Many thanks to NetGalley, Delilah S. Dawson and Del Ray Publishing for the change to review this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Triggers, triggers, triggers. I went back and forth as to whether I should request this galley based on all the trigger warnings. The title in itself should have been enough for me to know I could not stomach what the book entails. The Violence takes place in a post Covid pandemic world. Covid in itself is mentioned several times. There exists a new pandemic, in which mosquitoes cause a person to have episodes of beyond extreme violence, and ultimately death.
While there are definitely moments of humor, well developed characters and many important messages of humanity, I could not enjoy reading. I can tolerate some violence, and yes it was necessary in context. However, you lost me with all of the brutality. Definitely not a book for those with a weak stomach or high anxiety.

The Violence is so aptly named. There is nothing but violence upon violence. Some from people who honestly want to punish, control, and degrade others. And then some from people who are victims of a virus.

It’s not a completely unique premise. Other books have been written about something that infects others and turns them violent. This just goes way over the top. I think after a while I just got physically exhausted by the amount of violence. Then I started to say, “Oh, c’mon!”

The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson is a dystopian thriller about a new virus that causes people to black out and attack and kill whoever is nearest to them. Covid is finally over, but a new virus has emerged. Chelsea has always been the perfect housewife, even though her husband is extremely abusive. She only wants what is best for her daughters, so she takes advantage of the new virus and reports her husband. Chelsea's mom, Patricia, has always been shallow and self-centered; but Chelsea desperately needs someone's help, so she has no choice but to ask her mom for help. This book had a lot of violence, but it also had an amazing and heartfelt story. These three generations of ladies grew and learned so much about themselves and each other, and I really enjoyed their story. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This book is freaking awesome! First, it plays perfectly on top of a post-Covid world, with the exhaustion and trauma driving how the world reacts to this new contagion. Second, it shines a spotlight on the predation that women have to suffer at the hands of men--whether that's the rich guy who treats wives and mistresses as disposable, the entrenched abusive husband (and his misogynist buddies), or the teenager who tries to use peer pressure to get what he wants, this is a systemic issue that too many women have to face. (I may be especially riled up right now, since I just read [book:Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men|41104077] and found out poor Indian women can't even safely go to the bathroom without fear of being raped, among other examples.) Third, these three generations of women use this crisis to really identify who they are and make positive change and build their inherent strengths. Fourth, how cool is it for a granny to just zone out and beat someone to death with a bottle of salad dressing?? It's just such a great read on so many levels.

This book takes place a few years after Covid (there are a few too many references to Covid that it did get annoying) with a new pandemic, The Violence. The story isn’t so much about the pandemic but about the cycle of domestic abuse inflicted upon Chelsea and how it affects her and her two daughters. It is also about the cycle emotional abuse that has been running through Chelsea’s family. The chaos of the new pandemic acts as a catalyst for Chelsea to make a plan to escape her abusing husband and get herself and her daughters to safety. There is a lot of reflection going on among Chelsea, her mom Patricia and her daughter Ella. I thought it was a fun book to red. A crazy storyline that balances out the serious subject matter.

I thought this was a pretty cool story. It takes place post-COVID, and now there is a mosquito-transmitted virus that causes people to experience bouts of violence. But it’s so much more than a tale about another pandemic. It focuses more on three generations of women who are struggling to find themselves while living through abusive situations and redeveloping relationships that were once thought to be irreparable.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but a lot of scenes dragged on and were a bit too wordy; I found myself skimming through a lot of what could be considered “filler” and didn’t contribute to the story. As a whole, though, I thought it was a creative and hope-filled story that highlighted the strength of women and the lengths they would go to to protect one another. I would definitely recommend this one.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4354469452

The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson is a highly recommended novel about a near-future epidemic of violence.

