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A review by the_coycaterpillar_reads
Exit by Belinda Bauer
4.0
Exit by Belinda Bauer was a testament to humour and the conflicting need to do the right thing. Felix, a man that has known his share of hardship in the world with the deaths of both his wife and son longs to do some good in the world. He watched his son depart painfully and doesn’t wish to see others in that position, so after much deliberation, he joins the exiteers. A group that believes stringently in euthanasia and the right to choose. Bauer has created a tightly plotted and dark story that shows investigates the complexities of aided suicide.
Exit is as complex as it is touching. Aided Euthanasia is a hot topic, but Bauer tackles it with black humour and grief. Felix is a retired 75-year-old who is allocated a client to sit with while they take their final breath. They are not allowed to aid them in taking their life, they only sit and watch, provide comfort, and a feeling of not being alone. They only have one guideline – to stay within the confines of the law. It’s always gone to plan until one day he gets a new colleague, Amanda and they attend the suicide of Skipper Cann.
Felix is in a real sticky position. He doesn’t know what to do. Nothing has ever gone wrong and now he is faced with the unbelievable. He runs, not knowing if it is the right thing to do or not, he panics. He needs to get away and reassess just what has happened and why it’s gone wrong. He needs to take stock, contact his boss, and get advice. Should he hand himself in to the police or should he be lying low? He wishes his wife was still around to help, she would know what to do.
Exit excels in its characterisation. Felix is a wonderful man, who is constantly thinking of others, incredibly mannerly, and with a moral compass that never wavers. His inner voice had me cracking up and I found myself warming to him immediately. The kind of man that everyone would want as a grandparent.
DC Calvin Bridge is a character not as heart-warming as Felix, but he has his charm. He is temporarily in charge of running the investigation (albeit reluctantly) he has his problems, a troubling history but a keen and caring attitude to policing.
Exit was dark, gripping with a healthy injection of black humour. A story that is unswerving in its character-based narrative, its contemporary nature makes the reader face up to the obscene realities of death and grief.
Exit is as complex as it is touching. Aided Euthanasia is a hot topic, but Bauer tackles it with black humour and grief. Felix is a retired 75-year-old who is allocated a client to sit with while they take their final breath. They are not allowed to aid them in taking their life, they only sit and watch, provide comfort, and a feeling of not being alone. They only have one guideline – to stay within the confines of the law. It’s always gone to plan until one day he gets a new colleague, Amanda and they attend the suicide of Skipper Cann.
Felix is in a real sticky position. He doesn’t know what to do. Nothing has ever gone wrong and now he is faced with the unbelievable. He runs, not knowing if it is the right thing to do or not, he panics. He needs to get away and reassess just what has happened and why it’s gone wrong. He needs to take stock, contact his boss, and get advice. Should he hand himself in to the police or should he be lying low? He wishes his wife was still around to help, she would know what to do.
Exit excels in its characterisation. Felix is a wonderful man, who is constantly thinking of others, incredibly mannerly, and with a moral compass that never wavers. His inner voice had me cracking up and I found myself warming to him immediately. The kind of man that everyone would want as a grandparent.
DC Calvin Bridge is a character not as heart-warming as Felix, but he has his charm. He is temporarily in charge of running the investigation (albeit reluctantly) he has his problems, a troubling history but a keen and caring attitude to policing.
Exit was dark, gripping with a healthy injection of black humour. A story that is unswerving in its character-based narrative, its contemporary nature makes the reader face up to the obscene realities of death and grief.