Strange Exit

by Parker Peevyhouse

Strange Exit is Parker Peevyhouse's next suspenseful, near-future, stand-alone thriller, perfect for fans of Kass Morgan's The 100 and Patrick Ness's More Than This

Seventeen-year-old Lake spends her days searching a strange, post-apocalyptic landscape for people who have forgotten one very important this isn’t reality. Everyone she meets is a passenger aboard a ship that’s been orbiting Earth since a nuclear event. The simulation that was supposed to prepare them all for life after the apocalypse has trapped their minds in a shared virtual reality and their bodies in stasis chambers.

No one can get off the ship until all of the passengers are out of the sim, and no one can get out of the sim unless they believe it's a simulation. It's up to Lake to help them remember.

When Lake reveals the truth to a fellow passenger, seventeen-year-old Taren, he joins her mission to find everyone, persuade them that they’ve forgotten reality, and wake them up. But time’s running out before the simulation completely deconstructs, and soon Taren’s deciding who’s worth saving and who must be sacrificed for the greater good. Now, Lake has no choice but to pit herself against Taren in a race to find the secret heart of the sim, where something waits that will either save them or destroy them all.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Space, Mystery Thriller, Speculative Fiction

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2020

About the author

Parker Peevyhouse is likely trying to solve a puzzle at this very moment, probably while enjoying In-N-Out fries, admiring redwood trees, and quoting movies about sentient robots. Parker's critically acclaimed collection of novellas, WHERE FUTURES END, was named a best book for teens by the New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, and Bank Street. Kirkus gave her science fiction puzzle-thriller, THE ECHO ROOM, a starred review, calling it "a thrilling ride." Her most recent novel is STRANGE EXIT, which Booklist called "compulsively readable" in another starred review. A former bookseller, Parker lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she currently works in education.

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The topic and setting of virtual reality seemes all rage now with multiple books exploring this subject coming out this winter. Well, science-fiction by its nature is the genre that looks into near future and explores what problems we might have if we stay on our current course.
So, the premise of this book is something I was fascinated by and invested in. I also liked the pace.
Pick this book, if you are interested in survival stories and virtual reality and like exploring big ideas in sci-fi context. It won't disappoint, as the author is obviously very talented and original.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor Teen for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange Exit by Parker Peevyhouse is a young adult science fiction fantasy. The story is a futuristic one taking place in space after a nuclear event happened on Earth. However, the setting in most of it is a virtual reality dystopian world the characters are stuck in.

Seventeen-year-old Lake is aware she is a passenger aboard a space ship that holds the survivors from Earth. Lake however spends her days searching the post-apocalyptic virtual world that the other passengers are stuck within and not remembering their own reality aboard the ship. It’s been up to Lake to find her fellow passengers and try to help them remember they are in the simulation and bring them out of it.

The thing I found with Strange Exit by Parker Peevyhouse was that the setting seemed to be done well with the virtual world but it almost felt the characters were somewhat forgotten compared to that. There were so many involved in the story and very few seemed to have any depth that it was one that was hard to connect to their stories. So while I generally love virtual reality stories this one was just so-so for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Lilith Black Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

E-ARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

  Actual rating: 3.5⭐

PROS:
• Great virtual reality setting. This was so good that actually, a few times it was hard to tell whether I was in the book's reality or in the virtual one. Does this make sense to you? Because in my head when I formed the idea, it sounded way much better! But I think you know what I mean. Anyway, just for this reason only, I am gonna increase my initial rating from 3⭐ to 3.5⭐! Oh, and, for some reason, at some points this book reminded me of Warcross by Marie Lu, thing that it's very good since I absolutely loved that one!
• The sibling theme. Having myself a sister, I really felt the sibling connection and completely understood Lake's impossibility to let go of certain things. Though some people might tend to say that this is too much at some points, thing that I, myself, felt it, saw as a hole it will change your opinion.

