Reviews with content warning for Cancer - Exit

Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Exit by Belinda Bauer

9 reviews

secre's review against another edition

challenging emotional lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Exit is a funny yet poignant novel centred around the premise of an assisted suicide gone wrong. Felix, mid seventies, widower and Vilomah if we want to use the same Sanskrit basis for the description of a loss of a child. He's sat by many, many bedsides over the years. A comforting presence, but not one who can do anything but watch and wait. The problem first arises when his new colleague catches the canister, passing it to the man they are overseeing the death of, thereby making herself directly culpable in his death. The second problem that arises however is larger still; the man who died isn't the one who contracted them. The canister was in the wrong room.

Felix finds himself unexpectedly on the run from the police, even as he tries to piece together exactly what happened and why. DC Calvin Bridge is asking very similar questions and the answers aren't forthcoming. The plot thickens and both Felix and DC Bridge find themselves unearthing secrets somebody is keen to stay buried. What started as a murder investigation becomes much wider and Bauer does show case just how many ways in which assisted euthanasia can be manipulated and abused.

I genuinely found this both entertaining and well written, it's a dark topic and Bauer certainly doesn't shy away from it; Felix's own losses through his life are depicted well, as are the reasons he volunteers as an Exiteer. The depictions of ageing and wanting to die on your own terms are done well. The characterisations are excellent; not just that of Felix, but of many of the supporting characters. Where I felt the novel lost it's way slightly was how convoluted it got by the end; whilst it was still enjoyable, I think it could have been better without the detour down some rather more random garden paths. The message behind it would have been less obscured by the other aspects as well.

All in all though, this was a good read and one I firmly enjoyed. It's surprisingly funny for a book about assisted suicide, and I thought the more serious topics were handled well.

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scribblinginthemargins's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A charming cosy murder mystery with a twist - the whodunnit may have been a little disappointing in the end but the warm and loveable Felix Pink easily makes up for this!

I really enjoyed how the author manages to reflect on some very difficult and emotive topics like assisted suicide and terminal illness yet also create loveable and humourous characters with plenty of laughs along the way. Exit does what The Thursday Murder Club tried (and imo failed) to deliver: creating a charming cosy crime mystery with a vibrant cast of older characters and it was so much fun to see Felix and his neighbour embracing adventure and new experiences in later life. An unusually wholesome read for such a heavy concept!

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dixiecarroll's review against another edition

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slow-paced

2.5

I’m sorry but this was so boring to me… I tried so hard to pay attention but every character was similarly written and I could never tell what mattered and what didn’t. It had great potential to discuss the complexities of assisted suicide but it instead was treated as murder. Idk I can see how it might work for others but I was bored to tears.

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ruth_power's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I'd recommend this to anybody who likes crime-comedy novels with laugh out loud moments. Some charming characters, especially the protagonist Felix, with a light writing style.

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