynamic characters who barely resemble their earlier selves. This isn’t an “all men are bad” book, either. As the story progresses, we meet some incredible men and non-binary characters who support these extraordinary ladies. I really loved this book, not just because of the dystopian/horror aspect, but because these characters will stay with me for a long time.
Pleasant Nights 