5 stars not because it’s perfect but because it’s awesome. A great summer read. I've been recommending it to all my friends in real live. Just the kind of feminist fantasy that I needed! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-galley.

What a powerful, disturbing, exhilarating novel! In the beginning, three generations of women are struggling with domestic violence and oppression in different ways, with Chelsea in the middle generation. Her husband terrorizes her, sometimes choking her into unconsciousness and keeping her isolated and financially dependent on him. Her mother, once a destitute teen mother, has sought security in a loveless but wealthy marriage and become obsessed with conformity and her own survival. Now her teenage daughter is about to fall into the same trap when her once adoring boyfriend shows a dark, possessive side. Chelsea knows her chances of making a successful break for freedom are slim to none with her husband’s law enforcement and lawyer buddies to corroborate his side of the story. Her life seems hopeless until The Violence strikes, a viral epidemic that causes bursts of unprovoked, deadly rage that leave no memory of their deeds. In a scenario eerily reminiscent of the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, the rich wall themselves into enclaves while lawlessness takes hold. Soon Chelsea finds herself separated from her family, on the run in a landscape of senseless carnage. Then she stumbles on the Violence Fight circuit, successor to pro wrestling with its vivid persona, costumes, and choreographed moves, and she begins reclaiming her life.

Part revenge-wish-fulfillment, part allegory of what happens when the downtrodden revolt, part examination of society-wide misogyny, The Violence delivers a breath-taking page-turner.

The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson 4 start
I have put off The Violence, honestly, because of the cover. It just didn’t appeal to me. And the title didn’t do a lot either. But since I requested the ARC, I decided to get it read.
Boy—Am I surprised at how much I liked this book!!! Definitely taught me not to judge a book by it’s cover!
The Violence is a mosquito borne illness affecting people right as the Covid-19 pandemic is starting to end. People afflicted with “The Violence” black out and when they awaken, they find that they have killed something, or someone.
This story revolves around Chelsea Martin, her daughters Ella and Brooklyn, and her mom, Patricia. Chelsea is a victim of domestic abuse who goads her husband into an attack so that she can call the special Violence hotline and have him put into quarantine long enough for her and her daughters to go to her mom’s mansion. But before they can leave, they discover that one of them has “The Violence.”
Before the end of the book, more of the characters are afflicted. Patricia, who is not the most maternal mother (think Mommie Dearest), turns Chelsea and Ella out, but keeps Brooklyn. With mom and daughters separated and lost from each other, they all begin a journey in which they ultimately discover their strengths, and rediscover themselves as a family.
I really liked this story, but it is gory! There are all types of trigger warnings-animal death, domestic violence, psychological abuse.
Thank you to #netgalley and #delraybooks for the advanced e-copy of #theviolence.

Deliciously fresh and unique, this book was a welcome distraction with a new twist. Highly recommend for all readers!

A horror book different than the rest. A strange virus takes over and causes people to go crazy and attack others. An abused wife uses this to her advantage and pretends that her husband has the virus in order to have him quarantined. However, things do not go as planned. It is a horror story with a strong woman at the center of it and adapting to the changes around her.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy. All thoughts are my own.

How are more people not talking about this one? I know I am about a year behind on this one, but dang! At first I was not sure I was into it. I started it on my kindle, then put it down. I just finished it on audio and I think I loved it. There was some small thing missing that I can't put my finger on that makes me rate it a four instead of a five.

First though, major trigger warnings of assault, pet death, and domestic violence. These are all pretty integral to the story and exploring the themes of the patriarchy, womanhood, racism, sexism and classicism. The way in which the author weaves all of these together through the chapters alternating between Chelsea, Patricia and Ella's viewpoints is masterful.

I am so glad I read this one. and I am so grateful to Netgalley and Random House / Del Ray Publishing for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

A strange but enjoyable book, told from a feminist perspective. Started the book wanting to shake Chelsey, ended by rooting for her. A bit unbelievable but very creative.

Delilah Dawson gives us an extraordinary story of growth and self-reflection. Although it was a little difficult to get through in the beginning, by the end you will be wanting for more. This was a book I did not want to book down.

Loved this book--it was a read-in-one-night psychological journey. I'll be watching Delilah! The subject matter was so timely it could have happened today. People sometimes don't appreciate the complex working of the minds of flamboyant characters like this.

This book is definitely not for the faint-hearted! Major trigger warnings for mental, physical, and sexual violence.

I was very hesitant to read this based on the reviews; it was definitely a female empowering novel. Lots of action and interesting characters. The wrestling family was a great addition but that was the most unusual piece for me. After all the drama and horror, the conclusion was a bit too happy - that felt more unrealistic than the Violence pandemic.

