Out now! [Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 5/5 stars (my first 5 star read of 2022!)

THE VIOLENCE is the story of a fictional pandemic that turns its victims into mindless murderers, and an intergenerational story of domestic violence and trauma told from the alternating perspectives of a grandmother, mother, and daughter.

We’re only 36 days into the year, but I feel pretty confident saying that this book will end up one of my favorite reads of 2022. It isn’t for the faint of heart (please see content/trigger warnings below and research them carefully beforehand if you have any concerns—bottom line, read this one with care) but it manages to be both a propulsive and heart-pounding gory thriller and a warm-hearted (and almost, at times, quirky) story about finding (or reinventing) yourself in the aftermath of trauma. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, equal parts horrified and touched, and always in awe at Dawson’s writing, which managed to be alternately hilarious and poetic, filled with both deep truths and moments of much needed levity. I could go on, but honestly I don’t know that the words exist to convey how much this one resonated with me. Go read it as soon as you possibly can!

Recommended for anyone, but especially those who like: revenge stories; feminist narratives; zombie/apocalypse fiction (this isn’t really a zombie story but it definitely felt like one a few times!)

CW: Violence in pretty much every form, including extremely heavy discussions of various forms of domestic/family abuse; graphic depictions of animal and human death; pandemic, both fictional and the current reality.

The year is 2025, a few years after COVID, Ruth Belmont of Land O'Lakes, Florida, is whopping at a store, she is a peaceful, religious grandmother. As she is putting a tub of mayonnaise in her cart, she drops it, and picks a large glass bottle of salad dressing and beats a 24 yr old woman to death. She places the bottle of dressing back on the shelf, picks another and continues shopping. This is the first recorded incident of the Violence. Where people are infected by mosquitoes and "rage" during a blackout state. They focus on one person and their only focus is on one person to beat to death. A vaccine is available but only if you can afford it.

Chelsea is a woman that has been beaten down for years by her abusive husband. She fears for the safety of her daughters, teenager Ella and 5 year old Brooklyn, When the Violence touches their lives, Chelsea takes the opportunity to be free of her husband. Chelsea goes to her mother for help, but Patricia has no interest in helping her. Patricia is married to a judge, and lives in a gated community, and is more interested in keeping up appearances than helping Chelsea, or taking any interest in her granddaughters. She is the last person Chelsea wants to go to for help but she is the only person she can go to. Chelsea is met with one of the biggest challenges in her life, learn to believe in herself and find her strength and courage to survive and save her daughters. Each of the Martin girls goes through their own self-discovery during this plague.

The author does put a trigger warning at the beginning of the book for domestic and sexual abuse. I am a survivor of both and it was not triggering for me at all, but everyone is different. This book had a dystopian feel to it, which I enjoyed as I went through a time when all I read was Dystopian novels. Chelsea was not only fighting for her life but the inner battle of finding herself again. She reflects on what she gave up for her husband and how he started grooming her back in their high school days. I enjoyed the self-refection that Patricia, Chelsea and Ella undergo, as I think many who have undergone trauma do. Chelsea, like many abused women, feels very alone and doesn't feel she has any place to turn to for help. I will think about this book for a long time, not just about the domestic violence aspect but how society is.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced ecopy in exchange for an honest review. Delilah S Dawson is an author that will be kept on my radar.

Ms Dawson has found a niche in writing sci-fi horror with her development of both the characters and how this mysterious Violence pandemic affects the people. In all too realistic accounting she defines the issues surrounding this pandemic based on the exact same things that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic, which seems to be in the not too distant past. A president not invested in getting help to those stricken and knowing there is a vaccine but only for those who can afford it, is understably realistic. The story revolves around a family where the women in it are all victims of abuse prior to the Violence. And in a twist, the Violence allows them to break free of that, but at what expense? We follow three generations of women as they navigate the danger they find themselves caught up in and learn their own strengths. The back-story of Chelsea, her mother Patricia, and her daughters Ella and Brooklyn is told through as they learn the importance of family and deal with past demons. While this was a tough read at times with the violence portrayed, it was still an interesting read. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballentine for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #TheViolence

