Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - No Exit

The suspense in this book starts immediately with the MC, Darby, realizing she forgot her phone charger, had no signal, and was caught in a blizzard and it doesn’t slow down from there. Having no cell signal in a room full of strangers on a terribly cold night is one thing, but that phone having only about 4% battery is the cherry on top of this anxiety inducing realization. The racial slurs were completely unnecessary. There are better ways to sue that your bad guy is a bad guy than using a racial slur, especially as a white author. I also think that the way the POV’s switched so abruptly was a bit confusing. I’m not a huge fan of men writing thrillers because of the way that their stories have the most awful, stomach churning, and sadistic things happening to their characters. I will say that the constant plot twists were incredibly exhausting. The first couple were so creepy and bamboozling but after the third and fourth it became a mind boggling enigma. That’s something I didn’t enjoy about it. There was so much that happened that I couldn’t fully take in because of the plot twist after plot twist writing Adams displayed in this story. I did enjoy it, I read it in about 4 hours so it was a very quick read. It had me holding my breath and biting my nails from the suspense. all in all I think it deserves a 3.5/5 star rating.

POSSIBLE TRIGGERS:

Death of a parent

cancer

body horror

blood

ableist slurs

racial slurs

attempted suffocation

confinement

vomit

kidnapping

implied sexual assault

implied human trafficking

implied pedophilia

violence against women

dark inner monologue about women

sadism

snow storm

freezing

gun violence

amputation

vomit

medical trauma

medical needs not able to be met

Content Warnings

amandasbookreview's review

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“The difference between a hero and a victim? Timing.”

NO EXIT

I have seen Taylor Adams all over Bookstagram and I just never had a moment to pick up one of his books. However, No Exit by Taylor Adams was just adapted into a movie for Hulu, so it was pushed to the top of my TBR. We are introduced to Darby who is rushing home to see her dying mother. The weather has taken a turn for the worst and she finds herself at a rest stop in a snowstorm with four other people. Darby is desperate for a signal on her phone and walks outside to try to contact her sister when she notices some movement in a van. There is a young girl, locked in a cage. This child has been kidnapped and Darby knows she has to do something. There are four people in that rest stop and one of them is the kidnapper. But without service and no way out, how will Darby get this little girl to safety?

What a wild ride! When I say there is no dull moment, I say that without exaggeration. The suspense is nonstop. There are moments when I was physically tense while reading this book. I found out that this author is a screenwriter and it made so much sense. But be prepared. This is not an easy read. Every trigger warning you can think of… is in this book. There is kidnapping, violence, torture, sex trafficking, cancer, death, and probably more that I am missing. But overall, the suspense and tension are palpable.

That brings me to the characters. Darby is a rockstar. She is flawed. She knows she was wrong in her relationship with her mom. I did appreciate how the author went into the complexities of parent/child relationships. But when she saw that little girl, there was nothing that would stop her from helping that little girl. Darby shows so much courage in the face of so much danger. Not many people would do what Darby does in this book. Overall, I enjoyed this read and I can’t wait to watch the movie! 4 out of 5 stars!

Content Warnings

allisonshewfelt's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is one of the best thrillers I've ever read. No exit really grabs you from the first chapter and does not let go. There was so many twists it was absolutely crazy and I loved every page of it. The synopsis really drew me in and I had no idea that it would go where it went. It was gruesome, unrelenting and very dark and violent. Our heroine, Darby, is one of the most badass main characters out there. She had no idea what she was capable of until she was pushed to her limit and damn was she capable of a lot. I wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes. Jay was also very clever for her age.

It was very fast paced which I always love in thrillers. I love how Adams stretched the story, like how Darby would almost escape but then be caught again. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. It really just turned into a fight for survival and cat and mouse game.

This is definitely making my top 10 of this year and I'm terrified of seeing the movie it's gonna be so violent. I expect pure chaos. There's so many things I'm never thinking about the same way like everytime I see door hinges, nail guns and jelly filled donuts I'm gonna internally scream

Content Warnings

alexdicanio's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The pacing of this book was incredibly fast. Which I appreciate. Things got going almost immediately.

I thought the characters were pretty well done. Ashley, was especially interesting. The dialogue and interactions between the characters made sense. The fact that not everything was convenient for the main character I really liked too. The night definitely wasn’t easy on her.

What I didn’t like was how unbelievable it was for Darby to survive. Realistically, she should have been dead not even half way through the book. Sure, maybe adrenaline could cause her to fight back while being asphyxiated (and that’s a strong maybe), but rolling down a hill? In the freezing cold, with a broken nose?

I digress.

It was a good time. I’d recommend it, especially for people who are just starting to branch out to read thrillers. Be sure to check trigger warnings because this book does get pretty gruesome.

Content Warnings

briarrabbit4293's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

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