CONS:
• The ending was something like "OMG, how can this happe..." FINISH! Wha... how... This is all?! By mistake, I got the shorter E-ARC with some 10-15 ish fewer pages?! Where is the emotion? Where are the images, the words? That is not a finish! Give us a proper one, PLEASE! This kind of finish:
"Who are we?
Readers!
What do we want?
To cry our soul out with happiness because we FEEL the finish of this book!"
• Lack of description for some key characters. Such as Ransom and Taren. I feel like if these two only would have been more developed, then things would have completely changed the rules of this game! They felt fade, without color. And also, Taren? What happened to him?
• For some reason was a little hard for me to get into the book. Took me about 25-30% from the start to feel comfortable and to stop finding myself thinking at pumpkins while reading.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
• For a person that wants to get more into Sci-Fi, I find this book to be great to start with. It's not too much but not too little either. Yes, it's having some low key points, but this doesn't mean at all that it's not enjoyable, or it's not worthing your time. Because it does. And who knows, before the publication date some things will be improved and this will turn out to be your next favorite book or first 2020 favorite! Anyway, I think I can safely say that this one it's almost, with some certain changes, a very good introduction into Sci-Fi and/or virtual reality world.

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[rachel, x · Rating 3 out of 5]

quick thoughts:

• The plot captivated me from the very first chapter.
• It kept me on my toes. I could never pinpoint which direction the story was going to take, and it ended up shocking me! which is always a bonus (and hard to do)
• .... though the plot twists didn't really pack the punch they could of if i had any kind of emotional investment in the characters.
• Lake & Taren were flat protagonists. They never felt like real, fleshed-out people with emotions & motivations beyond what we were told.
• Same with the secondary characters. Willow & Ransom had no personality.
• It was intriguing though and kept me reading. I sped through it pretty quickly, despite preferring a descriptive writing style over a fast-moving plotline.
• I could not tell you what a single character looked like.
• The virtual reality setting was done perfectly, in the sense that I did question what was real and what wasn’t and was slightly confused at all moments.
• definitely recommend to fans of Warcross and Dreamfall

➸ Trigger warnings for grief depiction, death of a mother, sister & brother recounted, murder, explosion recounted, fire, death by a fall (op), spaceship crash recounted, war themes, nuclear warfare discussed and animal death mentioned.

◯ Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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[Ashley (gotbookcitement) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review to Come

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5
I received an e-arc from the publisher for honest review. Thank you Tor Teen.

I liked this. I thought it was an interesting story. I don't know if everyone would like this because it does throw you into the middle of an ongoing situation. I really enjoyed the Virtual Reality angle as well as the dying spaceship.

[The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori)]

DNF @ 20%

I am having a hard time getting into this story. So far, there is no character development and there doesn't seem to be enough context for what is happening in the book. There is some MG humour that has me shaking my head as well. Fart jokes aren't my cup of tea.

[Shannon Miz · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
3.5*

Um excuse me, do we all see those comps? "Strange Exit is Parker Peevyhouse's next suspenseful, near-future, stand-alone thriller, perfect for fans of Kass Morgan's The 100 and Patrick Ness's More Than This". Yeah, that is obviously going to the top of my TBR. And I will say, that it absolutely had vibes of those two books, so while it's high praise, it's also earned.

This is my favorite of Peevyhouse's books (each one better than the last actually which is really making me extra excited for her next one). Also like her other books, it's very hard to review without veering into spoiler territory. But I'll try!

What I Liked:

• So it really does give off those The 100 vibes! Definitely more the Kass Morgan version than the Jason Rothenburg version (ie, a little tamer which is totally fine, just worth noting) but it's set in space as these kids are trying to get back to Earth after a cataclysmic event. Now, it's safe to return, only there's a holdup. And I am absolutely a sucker for this type of story, so I was loving it!