This was such an interesting, unique book. After COVID there is another plaque called the Violence that is from mosquito bites. It causes the person to black out and kill someone without any memory of it. There is a vaccine but only available to the very rich. Chelsea and her daughters live in an abusive home and find the Violence provides opportunity to change their circumstances. The wrestling gig she ends up with is random but it provides her with security and a family that's she has always needed. There are some graphic scenes and animal violence do be aware of that. It also touches on some political issues and the way COVID was handled. Overall, it was intriguing but I will say it was a little too long. I appreciated the authors note in the beginning. It sounds like this was very cathartic for her. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC for an honest review.

After the covid pandemic has calmed down a new disease has taken warm hot climates by storm. Carried by mosquitoes if you get it you will go into a violent rage and kill. There is a vaccine but only for the rich.

The story is told between Chelsea, her oldest daughter Ella and her mother Patricia. None of these characters are likable.

I think this book started out super strong and the only reason why I finished it. But when Chelsea joins an underground wrestling traveling circus…..I couldn’t take the book seriously after that. I know this is a dystopian like novel but others aren’t so cheesy.

I literally skimmed the last 30% of the book just to see how it ended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy!

I loved this so much, but I could have done without all the jabs to the president. That made me want to stop mid way through and not pick the book back up but I pushed through and even with all that I really enjoyed it.

It’s 2025. The world has struggled through Covid and is on the other side when a new pandemic arises: a mosquito-borne pathogen known as The Violence (big V) that causes a blinding, uncontrollable rage in the infected, which invariably results in the brutal death of the target.

This story is told through the lens of three women – Chelsea, her daughter Ella, and Chelsea’s mother Patricia – who are no strangers to violence (little v). They have suffered through generational trauma of physical, emotional, and financial abuse. Now they’re trying to navigate an even more violent reality – but could the horrific new virus actually be their ticket out of their domestic nightmares?

I don’t know exactly what I was expecting from “The Violence”, but wow! The plot is ingenious and slightly over-the-top but in a way that feels totally plausible too. It definitely delivers on the horror aspect, but there’s so much more to it. It’s graphic and hard to read at times, but I’d argue that’s necessary given the subject matter. It’s also a dysfunctional family drama that explores themes of abuse, misogyny, class disparity, and self-discovery. The characters’ development and their arcs toward strength and empowerment are outstanding. If feminist horror is your thing, you’ll definitely enjoy this novel!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Originally I was going to decline to provide feedback on this one because I did not finish it and did not get very far into it. But then I realized I was doing the author a disservice this way, so decided to leave my feedback anyway. And yes, 4 stars despite a DNF - and that's entirely on the strength of the writing.

This book is clear up front on what it's subject matter is. It is about violence. It is specifically about domestic violence. I knew that going in certainly, and yet was still stunned cold by how explicit and aggressive and disturbing the portrayals of violence were. But that's precisely why I want to leave a review - the writing in this book is absolutely phenomenal and the proof of that is that I couldn't read it. The descriptions are so vivid and the menacing sense of dread that pervades every page is so intense that I literally felt sick to my stomach while reading. I was so completely absorbed that it hurt.

I couldn't finish it. I could barely read 10%. But this is a powerful book and if you can manage it, the writing is unbelievably vivid and the plot a fascinating one. I cannot talk to how it plays out because as I said I did not get very far. But that is on me and absolutely not on the author. She does an amazing job here, coming from a place of incredible violence in her own life, which she references in the opening pages, and it is a powerful thing that she's done. It was just one that I personally could not read...

The Violence takes on what is sure to be a controversial topic with a story about a post-pandemic illness that causes it's victims to perform acts of extreme violence. I thought it was interesting to think about violence in abuse in this manner, so I took a chance on this title.

