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4.5 thought-provoking stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

I really enjoyed the edgy dystopian novel Vox written by Dalcher two years ago. Master Class also visits an uncertain future time.

Oh my goodness, this book. Even the synopsis wigged me out. In the near future, every child’s potential is measured through a standardized test, referred to as their quotient (Q). If you score well, you attend a top tier school, which means more opportunities. If you don’t meet the cutoff, you are destined for a federal school where the outcomes are fewer and less advantageous.

Why is society doing this? To decrease funding for education by focusing only on the students with supposedly “brighter�� futures. So, the privileged become more privileged and gaps between groups widen. Oh, and did you know that kids are tested regularly, and they can drop and have to move between schools at any time? Talk about the pressure.

Elena is a teacher at one of the top schools, and her nine year old daughter is sent away to a federal boarding school because of that exact scenario. And Elena wants her daughter back. She’s going to make it happen, too, no matter the costs.

This was such a thoughtful examination of so many things. Class differences, educational differences, privilege, I could go on and on. The pressure here is terrifying and immense, and while it’s a few jumps from the pressures kids receive today from testing, it isn’t that completely far fetched in my mind either.

Overall, this book scared me to death and offered so much thought and insight. Christina Dalcher writes books that encourage us to talk, listen, discuss, learn, and grow, and for that I’m grateful.

I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

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