Chelsea Martin has two daughters Ella (17) and Brooklyn (5), a beautiful home, and a physically and emotionally abusive husband. Chelsea must follow a carefully premeditated set of actions every night in order to hopefully avoid David's anger and punishment if everything doesn't go exactly as he wants it to. Even worse, David has also punished Ella and Brooke is having nightmares. Chelsea is isolated with no support system. Even her wealthy mother, Patricia, offers just judgment and no support. Chelsea needs to find a way to protect herself and her girls. That is when the Violence erupts and begins to disperse across the country.

The Violence is a condition that is spreading across the country, especially in warm, southern climates. There are videos showing when it takes over someone and they experience sudden, explosive, violent bursts of rage, called "storms" attacking and killing anyone in their path. It is said to spread through mosquito bites, so those who can are traveling to colder climates. There is also a vaccine out that only the wealthy can afford at $30,000 a dose. There are now hot lines to report anyone suspected of having the Violence and they will be removed and imprisoned. This gives Chelsea an idea of how she can escape.

This is an un-put-down-able apocalyptic near future science fiction horror novel that will keep you glued to the pages to see what will happen next. Obviously, a novel about a woman in an abusive marriage and a pandemic that causes people to erupt in random acts of violent rage is going to have some graphic violence so take note of that. Some of the scenes are very, very graphic. However, the plot is about so much more than the Violence. It melds the science fiction aspects with a novel about mothers and daughters escaping, bonding, finding safety, and their place in the world. The pages flew by while I was reading. This would truly be one of the best novels I've read this year (if only some editing were done, which is covered later).

Wonderful character development occurs as three generations of women experience hardship, growth, changes, and discover their innate worth and power. The characters you first meet in the narrative are transformed by the end and you follow along as this growth transpires. Chapters alternate between the point-of-view of Chelsea, Ella, and Patricia so we can intimately follow each of them as they struggle to survive, and hopefully thrive, in a very changed world.

This is a plea I have made to authors repeatedly in reviews. Please entertain your readers with a great story and leave your feelings about current political/social events out of a speculative science fiction novel. Don't let us know your views about current politics - which all have an expiration date - and give your novel some longevity. Certainly these problems in The Violence are due to the fact that the novel was written several months ago and numerous facts and events have occurred in the interim. It was fine to mention this pandemic, the Violence, followed several years after Covid (which is still going on), but not repeatedly, and leave dates out. Even more distracting/annoying was Dawson's almost verbatim insertion of the same current political sentiment over 5 times (after which I stopped counting) into the novel. Regrettably, these flaws require me to subtract a star on an otherwise engaging and compelling novel.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Random House.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss, Google Books, and Amazon.

. Have you ever wished you could release all your rage on someone? Sounds great- unless you don’t have any control of when and where it happens. In a nutshell, The Violence is the latest pandemic that manifests itself with people killing others. In addition, the main character Chelsea has an abusive husband and her daughter Emma has an abusive boyfriend. Not a cheery book. I loved the fact that the women figured out they could change their lives. It was a struggle to get them there and to read the nitty gritty. Could be cathartic for someone living thru a similar situation.

As someone who has worked with domestic violence victims and has been a victim myself, this book was extremely triggering. I think that was the whole purpose of the novel. The author does mention she was a victim herself and I'm sure it was very therapeutic to write a novel about the subject. Along with the DV theme is a pandemic of sorts that generates violence on those that it infects. This is a blessing and a curse for the protagonists and we see both the best and worst in people. This was a very entertaining novel and I highly recommend it.

If you’re looking for an intense thriller that’s impossible to put down, look no further! It was my first time reading a book by Delilah S. Dawson, but it definitely won’t be my last!

I’m usually good at guessing where things are going in a book or movie but this really surprised me. Every time I thought things were going a certain way, something else entirely different would happen and I’d have to continue reading. I read way past my bedtime because I couldn’t put it down.

I did find some of the violence disturbing (animal violence and death) and some characters were truly awful but the prologue in the beginning made it clear this would not be an easy book to read. It was difficult but very powerful. I loved the many layers to the stories, the writing, the character development and growth. I’m going to be on the lookout for this author again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the advanced copy.