It's clear from the start this book is going to be one trigger warning after another, and that was certainly the case. There's plenty of abuse and violence in detail, and it didn't always work for me in the story. It's not just about the Violence illness, it's about broader systemic abuse. Sometimes enough is enough.

Overall, I thought it was a creative and yet fanciful (in a negative way) story of how abuse shapes a person. At least that's what I got out of it. There's a bit of a thriller and dark intensity in there too, but this is definitely a book you need to be in the mood for.

Huge amount of thanks to NetGalley and del Rey publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my opinion.
Y’all! This is NOT one to pass on! Typically I don’t like to read about pandemic/epidemic type scenarios, particularly given present times. However, I’m glad I didn’t pass on this.
We have three generations of women that were, or are currently, being abused. We have a epidemic that causes raging violence seemingly out of the blue. It becomes worldwide and the trio of grandmother, mother, and daughter find a way to adapt and survive.
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I was hooked almost from the first page, and I was pleasantly surprised throughout the book.
Definitely add this one to your tbr

This is a tough one.

It took me a while to get invested in this story, I honestly was only rooting for Ella for most of the story. About midway though I finally stopped hate reading Chelsea and Patty's chapters. Then I was very invested!

It may be pandemic burnout but I was hoping for more?

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The cover and blurb on this one made me request an advance copy on NetGalley because it sounded too good not to read!

Fast forward to the near future, 2025. We’ve finally broken out of the Covid pandemic, only to be faced with the next one: the Violence. Across the country, people are randomly attacking other people. Once it’s over, it’s like waking up from a coma - they have no idea what happened, what they did, or why.

Chelsea Martin finds this the perfect way to get rid of her abusive husband, David, and to rescue her two daughters from him. She has him quarantined, even though she knows this is just who he is. But in a worldwide pandemic, it’s not as easy as just having him shipped away.

The story follows Chelsea, oldest daughter Ella, and Chelsea’s mom Patricia, three women who have known abuse and fear, as they navigate this new world and try to make it without a man to lean on.

My heart breaks for Chelsea and the things she goes through in this book. I am not an abuse survivor, but reading these things was still impactful for me. I like that the author took this real issue and inserted it into her book. I also liked the references to the fist pandemic (Covid) and ways in which the world still hasn’t learned anything from it.

The part about the book I didn’t like was the length. This is quite a tome to get through, and I often felt like there were things that could have been cut out without derailing the plot.

Still really enjoyed it and would recommend!

Such an interesting concept.. an second pandemic that causes violence, rather than illness. It started off strong... but about halfway through I just began to lose faith in the characters decisions.
I understand Chelsea's choices.. up until she just looses her phone and just ….. decide not to check on her kids? Despite leaving them with her mom she has repeatedly acknowledged as nearly as bad as the abusive husband she fled from?
And nearly every male character was stereotypically abusive and terrible. I get what it was meant to portray, but not every man is Chelsea's husband, or his awful friends. (Though I did really enjoy her plot to rid herself of him!)
So overall, this had some ups and downs for me... just okay at the end.

The title says it all.
It's the year is 2025, shortly after the COVID pandemic when a new, mosquito-borne virus erupts causing a new, even more frightening pandemic. It's called The Violence and it causes the infected to suddenly 'storm' and destroy the object they're focused on, be it animal or human.
The story centers around three generations of women in one family. All are victims of domestic abuse by either their husbands, fathers, boyfriend and even mother. Chelsea has lived under the thumb of her manipulative, domineering and physically abusive husband, David for years. When she's finally had enough, she creates a situation that enables her to get him arrested, accused of having the Violence. Then after becoming infected herself she takes her two daughters to her own abusive mother hoping to at least keep them safe from herself but then things go sideways and this fast paced story takes off.
I appreciated the author's notes at the beginning warning of the triggers the story includes. Although there is a lot of blood and gore and the effects of getting infected are horrific, it didn't feel like a typical horror story. The characters are well drawn with clear motivations and their actions are believable and although it comes in at around 500 pages, it reads rather quickly. Told from the POV's of Chelsea, her daughter Ella and her mom Patricia in alternating chapters the story flows nicely without any jarring transitions. Even with its heavy themes and situations I really enjoyed the ride and would recommend this one to horror and thriller readers alike.