• It's fast-paced and engaging, making it a quick read. Honestly I needed to know what was going to be come of (possibly) what was left of humanity. And sure, I wanted to know for our individual main characters Lake and Taren, but I won't pretend I didn't care a wee bit more about the human race 🤷‍♀️

• The simulations were really imaginative! Like, what would you dream up? I think it shed so much light on each character (even some of the more minor ones) where they'd choose to go and such. So fascinating!

• There were twists! I shan't talk about them but things definitely didn't get boring, ever.

• I loved the ferocity of which Lake cared for her sister. I mean. Bellamy Blake, anyone?

What I Didn't:

• Okay I did need more worldbuilding. Like, what I got I loved, I just needed more. More details on the end of the world, and then like, more details about after. I know I am being vague, but it's on purpose and I just wanted more details okay? Maybe a sequel? I'd totally be up for a sequel!

• I would have liked to be a bit more connected to the characters. I liked them well enough, I just didn't feel like I truly knew them, you know? Which is kind of to be expected, at least to some extent, as they're in simulations and just trying to not die most of the time.

Bottom Line: Fast paced, fun, and entertaining, I'd definitely recommend it, even if sci-fi isn't usually your jam.

[LW · Rating 5 out of 5]

I said that I was ready for mind-bending alternate realities and crazy twists...but wow, I was not prepared for this level of awesomeness.

Strange Exit was everything I hoped it would be.

It was unputdownable, and I read it in a day--and it was a busy day, at that. There was so much intrigue and suspense, and the stakes kept getting higher and higher. This book made me question what was reality and what was virtual, my head spun around and around, I made theories that were proven wrong...

And then I reached the end. After hours of guessing, it was all revealed, and it was just the kind of ending I expected from Parker Peevyhouse. An ending that put it all in perspective, and had me looking back on the story with a newfound understanding I never expected.

If you want a thriller that will keep you guessing to the end, or a virtual reality/alternate dimension book, Strange Exit is the one.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS COMES OUT TOMORROW. GO GET IT.











very smart, very sad meditation on a dying planet that we all love very much, but throw in a lone kernel of brilliant hope.

cue "i just wasn't made for these times" playing over interior shot of a raggedy spaceship with flickering lights

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from netgalley! I had been trying to read this book for months on ebook but just couldn’t push myself to get through it on ebook format. I’m more of a physical book and audiobook person. Once I picked this book up from my library and read the first chapter I didn’t want to stop! Lake, Willow and the other characters were written very well. I loved the fact that I could compare this book to The Maze Runner and Illuminae. This book definitely could’ve been the two of those books plus Across the Universe all into one compact book! It blew my mind and I definitely need to read more of Parker Peevyhouse’s novels as they are released!

[Kira Simion · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a complimentary ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I hope that one day Netgalley will have a preview of the stories on their website. Even a few pages would help a lot.

Definitely my fault for this one.

The moment the first page's words hit my eyes, I knew this would be a bumpy ride for me as what I thought would happen would be an action packed scenes from the get-go. I was also for a heartfelt moment from the realization that this was not the true reality, but a virtual one (as described in the blurb).

Off to a rocky start, we can see the character meet more characters and it is nice and we can tell who is who, but that is it. I can not say I felt anything for them as I did not feel as if they were: 1. in true danger, 2. 3D like as the only things I knew were what the author told me, and 3. there were more POVs than cared for since there were more characters than I wanted (or needed?).

I absolutely wanted to like this because of the blurb. Who doesn't want to read about a whole world full of people that believe in the lives they have now even though we are told right from the start that it is a false place that will not last forever? It is falling apart as we read and only those who leave the safety of what they've always known will live.

This author is someone who I see has amazing ideas for books, so I will definitely be on the lookout for her other stories.