Wow, that's all I could think at the end, wow. What a remarkable story. With so many different layers, from it's horror/sci-fi elements of an unbelievably devastating pandemic, over a captivating story of generational trauma and coming out the other side. The horrific disease, The Violence, is used as a springboard for the three women of the story to break out of the cycle of abuse in their lives. It is ultimately an uplifting, and powerful story as Chelsea, Ella and Patricia all find their way to confronting the men in their lives, their memories and find their individual strengths and become a family once again. Be aware, this is a difficult read at times as it is an unflinching look at abusive relationships, so it may not be for you. But, it is an important story filled with real women set in an environment that we have all become so familiar with that it is completely believable. Bravo Delilah!!

Thanks to Del Rey Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book was exciting, terrifying, and crazy, in all the best ways. You may want to read the trigger warnings in the front to see if you'd like to read it (there's some implied violence against animals, along with a pretty gross scene with two dead cats). As long as that's not a dealbreaker for you, I highly suggest you read The Violence, especially if you're a woman.

Chelsea and her daughters, Elle and Brooklyn, live with David, a serial abuser and all-around terrible person. The year is 2025, Covid has finally gone away, but people are still traumatized from it. That's when a new disease breaks out that has the potential to be much, much worse than Covid. It's called The Violence, and it causes people to blackout. When they wake up, someone near them is dead.

Chelsea decides on a plan to get rid of David. Of course, nothing goes quite as expected, and soon, everyone is fighting for their basic survival. Then, some really crazy stuff happens (no spoilers here!) that will make you wonder how many different directions the book is going to go in. Ultimately, it's a book about women breaking free from the expectations of men. And if that sounds good to you, boy are you in for a wacky treat!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson is a disturbing yet thoroughly compelling pandemic tale of a world after Covid. There are so many triggers in this story, not to mention another pandemic (when I am so weary by anything virus-related). I usually would not have gotten this book nor finished it if I did get it. Yet, I did just that, and I couldn’t put it down, staying up long into the night. If you have any triggers, it is probably in this story. I know mine were, and they are pet death/abuse and anything terrible that separates parents and children. These two topics have always left me in a puddle, and typically, I just won’t read them. Nope. No way. No how. But I did with this book because somehow it took me to a place where I could separate my emotions behind those triggers from what was happening on the page. And I really wanted everything to return to normal or, instead, better than expected. So, I had to know that it did, which kept me glued to the page. I loved that the people learned how to solve the pandemic problem as a community. Even though it could be dangerous, they came together and figured out so much. It is a heartwarming moment in an otherwise nail-biting world. There are characters that I loved, those that I really didn’t, and one that went from one I hated to one I loved. There are also politically preachy moments that were very eye-rolling for me, and I felt that the story could have been done without. I don’t know that the story will cause everyone to separate from the emotions behind their triggers like I did, so if you have any, I would tread carefully. But if you are one of those lucky readers who aren’t plagued by them, then this is a book that will totally fascinate you, and the nearly 500 pages will not seem like enough to cover the impact of this endemic/pandemic story.

The Violence is the latest novel from author Delilah S. Dawson, who has written a ton of works under at least three different names - although I honestly haven't read too much of her long fiction. As explained by the author's note that opens the novel, it's also a very personal novel, because it uses its science fiction concept - a new pandemic that makes people go into mindless violent rages with superhuman strength, pummeling and usually killing those in their way - to deal with the subject of spousal and domestic abuse, and how it perpetuates and how the victims are changed and react to the abuse.

And the result is often hard to read, but is still very powerful and very good in the end. The story follows three generations of women in a family: mother Chelsea, spouse to an abusive husband who belittles and physically abuses her along with his friends; daughter Ella, scared of her father and stuck in a relationship with the boy at school everyone loves, who tries to make her do things she's uncomfortable with; and grandma Patricia, who escaped an abusive mother and has camouflaged herself as a trophy wife for a series of rich husbands and pushed away her blood family as an inconvenience for her security. The characters (especially Patricia) aren't always likable, and the story sometimes gets almost a bit too ridiculous for believability, but it really works at showing the horror of abuse even in a world with truly random violence, and ends thankfully on a happy note. Mainly.