Yeah this book is pretty bonkers. It's also unclassifiable, extremely violent, and pretty much one big trigger warning. Did I like it? Not actually too sure about that. Did I race through it cause I had to know how it ends? For sure. The Violence is a pandemic; the year is 2025 and Covid did happen and things are a mess in more ways than one. This pandemic is different from Covid though. Instead of flu like symptoms, people that catch this disease go into fugue states and kill anyone near them. It's a terrifying idea, one that is actually a pretty simple allegory for domestic abuse.

Putting aside the thoughts about not quite being ready to read a pandemic book in which the world already lived through our current pandemic, the book was good but way, way too long. Dawson has incredible and insane ideas that I just wish were edited down a bit into a more concise, biting story that may have had more of an impact. Regardless, this is certainly a horror story and one of the most violent books I have read. It didn't really disturb me, but I could see how a lot of the content could be seen as a huge turn-off to some readers. It also has a few crazy twists and an unexpected ending that I actually did really enjoy. Lots of thoughts and feelings about this one and want to discuss with anyone else who read it!

A pandemic virus that cause extreme acts of violence. WWE type wrestling. A woman, her daughter and her daughter as well. Abusive men.
None of this should make for a great book....but it does. It is a story about terrible things happening to good and not so good people during a pandemic that is even more frightening than Covid..
I couldn't put it down in my efforts to find out how it ended.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I couldn’t have been more thrilled to receive this PR box and I simply devoured this big boy. Heavy on the difficult topics and trigger warnings this apocalyptic story is quite the tale.

Covid is over and now a new pandemic has hit the world-The Violence. Symptoms of which are zoning out and beating the crap out of whoever is close by, without stopping until they come back to reality. You can’t stop the person inflicted until they are ready. Terrifying right?!

The story follows three generations of women. All three have been subjected to emotional and physical abuse in some form throughout their life and we really see the trickledown effect it has on them, their psyche and their relationships with others and each other. The timeline of abuse is brutal and not for the faint of heart. It’s raw, honest and heartbreaking.

We also get to see some pretty creepy and close to life issues in this book regarding politics and the vaccine. I really enjoyed the take Delilah had especially when speaking about the President but lets not go there- I thought it was genius how she spun the “Violence” and made people inflicted into wrestlers. It was fun, exciting and clever. If you ever watched the show Glow-think that!

This was everything I hoped it would be and more. I really enjoyed it and thought it terrific!

The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson is touted as both thriller and as horror.  I’ll tell you in My Opinions how I would classify it.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Random House Publishing (and in particular Sabrina Shen for sending me a widget), and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
A mysterious epidemic is sweeping across the country.  COVID is over, but this next one may be worse.  It starts when an elderly woman beats another woman to death in a grocery store on April 15th, 2025 (with a tub of mayonnaise).  And so began "The Violence".  Those infected are prone to sudden explosive bursts of anger, usually resulting in the death anyone who is in their way.  When they "awake", they have no idea of their disturbing actions.

Chelsea Martin is in an abusive relationship.  Her husband controls everything, and Chelsea doesn't always know what will set her husband off next.  He likes to choke.   From the outside, it looks like Chelsea is the perfect wife, mother, hostess.  But Chelsea, in her perfect home in the perfect neighborhood is living a lie.   Inside, Chelsea is barely keeping it together.

Chelsea's 17 year old daughter Ella also suffers from her father's abuse.  Her boyfriend isn't much better.