[Suzanne Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

STRANGE EXIT was my first read of 2020! I breezed through this fast-paced, chilling sci-fi tween novel by @parkerpeevy! It had me turning pages late into the night, wondering at the fate of Lake and her friends, trapped on an ill-fated spaceship and caught between reality and an all-too-enticing simulation/virtual reality program. With survival/dystopian themes ala “The 100” plus a gripping dash of “Ready Player One” thrown in for good measure, this book was a thrill to read!

[Carrie (brightbeautifulthings) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Macmillan-Tor/Forge. Trigger warnings: death, parent/sibling death, violence, mild body horror, injury, grief, trauma, survivor’s guilt, bullying.

Lake spends every day wandering a post-apocalyptic world, looking for survivors. The catch is that the world isn’t real; it’s a simulation, and everyone has forgotten that they’re in it. When the nuclear apocalypse happened on Earth, Lake and a number of other teenagers boarded a ship to orbit the planet in stasis until it was safe to return. But the ship is failing, and the only way to regain control of it is to wake the sleepers. The only way to wake the sleepers is to convince them that they’re in a simulation. A fellow passenger, Taren, joins her in her mission to wake the rest of the ship, but the more Lake and Taren use the sim, the less connected they are to reality and the easier it is to lose themselves completely.

I enjoyed Peevyhouse’s last novel, The Echo Room, and Strange Exit reaffirms most of my initial impressions. She’s a solid YA science fiction writer, and if science fiction were more popular right now, I have a feeling a lot more readers would know her name. I’m not even that big of a sci-fi fan, so the fact that she continues to make it interesting and engaging says a lot. The science is always realistic enough to be believable but still accessible to a novice. The technology is intricate and well-developed, but I never feel like it’s going over my head. It’s a delicate balance to strike, and she makes it look effortless.

The characters are strong as well. Lake and Taren feel realistically like teenagers who are trying to solve problems that are way bigger than them. They often don’t know what to do, and they sometimes make terrible choices. Lake is particularly well-characterized in her grief over losing her sister back on Earth and her unwillingness to let her go in the simulation, even when she knows it’s hurting her. I don’t feel like we get to know Taren quite as well, and his character takes a somewhat abrupt turn near the end of the novel that doesn’t have as much build-up as it needs to feel plausible. The nice thing is that there’s no hint of romance between them. They’re more allies than friends, bound by a common cause and heavy doses of survivor’s guilt.

Plot-wise, I enjoyed the mystery aspects of the novel more than the action scenes that populate the end. We know that characters are hiding things, perhaps even from themselves, and that the more they use the simulation, the less reliable they are. There are secrets piled on top of secrets: what happened to Lake’s sister, why other people are having Lake’s dreams, what exactly is going on with Ransom–who knows he’s in a sim but still can’t leave it–and it was these that kept me going throughout the novel. There are layers to everything. The ending happens rather quickly and fails to provide closure on one of the major characters, who isn’t present in the last scenes. I was wishing for another chapter or two to help flesh this out and answer any remaining questions. Regardless, it’s a lovely, entertaining read from an underrated author.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

[Jypsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

REVIEW ☆☆☆
Strange Exit is strange indeed. I thought I would like this story much more than I did. I was lost and just not into the premise. I think maybe virtual reality is not my thing. It's not the story, rather I'm not the right person to read this book. If virtual reality is your thing, you will likely enjoy this book. It wasn't for me!

[Hannah // Book Nerd Native · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was really fun, really unique, and I really enjoyed the story! The book was atmospheric, and this dystopian universe completely sucked me in and kept me reading. The characters fell a little short in comparison to the setting and the world building, but I was still able to enjoy the story regardless. This book totally gave me THE 100 vibes, which I was super into!

[Roberta R. (Offbeat YA) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.

Pros: Complex but believable VR setting, painted in mind-blowing details. Sometimes flawed, yet well-meaning and brave teens who will tug at your heart. Strong sibling theme. Twists and turns galore.
Cons: The ending feels a little rushed.
Will appeal to: Those who are fascinated by virtual reality and survival stories. Those who like books with a strong accent on family and a minimal amount of romance.