Trigger Warnings: Domestic Violence, Physical and Emotional Abuse and how it affects people and how tough it is to get through it are the central theme of this book. The book also features animal and pet death, brutally so in at least one case. As noted above and below, this is a very strong book for its themes, but how it gets there will not be for everyone.


-----------------------------------------------Plot Summary----------------------------------------------
Chelsea Martin sits at home, confronted by an unbelievable overdraft notification, and dreads for her husband to come home. If she arranges everything right for him, has the kids waiting for him as he likes, doesn't talk back to him, and does everything right, maybe - just maybe - she'll be able to confront him about it without him snapping, without him gripping her so tightly, without him hurting her too badly....such that her two girls, teen Ella and little girl Brooklyn, might not notice.

But Ella always notices, and is always just one digit away from calling 9-1-1. But she doubts anyone would listen to her if she placed the call to report her dad, and she has her own problems, like a boyfriend that all the girls in school envy her for in the school's golden boy Hayden. But Hayden isn't what she dreamed, as he pushes her and pushes her to give more than she's comfortable, and all the other girls, the ones she once thought were her friends, make her feel like she's the one doing wrong, and like they wouldn't say a word in her favor if she dared to complain.

And then there's Chelsea's mother Patricia, who wants nothing to do with her family, having managed to spend the last few decades repeatedly marrying rich men and adapting herself to fit their societies, so that she is always safe, provided for and comfortable - even if those men inevitably cheat on her with their secretaries. Patricia knows she will always adapt such that she's always secure, and will never be left out in the cold again, right?

But then The Violence hits America, a disease spread by mosquitos that randomly drives its victims into an unstoppable rage, turning them into superhuman beings of violence who kill those they turn on without thinking, until they snap out of it a few minutes later with no memory of what they've done. It's a new pandemic that will change America, and will force Chelsea, Ella, and Patricia out of their status quos, and force them to confront what they've done and are willing to do in order to survive....
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Okay that's a super long plot summary for me, but I wanted to put forth all three main characters, whose stories we jump between chapter to chapter (although the story does not rotate between its three point of view characters - it will go back and forth between two characters a few times in a row sometimes before returning to the third) in the plot summary, because well this is all three of their stories (as well as little Brooklyn's, too young to understand and get her own viewpoint). The characters live in a near future world that's recognizable if somehow slightly more crappy than our own - a president heavily implied to be Trump has been reelected, such that the government is downright useless when the Violence presents a new post-COVID pandemic, a vaccine is developed but given only to the rich, the poor and disadvantaged are abandoned by the elites to the threat of the Violence, and men (and not just men, but mostly men)......are still awful way too often to women.

And we see that through our three main characters, as they each deal with the abuse they take from men, and occasionally from other women (Patricia from her mom, Chelsea from Patricia herself emotionally, and even Ella to some extent from the way other girls in school look at her) and how it impacts them. For Chelsea, the most significant of the characters, her husband was supposed to be her dream, but he got to live his life and go to college when she got pregnant, got to beat her repeatedly and yet threaten her by comingling their finances and threatening her with his loyal cop buddies, and made her feel small and weak at all times, afraid to do anything for her own self that he didn't approve. For Ella, that was seeing her father abuse her mother, seeing him once act that way towards her and fearing it happening again, and then falling into a high school relationship with a boy who just can't seem to understand no, even if he hasn't yet become her dad.

