The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**4.5-stars**
The Violence is a unique and compelling plague story. Dawson succeeded at so many things with this. One of the standout features for me was how attached I became to the three women we are following.
I loved the journey I went on when them, but also appreciated the themes explored. Their lives were really a reflection of our society; one that can be difficult to look at. It’s hard-hitting, and IMO, very impactful.
The world-wide plague in this story causes random acts of extreme violence. There seems to be no logic to it. It can happen at any time and to anyone.
The measures put in place to protect citizens mimic those of the COVID pandemic, but unlike other stories touching upon that horrendous time, this one didn’t annoy me, or make me want to put it down and never look back.
Dawson captured the stress and uncertainty of that time without getting repetitive or preachy. She wasn’t just repackaging that whole episode for us, she was creating something new here, and I was loving it.
This story unfolds for the Reader from the POV’s of three different women: Chelsea, her Mom, Patricia, and Chelsea’s daughter, Ella.
I love how Dawson chose three women from the same family. Literally, three generations of women battling violence, but maybe not the violence you’re expecting.
I would recommend anyone picking up this story pay attention to the Author’s Note at the beginning, as that will give you an idea as to what you are about to get into.
I really, really, really enjoyed this. It definitely exceeded my expectations as far as the quality and creativity of the overall themes explored. I became so attached to the women we were following. I felt like I was right there with them.
Additionally, there’s a pro-wrestling aspect to this which surprised me and that I found so fun. I’m not sure if Dawson is an actual wrestling fan or not, but it certainly felt like it.
My rating is only down a half star because ((content warning)) (view spoiler)