Overall this is an extremely heavy story but I'm glad to have read it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Violence is set five years after the pandemic has been eradicated. Just when we think there will be peace, a new mosquito-borne virus is spreading, causing black outs and sheer violence. After surviving a pandemic, knowing each decision, such as visiting a grocery store, could result in a course that is changed forever, thanks to The Violence.
We follow various themes; illness, domestic violence, survival, revenge.
The cover and marketing for this piece are beautifully done. Something about an all red cover with a knife can grab your attention.
As far as the execution, I felt this to be less successful than the marketing promised. Far-fetched is good when it comes to a dystopian premise, but this was a bit too far-fetched for me to suspend my disbelief.

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.25 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House/Del Rey books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Violence follows three generations of women in the same family: Chelsea, the "perfect housewife" whose high school sweetheart husband is actually abusive; Patricia, Chelsea's narcissistic mother whose wealth gives her an advantage in a world run by money; and Ella, Chelsea's oldest daughter who is now experiencing a life with one pandemic after another while also just being a high school student.

Couple that with a new virus that causes someone to have sudden, explosive bouts of animalistic rage and attack anyone in their path, and you get total chaos.

Wow! This book is definitely violent (as the name suggests) and heavy with a lot of trigger warnings. However, I also felt myself continuously hooked and rooting for the three women we follow in this book. I thought this would be hard to read because of the recency and prevalence of COVID, but instead I found myself really connecting to the feelings expressed by these characters and the social commentary about pandemics and vaccine inequalities. I do think at time this book did lag, and we probably could've cut a small chunk out but will definitely be reading by this author again!

A LOT to unpack with this one. Believe the title, things get violent in this one! A wonderful book for discussion, and I'd highly recommend it for book clubs to read.

Such a great book and a unique concept. I really enjoyed reading this one as I have never read a book like this before.

I loved this book. The domestic violence is something I’d forewarn my students about, but the plot was easy to follow and I loved watching the characters change over the course of the novel.

The Violence is a dystopian thriller centered around a virus that causes those infected to act in extreme violence with no memory of their actions. One woman sees this as an opportunity to escape her abusive, controlling husband once and for all. Told through the eyes of three generations of women in the same family - the narcissistic mother, the woman escaping her abuser, and the teenage daughter who finds herself in a similar relationship. The Violence ends up being a feminist dystopian thriller with a fast-paced plot. Highly recommended! Be sure to check out The Violence today.

Absolutely loved this book. It sucked me in from the getgo and had me guessing all the way to the end. Did not want it to end at all.

This took an unexpected turn; still not sure how I feel about it.

-Covid is a thing within the novel
-It was a bit drug out; it could have been condensed
-Boring at times
-The writing style got me through

Delilah S. Dawson has done it again, this time with an excellent and timely (and slightly disturbing but in the best way) offering!

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Here we go - a new pandemic, following COVID, that leads to violent actions taken by those who have it. Our story centers around a family of mothers and daughters - Patricia, a somewhat cold woman, who is living a life of luxury and doesn't have much to do with her daughter or granddaughters, her daughter Chelsea, who's the perfect wife, mother, and housekeeper, and Chelsea's daughters, teenage Ella and 5 year old Brooklyn. Chelsea is being abused by her seemingly perfect husband, who also keeps her in line with his best buddy who's a police officer. Ella is starting to see problems with her very dominating boyfriend. And Patricia is suddenly dumped by her husband, and left to fend for herself.

All of this plays out against the new pandemic, the Violence. Those who contract the disease become irrationally violent, and as this becomes an increasing problem, they are confined to internment camps while a cure is sought. A vaccine is developed, but it is only available to the very wealthy.

When Chelsea's husband is identified as a Violence patient and removed, she seeks refuge with her mother, who grudgingly agrees to take care of the granddaughters. Then Ella leaves Patricia's house to try to find her mother, and is not allowed back in to the gated community. Ella's boyfriend, meanwhile, was caught on a camer phone pushing Ella around, and is also interned as a Violence patient.

We follow the three separate stories, then, of how Chelsea, Ella, and eventually Patrica and Brooklyn survive.

I was a little worried when I started reading, that this book would be a horror story, with horrible violence - but to me, it became much more. It dealt with the issues of different types of spousal/boyfriend abuse, not all of which are the same, and a rather novel way of coping with this and escaping from it. It also dealt with mother-daughter relationships, and growth, both of the individuals as people, and of their relationships. All of the adult/teenage characters did grow and change, and it was a fascinating process.

Despite my general disinclination to read about horror-style violence, I found this book to be much, much more, and I was won over completely!