And over the course of the story, as they deal with their abusers, and they deal with the Violence and what it makes them do, they go through the ringer but somehow come to learn just how much they've been put down by abuse and take steps to move forward in a healthier direction. For Chelsea that comes from, after a significant amount of not just abuse, but bad luck causing her misfortune and separation for her children, the fortunate opportunity of finding a group of likeminded and likewise-suffering individuals coming together to survive, who are led essentially by a woman who essentially serves as a psychiatrist, who helps her realize how much she's limited herself due to her abuser, and how to push forward and fight for who she herself is. For Ella, it comes from surviving on her own....barely....and then running into the one thing she never could've expected: kindness from strangers, who show her there is something else out there than abuse, and make her realize that she doesn't need those others who would use her, who would try to make her feel bad for their own flaws, and for her pointing them out.

And then there's Patricia, easily the most hateable of the trio, because she's an utter ass for the first half of the book, too caught up in keeping up appearances as a rich privileged woman - something she definitely did not grow up as - so that she can maintain her country club wife as a trophy woman, even if that means never having anyone to care for and having only people around her who clearly are tiring of her. She fucks over both the other main characters with her actions and is directly responsible for a bunch of their problems. And so when that's suddenly thrown away from her and she finds herself scrambling for any next way forward....and burdened by suddenly having a person to care for, you almost want to enjoy the schaedenfreude of it all...except the situation makes her situation as horrifying as the others, and her change and realization of what she's lost becoming the person she became is done really well. For abuse can make one small or it can make one scared....or in Patricia's case, it can make one perpetuate the abuse in a soulless cycle that leaves one without any joy of one's own even after seemingly "escaping".

All this is done in a book that is naturally hard to read, but also is a bit ridiculous at times, as well The Violence is quite silly honestly, even if its after effects are not. There's some anti government vibes here that may rub one the wrong way (although a lot of that is because of who is in charge of that government here) and the place where the characters find happiness in the end is utterly ridiculous honestly....and yet it works. This is not the most poignant book about abuse I've read in the last few years, and unfortunately I've read a whole bunch because the topic is increasingly relevant, but it works very well and is concise in its message, and is worth your time.

The Violence follows the life of three generations of women in one family: Patricia, Chelsea, and Ella. Patricia is the grandmother of the group, estranged from her daughter and married to a rich man after struggling for years as a single mother in poverty. Chelsea is the mother, trapped in an abusive relationship with her husband, David. Ella is Chelsea's oldest daughter who is at risk of following in the same pattern as her mother and getting involved with an abusive man, who to the outside world seems like the perfect man. Each of these women are caught in their own struggle as a virus breaks out across the world known as "The Violence" which causes anyone infected to spring into random acts of violence, usually directed only at one particular target and disappearing as soon as they kill the target of their rage.

What I loved most about this novel was how it treats the various different stories of the women and how their struggles in their average life are only brought to the forefront with the emergence of The Violence. Patricia is one of the lucky few who gets a vaccine pretty early on (not surprising given that she is the wealthiest of the group and the vaccine costs thirty thousand dollars), but her experience as a woman forced to make it on her own yet again after believing that she has found her final happiness with the safety of money. At the beginning of the novel, I was not a huge fan of Patricia's segments, mostly because she is so heinous to start with, but the more time spent with her and the more time uncovering her hidden layers ended up making her one of my favorite characters of the novel.

There is something chilling about this novel but it isn't found in the scenes of extreme violence (of which there are many), but rather in the mundane of how women live their lives in fear constantly. At times it almost seems like nothing has changed between their regular lives and the Violence except that with the Violence they learn to also fear physical attacks from other women, not simply mental. The only mark against it is that the ending feels somewhat abrupt but even that I didn't have much of an issue with because after so much upheaval and turmoil, I wanted these women to finally reach a moment of peace.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Several years into the future, a disease is spreading across the country. Called The Violence, it causes an uncontrolled, murderous rage in people who are affected. Chelsea lives with her two young daughters, trapped in an extremely abusive relationship with her husband David. When David viciously attacks her, she tells the police David is infected, and while he’s incarcerated, she flees with her daughters. However, The Violence causes them to become separated, and along with Chelsea’s mother, they all begin a journey that forever changes all their lives. This is one powerful book, violence aside, that will stay with you long after you finish the pages. It’s a story of abuse, of redemption and of healing that will have you feeling a wide range of emotions as you follow the women on their journey. Quite a book! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The nitty-gritty: A trio of abused women take back their power in this feminist, highly entertaining thriller.

