Author: Delilah S. Dawson
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Received: NetGalley
Warnings: Abuse, sexual assault

Delilah S. Dawson has quickly become one of my favorite authors (please don’t ask me to list them all, we’ll be here all day). So naturally, I knew I would read her latest book, The Violence.

There’s a strange plague sweeping across the land. Only, instead of making people sick – it’s making them violent. We’re not talking slightly beyond normal realms of violence either. We’re talking cannibalistic levels of rage and destruction.

Chelsea Martin has been watching the spreading plague with rising anxiety. She worries for her daughters and her mother. None of whom seem adequately equipped to deal with this new threat. Then again, who would be?

The Violence is a heavy-hitting novel – and I mean that in nearly every way possible. For obvious reasons, any novel surrounding a virus or plague will hit hard right now. But The Violence takes it even further.

There were times when this book was honestly tough to read. I think if it wasn’t by an author I trust so much, I might have considered putting it down. In some ways, it was like a darker version of Bird Box. Or perhaps I should say that the violence is similar but more outwardly directed. Hopefully, that gives readers an idea of what I’m trying to say here.

This book did more than give me chills. It scared me. As such, I don’t think that The Violence is suitable for all audiences, and that’s okay. It is still a brilliant book, one that is unafraid of what it is.

Thanks to Del Rey Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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