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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
we love a woman to dominate in a male field
One of the most enjoyable thrillers I've read in the past couple years. Please don't focus too hard on realism. Prepare yourself for pure entertainment.
This book captures you right from the get go. It was really fast paced and gripping. I didn't put it down and finished it in two days.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Z počátku jsem byla poněkud rozladěná ze směru, jakým se kniha ubírala. Čekala jsem (opět a marně) survival thriller a tak jsem byla docela překvapená. První věcí, bylo poněkud zarážející střídání se vyprávění Sáry z doby předcházející "Únikové hře", s linií aktuálního dění. Druhé pak, že ona hra byla vlastně svým způsobem vedlejší linkou. Ale co, zkusit se má vše a tak jsem vytrvala. Odměnou jsem získala velice čtivý, společensko-psychologický thriller, který by sice v reálném světě byl v některých bodech pravděpodobně celkem neproveditelný, ale jako příběh byl velice originální a zajímavý. Autorka mě v tomto případě docela snadno přesvědčila o tom, že psát umí a jejím knihám nechybí osobitost. Pokud budu mít tu možnost, ráda si přečtu i její prvotinu - Žena na lesní cestě.
Welcome to the Escape Room. Your Goal is Simple. Get out Alive
I have such mixed feelings about this book that I'm still struggling to wrap my head around a rating. On one hand, this book was compelling, a page turner, and wasn't entirely predictable. There were plot twists I didn't see coming and it got really dark, really quickly. On the other hand, there were definitely parts of it that didn't make sense, the writing style was a little jarring and sometimes redundant and I felt like we had a huge build up only to be dropped off so quickly at the end. It felt like freefalling on a roller coaster.
There are winners and losers in this world. The winners are the one percent who get to live the dream. The losers are everyone else.
The characters from the beginning were unlikable. Every single one of them. The book focuses on two timelines, both taking place at Stanhope and Sons firm in New York City. These characters are entitled, rich assholes. Simply put. But there's something really refreshing about that. One timeline focuses on 4 people stuck in an elevator, who seem to be playing an involuntary game of the "Escape Room" with clues and puzzles. The second timeline follows Sara several years prior who starts out as a lowly analyst and works her way up the corporate ladder at Stanhope and Sons. The corporate life was interesting at first, but it did get a little boring as it went along. There was also a lot of emphasis placed on how people are perceived, particularly women in the corporate workplace. There were multiple conversations about how women needed to dress in the corporate world and how it was so much more difficult for women than it was for men. A valid point, but it got redundant. I also found it a little jarring at the beginning as the chapters switched between timelines because one timeline was in 3rd person and one timeline was in 1st person. However, I totally understand by the end why the author made that choice.
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting
Overall, I actually enjoyed this book. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting going into it, but it definitely messed with my mind. If you enjoy thrillers that really dive into the minds of the characters, and the reasons why they go to these extreme actions, you might enjoy this book.
CW: Rape, sexual assault, being drugged, suicide, murder, car fire, burning alive, gun violence, claustrophobia, survivor's guilt, depression, alcoholism, drug use
Three stars - I liked it!
Believable, no, but fast-paced entertainment that kept me hooked? Yes. Absolutely.
The story is told in alternating viewpoints (along two different timelines) between Sara Hall and a group of four colleagues participating in an escape room.
Sara has landed the opportunity of a lifetime at Stanhope and Sons, a prestigious firm that boasts 10,000 applicants a month, dozens of branches around the country, and securing deals in the billions. She got to rage quit her dead end job and that was a mood right there. She will have enough money to cover her ailing parents’ health expenses and then some. Of course it comes at a price. The firm does an excellent job of throwing off your moral compass, putting dollars above people, working you long hours, and expecting you to do it all while looking like a model. Except Lucy, who with an IQ of 151 and the ability to predict financial situations no one saw coming, has a pass to be plain and socially inept in the corner. Sara befriends her, but Lucy insists they keep their friendship a secret from their colleagues.
In every other chapter, we are updated on the progress of an escape room, held in an actual elevator. There, Vincent, Sylvie, Sam, and Jules were told via e-mails from HR that participation was required and avoiding a layoff meant doing well in this team building test. They begrudgingly show up, possibly sacrificing their marriages and their vacation plans - but what else is new? Stanhope calls, they answer. But as the time ticks away with no solutions to the room in sight, the four start turning against each other. Emotions run high and the shocking confessions just pour out of them. My jaw hit the floor.
How do these two storylines tie together? Well, that’s the part that’s worth suspending belief for, I promise. This book has murder, revenge, greed, corruption, backstabbing, secrecy ... pretty much everything anyone could ever ask for. I definitely recommend it.
Trigger warnings for suicide and sexual assault.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Believable, no, but fast-paced entertainment that kept me hooked? Yes. Absolutely.
The story is told in alternating viewpoints (along two different timelines) between Sara Hall and a group of four colleagues participating in an escape room.
Sara has landed the opportunity of a lifetime at Stanhope and Sons, a prestigious firm that boasts 10,000 applicants a month, dozens of branches around the country, and securing deals in the billions. She got to rage quit her dead end job and that was a mood right there. She will have enough money to cover her ailing parents’ health expenses and then some. Of course it comes at a price. The firm does an excellent job of throwing off your moral compass, putting dollars above people, working you long hours, and expecting you to do it all while looking like a model. Except Lucy, who with an IQ of 151 and the ability to predict financial situations no one saw coming, has a pass to be plain and socially inept in the corner. Sara befriends her, but Lucy insists they keep their friendship a secret from their colleagues.
In every other chapter, we are updated on the progress of an escape room, held in an actual elevator. There, Vincent, Sylvie, Sam, and Jules were told via e-mails from HR that participation was required and avoiding a layoff meant doing well in this team building test. They begrudgingly show up, possibly sacrificing their marriages and their vacation plans - but what else is new? Stanhope calls, they answer. But as the time ticks away with no solutions to the room in sight, the four start turning against each other. Emotions run high and the shocking confessions just pour out of them. My jaw hit the floor.
How do these two storylines tie together? Well, that’s the part that’s worth suspending belief for, I promise. This book has murder, revenge, greed, corruption, backstabbing, secrecy ... pretty much everything anyone could ever ask for. I definitely recommend it.
Trigger warnings for suicide and sexual assault.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
So many psychological thrillers are rushed, but I liked this one a lot and enjoyed how it was detailed. The author did an amazing job holding my interest. I wanted to keep reading and I liked each chapter. I got to know the main character and I really thought her story was interesting. It was definitely a more corporate book than I'm used to, but it was enjoyable. I think this will be a really popular book when it comes out. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because I thought the last 40 pages could have been stretched out into twice that much. There wasn't a bang of a climactic moment, but that's ok.