The Violence surprised me in the best possible way, and although I think this will end up being a divisive book, I absolutely loved it. Delilah S. Dawson’s writing and storytelling style remind me a lot of both Stephen King and Chuck Wendig, and maybe that’s one reason I got on so well with this book. This is an unabashedly feminist tale with lots of triggers, so do be aware going in that the story deals heavily with verbal and physical domestic abuse and includes a couple of (brief) scenes involving animal deaths. It also features Covid-19, and even though it takes place after the pandemic is over, the author mentions Covid often. But don’t worry, the story isn’t all a downer! It’s funny, heartwarming, thrilling and fast-paced, with excellent characters and yes, some important messages.

The Violence is set in 2025, several years after the Covid-19 pandemic has ended, and revolves around three generations of women. Chelsea Martin is married to David, a man who has been controlling and abusing her for years. On some level Chelsea understands what’s happening to her and her two children, Ella and Brooklyn, but she continues to walk on eggshells whenever David is around, hoping for a “good” day when he’ll simply leave them alone.

Ella is seventeen and has mostly escaped her father’s attentions. She spends her time at home trying to protect five year old Brooklyn, and at school she has a boyfriend named Hayden. But Hayden is trying to control her, just like her father, and Ella has had enough.

Finally, Patricia Lane is Chelsea’s mother and grandmother to Ella and Brooklyn. She lives with her rich husband, an important judge, and keeps her daughter and grandchildren at arm’s length. Patricia became pregnant with Chelsea as a teenager and was tossed out by her mother, and after years of scraping by with nothing, she’s been able to find a husband who will give her anything she wants. But this has made her cold and unloving, and she wants nothing to do with Chelsea and the girls.

When the story opens, a new pandemic is emerging, hot on the heals of the old one. The Violence, as it’s being called, causes people to become suddenly violent and attack whoever is next to them. The affected person blacks out and doesn’t remember anything afterwards, but by then it’s too late. Most attacks end in murder, and those identified with the Violence are taken away to holding facilities where they can be locked up until a vaccine becomes available.

As the Violence becomes more and more of a threat, Chelsea, Ella, Brooklyn and Patricia find themselves forced to flee their old lives and navigate the unknown, trying to stay one step ahead of the men who still want to control them. 

The story is much more complex and detailed than my quick recap, but I don’t want to give too much of it away. Dawson structures her story in chapters that alternate among the points of view of Chelsea, Ella and Patricia, and I loved this format, which gives the pacing a nice urgency. Early in the story, Chelsea, Ella and Brooklyn are separated, and Brooklyn ends up living with Patricia. As Chelsea begins a new adventure on her own, Ella wants nothing more than to find her mother and reunite with Brooklyn, but there are so many obstacles in her way. Dawson’s story skirts the wildly impossible and unbelievable at times, but I was completely entertained from start to finish. With the unpredictability of the Violence added into the mix—and yes, some of the main characters end up getting the virus—it becomes a gruesome horror story punctuated with random brutality.

But as entertaining as it is, The Violence is also a multilayered story that delves into several serious issues, the most important being the effect of domestic abuse on women. Dawson writes a heartfelt introduction to her story describing her own personal battle growing up with an abusive father, and how she and her mother finally escaped and were able to begin the healing process after they met a wonderful therapist. Some of the scenes in this book are tough to read, especially for readers who might be triggered by graphic descriptions of abuse. But stick with the story if you can, because the payoff is a good one.

And because the women are leaving their old lives of abuse behind and striking out on new ones, the character growth in the story is pretty amazing. Chelsea’s path to freedom is very strange—and some readers might say over the top—and involves her joining a WWE-like group of fighters who all have the Violence called the VFR or “Violence Fighting Ring.” Chelsea discovers this detour is a necessary part of her healing process before she can rejoin her family, and I loved seeing her change from a woman with barely any self confidence to one who isn’t afraid of her horrible husband anymore.

