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A review by shirleonelsie
No Exit by Taylor Adams
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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? No
2.0
I'm conflicted about this book. I really enjoyed it - the plot was exciting, I was left guessing for a lot of it - but...
BUT
The use of the r-slur, n-slur and a chinese-slur (the latter used many times, as the name of a fictional location) colored this book gray for me. While they were all used by a character who - if this was a real person, probably would talk like this - there wasn't a whole lot of explanation or detracting from the other characters in the book. Granted, only the latter mentioned one was said allowed to anyone else but it still felt very shoe-horned in. Like the author took advantage of creating a character who would say these things just so he could say them. And that feels smarmy.
If it wasn't for those, I honestly think I'd give them a high 4 maybe 5 star rating. If those slurs were used and there was some explanation or backlash from other characters - something that let's me know the author truly understands that the use of those words is NOT OKAY - then maybe, just maybe, I could let it slide. But that isn't how this feels.
(I use other reading apps, so you may see this again!)
BUT
The use of the r-slur, n-slur and a chinese-slur (the latter used many times, as the name of a fictional location) colored this book gray for me. While they were all used by a character who - if this was a real person, probably would talk like this - there wasn't a whole lot of explanation or detracting from the other characters in the book. Granted, only the latter mentioned one was said allowed to anyone else but it still felt very shoe-horned in. Like the author took advantage of creating a character who would say these things just so he could say them. And that feels smarmy.
If it wasn't for those, I honestly think I'd give them a high 4 maybe 5 star rating. If those slurs were used and there was some explanation or backlash from other characters - something that let's me know the author truly understands that the use of those words is NOT OKAY - then maybe, just maybe, I could let it slide. But that isn't how this feels.
(I use other reading apps, so you may see this again!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death of parent, Gore, Murder, Racism, Violence, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Animal cruelty, and Injury/Injury detail
Use of n-slur, r-slur, and a chinese-slur