First off...DISCLAIMER: this title was up for grabs on NetGalley (in the Read Now section). Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge/Tor Teen for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

THE GREAT ESCAPE

I know that many readers who prefer contemporary and/or fantasy are intimidated by sci-fi. But with Peevyhouse's books (she has three under her belt) it's not the case. You're not fed theories or technical explanations of how things work. In this particular book, you're swallowed into a futuristic setting and a sophisticated digital simulation you don't need to know the rules of, and you're in for an adventure - AND a love story in the widest sense. I don't know if the kind of virtual reality depicted in this book could ever get developed (which is a scary thought, if you ask me, because it feels so mesmerising and, well, real), but what I know is, I was able to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the ride, and I never once questioned the hows and ifs and whys. I think the most notable aspect of this virtual world is that it replicates the alleged post-apocalyptic reality of our planet (the result of a nuclear fallout), and still there are patches of beauty and safe spots the kids connected to it were able to create, and powerful illusions, and impossible escapes (the "strange exits" the book is named after) - but you can escape only for so long before reality catches up with you. (Also, in case you're wondering, the author came up with a logical - if cruel - reason for adults not to be around...). [...]

Whole review here.

[Queen Cronut]

DNF @ 47%

I really wanted to love Strange Exit (virtual reality and the near-future apocalypse? sign me up!) but it just didn't work for me and failed to hold my attention long enough to finish this one. I couldn't connect with the MC, Lake and there were too many POVs to keep track of. I never felt a sense of danger or urgency whilst reading this and the plot felt dull and unexciting. This book had a lot of great ideas but was lacking in its execution.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge publishers for providing a free ARC

[Shannon Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced, imaginative read—I was completely hooked! I really loved Peevyhouse's depictions of a close sister relationship, and the descriptions of the setting hit that perfect balance of giving the reader a clear understanding of the setting/stakes without being too heavy-handed. Put this on your TBR now!

[Gordon Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

If it’s one thing I can count on from Parker Peevyhouse it's that once I open one of her books, it will be impossible to put down. Somehow she manages to take mind-bending scenarios and turn them into gripping thrillers. This is especially true in her latest, Strange Exit. I loved the world she has created here, one that tests the characters’ (and this reader’s) ability to distinguish fantasy from reality. At the start of the novel, earth has been destroyed by nuclear war, leaving only a spaceship of mostly young people in stasis as they wait for the planet to heal itself. While in stasis, the characters spend their time in a simulated reality (the sim) that is way more appealing than the bleak reality they face on the ship. But the ship is starting to break down and the sim may be the cause. Now Lake, a teenage girl orphaned by earth’s destruction, must convince the ship’s inhabitants to leave the sim and come back to reality before supplies run out and their ship falls apart. This gets progressively harder for her as the more time she spends the sim, the harder it is for her to leave. Her little sister is there, as are two boys who may be the secret to saving everyone. Or destroying everything.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reality is not what it seems in this strange, sort of post apocalyptic novel.

Lane has spent a long time trying to free people from a virtual sim. Real life isn't much better; they're trapped on a damaged and failing space ship in orbit around a devastated Earth. Until everyone is out of the sim, the ship won't let them leave, but where are they going, and how can she persuade people to leave what seems like paradise to enter Hell?


A strange read, this one. I love the concept, but the writing leaves something to be desired. The locations are described beautifully, I could really picture them, but the characters aren't described at all and the backstory is sketchy. At the end, when revelations are piling on, I couldn't really follow what was happening; partly because the POV character was in shock and not processing properly, and partly because it just wasn't clear. And, like a lot of reviewers, I'm curious what happened to Taran? He just vanished!

It's a fascinating concept, but I'm afraid the story just doesn't live up to it.

[Katherine Hardisty-Cranstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive a free copy in an Instagram giveway and let me just say! The premise for this book was amazing. I really enjoyed the fast paced action of the plot.

