Review: The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson

 A mysterious plague that causes random bouts of violence is sweeping the nation. Now three generations of women must navigate their chilling new reality in this moving exploration of identity, cycles of abuse, and hope.

Chelsea Martin appears to be the perfect housewife: married to her high school sweetheart, the mother of two daughters, keeper of an immaculate home.

But Chelsea's husband has turned their home into a prison; he has been abusing her for years, cutting off her independence, autonomy, and support. She has nowhere to turn, not even to her narcissistic mother, Patricia, who is more concerned with maintaining the appearance of an ideal family than she is with her daughter's actual well-being. And Chelsea is worried that her daughters will be trapped just as she is--until a mysterious illness sweeps the nation.

Known as The Violence, this illness causes the infected to experience sudden, explosive bouts of animalistic rage and attack anyone in their path. But for Chelsea, the chaos and confusion the virus causes is an opportunity--and inspires a plan to liberate herself from her abuser.

  Amazon | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books

or  at your favorite retailer.

Add to Goodreads

 

What I thought about The Violence

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.