Not sure whether reading Dystopian fiction was a great idea while we are all living a Dystopian reality. This novel just pointed out how things could go from bad to so much worse. To me this is a predictive piece, and dammit we should pay attention, just like the protagonist in the book didn't. The plot in a nutshell, is that the USA has been taken over by a Theocracy that limits women from holding jobs, from reading, from socializing, from communicating at all. Each woman is allowed 100 words a day, and if she speaks over that amount, the counter on her wrist zaps. The first shock is just that, an uncomfortable shock, but as more words are spoken get the shock gets stronger with predictably gruesome results. Our main character was a scientist, but now is forced into a passive wife and mother roll to her horrible teenage son Steven, her two male twins, and her daughter who wears her own counter on her wrist. Can I say how much I HATED Steven? Not only is he a pig when it comes to food, he joins the Pure Movement, a misogynistic basis of the whole government/society. Steven in his self righteousness sets off a chain of events that does not end well. At the same time, Dr. McClellan is recruited to work on a project to restore speech to the President's brain injured brother. As well as monetary payment, she insists that both her and her daughters counters are removed. She reunites with her old team, and it doesn't take long for them to figure out there is way more to the project than they are being told.
The first two thirds of the book are horrifying and actually physically made me feel ill. That's how well Dalcher captured this bleak near future. Unfortunately the last third reads like an action movie. I hate action movies. It ended too tidy, too fast, and with big chunks of logic missing. As well I had I big problem with Dr. McClellan's forgiveness of rotten son. (less)

Releasing to Marina.