The story is about a girl named Lake who is trying to rescue her fellow ship mates from the depth of a simulation. They're all on a space ship after escaping nuclear winter on Earth. The sim was originally intended to acclimate people to what life will be like when they return, but with a failing ship, time is running out. People need to wake up. Or Doom them all.

There were times when I didn't quite understand what was going on, but that might be because I read very little SciFi. I do highly recommend this book and this author. Parker knows how to keep you reading late into the night.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Parker Peevyhouse's debut Where Futures End so I was really looking forward to trying Strange Exit. While I didn't quite enjoy this one as much, there's still a lot to like about it. I particularly like her writing style, all the twists, and visiting a world that's like The Matrix meets The 100 and Star Trek. I just wish I was more invested in the cast, and that we got just a little more in terms of world building. That would have really helped this new YA sci-fi novel stand out more from the crowd. Either way, the author's style is quite addictive and I'm looking forward to trying The Echo Room and her future projects.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was...fine. It's definitely written for young readers who won't notice or mind the distinct lack of character development or glaring plot holes. There are so many loose ends left untied. I found the ending extremely disappointed and disjointed. I worry about my 8th graders' ability to understand the plot, especially towards the end as reality blurs and flip flops. I could use a second opinion, but don't really want to rush out and recommend it.

[Elizabeth Mellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting. I had read Echo Room and enjoyed it - I like my thrillers to have a little sci-fi (or the other way around) and these fit well into that. This was a pretty quick, fun read, with a satisfying ending.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this new SciFi story, our main character of Lake is on a malfunctioning spaceship. In order to get it working again and head back to Earth, she must find the rest of the sleepers in The Sim and convince them that they are in stasis instead of their own created pockets of reality.
Even though I have never seen Inception, this book gave me those vibes of what I imagine that movie to be. I loved the weirdness of Lake walking from one pocket to something completely different and trying to figure out what would convince the sleepers to wake.
Obviously, this book has so much more depth than that, but I loved going into it without knowing much else, and it unfolded in such a fun way. I did not want to put it down because I just needed to get to the end.
Lake was our main character and our main POV; however, there were a few chapters from others' POVs, but I didn't feel like it helped the story much to have that. Especially since most of those extra POVs were one-off characters or chapters.
There were twists and turns that I both saw and didn't see coming, and I'm glad this was my first Peevyhouse read. While not a full 5 stars, it was a great book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Vighnesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be just okay for me. I wasn’t a huge fan of the main characters and I didn’t find their emotions to be so concrete as they changed so fast. The ending happened so fast and I didn’t have time to understand it and I still don’t fully understand it. Nothing really made me dislike the book but nothing made me like the book either so this book didn’t really do much for me and I’m feeling very neutral. The concept is very interesting and I would recommend if you’re interested because it wasn’t a bad book for me.

[Kjersti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a captivating story about a 17yo girl on a spaceship escaping nuclear winter on earth. A tech billionaire held a lottery for high school kids and sent them into a virtual reality stasis to wait for earth to recover. But they were in the virtual reality for so long it ended up being hard to figure out what was reality and what was virtual. It reminded me a bit of the movie Inception.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love post-apocalyptic type books and I LOVE The 100 show so of course was thrilled to read this book. A lot of great characters and strange goings-on in the novel but it worked well and I enjoyed it. An interesting and strange read that I recommend.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spännande när man väl läste den, men ingen som kommer att fastna hos mig. Tyckte att karaktärerna var väldigt platta, vilket gjorde att det var mer spänning att se hur författaren knöt ihop hela säcken för världsbygget mer än karaktärerna. Och det är väl alltid väldigt fascinerande med VR-världar?

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this more, but I just didn’t. I think the idea behind it is great, but this left me wanting. I like twisty books, but to not get to the answer until the last 10 pages left me frustrated.