Chelsea's mother, Patricia, is absolutely no help.  She made her way to the top by stepping on others (and marrying rich), and she has no use for her daughter or anyone else.  She is only out for herself.  However, Patricia too does not have the ideal life.

Perhaps The Violence may provide an escape....for everyone.


My Opinions:   
According to the author, her father was an alcoholic and emotionally and physical abusive, and that writing about these topics has been part of her healing process.  There is actually a lot of really wise words in this novel...which I am calling a thriller (with a lot of graphic segments).

I loved how COVID is a thing of the past in this book, and an attempt was made to show what was learned from it, and what wasn't.  There were a few political pokes as well.  The author's views on all of this was close to my own.

The plot really sucked me in, and held me tight from beginning to end.  The book is not just about another virus.  It is about physical and emotional abuse, and about dysfunctional families.  It is about women...three different generations...who start out weak, but find their strengths, each on their own.  It is really about self-discovery and awareness.

The characters are wonderful, and I found myself rooting for Chelsea and Ella right from the start.  Five year-old Brooklyn was a sweetheart (and I don't usually like children in my horror/thriller books).  I loved the way that all the women, including Patty, evolved throughout the book.   Other characters were just as good...I loved Arlene and Harlan.

This was a really quirky take on a rather bizarre epidemic, but I think that made it good.  It was a little "far-fetched", which perhaps made it more acceptable while we are still struggling with COVID.  Sometimes it was quite comical, and the Violence Fighting Ring struck me as partly hilarious, and partly ingenious.  It said to me that this author has a wonderful imagination in addition to her writing ability.

I definitely recommend this to anyone (with the warning that it is quite gruesome at times, an it does deal with abuse).  I found it highly entertaining, although I am sure it won't be for everyone.

I loved this book and it’s fierce cry of pure, female rage. Time and again, our characters are thrown huge obstacles, often by men, and they come out on top, stronger and more confident than before. Their journey is incredibly hard, but it’s beautiful to see what they’ve made of themselves. Even with all the violence and darkness, there are many moments of hope to find within The Violence. Good people, strokes of good luck, and second chances are interwoven throughout providing light and hope. It’s a spectacular story that is both timely, and timeless. The Violence is an emotional roller coaster ride through overcoming trauma, finding the strength that was always within, and hope for a better future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

This book sounded like something I would love, but unfortunately, it fell flat in so many ways. The most annoying aspect of the book was the repeated references to COVID and the author's political opinions interspersed throughout the book. There are multiple references to an incompetent president who botched the way he handled the COVID pandemic, "fake news," and other things along these lines that made the author's viewpoints very clear. I read fiction, specifically thrillers, to escape reality, not to read about a traumatizing pandemic that's still going on or to feel like I'm being berated for my own political beliefs. If I had known so much of the book would constantly refer to that, I wouldn't have read it.

However, curiosity about what would happen to Chelsea, her mom, and her daughters, kept me reading. The plot becomes more and more ridiculous as you get further into the book. By the end, I couldn't possibly be surprised because every plot twist was so far-fetched, anything could have happened. There were so many storylines going on and the ending felt rushed, despite the book feeling like it was much too long.

Chelsea's daughters, Ella and Brooklyn, were two of the only characters I liked in the book and I cared about what happened to them. I didn't like how almost every single male character was portrayed as abusive, narcissistic, or just overall a bad person.

The author did include a note about the content warnings in the book, which I appreciated. In case you're wondering, the animal abuse/death scenes are extremely graphic. In one scene, a dog is stomped to death and there's another scene with melted cats, so if you can't handle reading things like that, this book isn't for you. (These scenes didn't impact my review at all, but I wanted to warn other readers these scenes are graphic).

*Content warnings: domestic abuse, animal abuse/death, references to suicide.

Thank you to Del Rey Books, NetGalley, and Delilah S. Dawson for sending a free eBook ARC in exchange for an honest review.