The ViolenceThe Violence
What it's about
A mysterious plague is spreading that makes people burst into random fits of violence. Chelsea Martin seems a perfect housewife, but her husband has abused her for years, and she has nowhere to turn, not even to her narcissistic mother, Patricia. As the Violence spreads, three generations of women face their new reality, and break the cycle of abuse.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's a gripping horror novel about abuse and survival.
You'll love it if you liked
The Push
The Handmaid’s Tale
When Women Were DragonsGood to know
It depicts domestic abuse and graphic violence.
By the numbers
- Readers15 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller13 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Thought-provoking, Dark
If you like this, read next
The Tainted Cup
A Drop of Corruption
The Will of the Many
The Everlasting
Cloud Cuckoo Land
BabelExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Violence worth reading?
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Its Must-Read Score is 51.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Violence about?
A mysterious plague is spreading that makes people burst into random fits of violence. Chelsea Martin seems a perfect housewife, but her husband has abused her for years, and she has nowhere to turn, not even to her narcissistic mother, Patricia. As the Violence spreads, three generations of women face their new reality, and break the cycle of abuse.
How long does it take to read The Violence?
About 13 hours (512 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Violence?
If you liked it, try The Push by Ashley Audrain, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood or When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill.