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cfarron's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Murder, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Cancer, and Addiction
Minor: Trafficking, Death of parent, and Vomit
michaelawatkins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Torture, Murder, Death, Gun violence, and Trafficking
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Chronic illness
Minor: Addiction, Death of parent, and Alcohol
buer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I want to like this book - it’s fast-paced, easy to read, and has an overarching theme of a young woman realizing that she is a better, stronger, and more resilient person than she could have ever imagined. Taylor Adams has a simple, visceral writing style that I like and introduces several interesting twists.
However. Much like one of the characters in this book, Adams feels like the kind of person who knows how to convincingly wear a mask. The mask he has chosen is that he’s the kind of person who believes that women are strong and capable, but considering that he sexualizes every female character in his book with varying degrees of brutality, I’m not convinced.
I also find it difficult to enjoy a book in which the author goes out of his way to introduce prejudice into the story. Taylor names an imaginary geographical landmark with a slur. He has a character tell multiple misogynistic jokes and a racist one that involves yet another slur. He uses the r-word and repeatedly references a probably homophobic piece of graffiti that he invented for the bathroom wall at the rest stop.
Maybe I’m wrong about Taylor, but I can’t recommend this book in good conscience. There are too many moments that got under my skin for reasons that weren’t serving the plot or adding depth to characters.
There are plenty other books that accomplish what this book does without also reeking of ick. Read those instead.
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Gun violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Torture, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Animal death, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Cursing, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Confinement, Addiction, Bullying, Ableism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Fatphobia, and Fire/Fire injury
breeski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Trafficking, Gore, Torture, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Murder, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Bullying
sosocrafty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Blood, Child abuse, Violence, Confinement, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Gore, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Vomit, Terminal illness, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Rape, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, and Animal death
wends_nblw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I couldn't stand Darby at first, but I found myself warming up to her towards the halfway point before fully loving her character by the end. With the rest of the cast, I couldn't decide if I hated or loved them. There aren't many side characters : aside from Darby, we have five other distinctive characters.
As for the culprit
So many twists and turns, I wouldn't say this book had me on the edge of my seat, but it certainly had me sitting up straight. Every time I thought this book was going to end, that Darby and this little girl, Jay, were going to escape, 'No Exit' would toss that hope aside and shoot me with a nail gun. I would groan and in the words of our villain, say "oh, come on."
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Incest, Torture, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, and Vomit
This book uses the n + r slurs both once.claire_reardon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Cancer, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Racial slurs, Death, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Medical trauma, and Physical abuse
reneeschauer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Pedophilia, Trafficking, Violence, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Cancer
ssarahbbeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Addiction, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Torture, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Car accident and Fire/Fire injury
thebookishlibra_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Trafficking, Confinement, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Addiction