But my favorite character, surprisingly, turned out to be Patricia. In the opening chapters, Patricia is awful. She says horrible things to Chelsea and practically ignores her granddaughters. But as things start to change, and Patricia’s pampered life begins to slip away from her, she is forced to care for Brooklyn and slowly grows to love her. Even when the Violence intrudes in a terrible way, Patricia’s new bond with Brooklyn remains steady. I loved the way she became “Patty”—her old persona when she was much younger—when she needed to find the strength and tenacity to survive. If you’ve ever seen The Gilmore Girls, Patricia reminded me a little of Emily Gilmore, Rory’s grandmother, another character I hated at first but who eventually grew on me.

A couple of things didn’t quite work. First, the way Covid is still affecting everyone was, frankly, depressing. I would hate to think that by 2025 we’re still going to be wearing masks, and even the thought of another pandemic will be enough to drive most people over the edge. I also thought the sections that dealt with the vaccine were rather far fetched, although I have to admit they made the story that much more interesting. I’m trying to avoid books with any mention of Covid these days, but I’m very glad I made this an exception, because I would have hated to miss this book.

At times Dawson’s feminist message came across a little too heavy-handed. Some of the dialog felt like it belonged in a therapy session rather than a thriller, but I’m willing to forgive these instances because I loved the story and characters so much. There are also a lot of horrible male characters in The Violence, in fact there wasn’t a single one I actually liked (and just wait until you meet the vice principal at Ella’s high school!) But I have to admit it was fun seeing the tables turned on them, once the women start fighting back. 

The final act was thrilling and tense, as all the characters finally come together in some very unexpected ways. Dawson includes an Epilogue which was a perfect ending to her fierce, crazy, and thought provoking tale, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

thank you to NetGalley, Del Ray and Delilah Dawson for the the absolute pleasure of reading this book. I was very much looking forward to this book and it exceeded all expectations. I can’t say enough good things. The violence is set in 2025 and is in the point of view of Chelsea Martin, her teen daughter Ella and her mother Patricia. I loved the different points of view from these women. This felt like an 80’s kind of pulpy paperback horror in the best possible way, it gave me early Dean Koontz Watchers era vibes. There is a lot of violence in the book and a lot of themes that could be triggering. I felt like the characters were very well done and I enjoyed every bit of their journey. I really hoot this gets made into a movie or series, I feel like the character of Harlan was written for Jason Momoa. This book ticked all my boxes and I’m looking forward to more like this from Ms Dawson

Wow. It takes a lot for a book’s trajectory to surprise me these days. There are so many familiar tropes, particularly within the thriller genre, that even if I’m a little shocked by a twist, I’m not that surprised by the arch of the novel. The Violence kept surprising me in ways that were unique yet still consistent with the theme for the characters and the novel as a whole and I absolutely loved it.

It’s 2025 and the nation is still recovering from Covid fatigue when a new pandemic sweeps the world. They call it the Violence and infected individuals lose consciousness and become extremely violent toward the closest living thing.

As you can imagine for a book with this premise, it can at times be disturbing and trigger-laden, but I don’t ever think it crossed a line. The violent scenes served very specific purposes for the plot line and character development. The author warns readers of triggers in her vulnerable and powerful introduction and the first chapter gives readers a taste of what’s to come so they have time to bolt, although I truly hope readers will hold on and experience this powerhouse.

The characters were so well written, so humanly imperfect, so vulnerable yet resilient that I couldn’t help but fall for them. Their paths of growth were raw and touching and relatable. Dawson weaves social commentary into the novel expertly; never once feeling forced or preachy. While this novel might be classified as bordering on horror, it’s so human and personal that the only horror I think it depicts is the horror of being human; of making wrong choices, experiencing emotions too big to harness, and balancing self preservation with social expectations. At the end of the day, it’s a cathartic novel about battling monsters; the ones around us and the ones inside us.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.