Publishers Weekly
11/11/2019
In this postapocalyptic adventure set aboard a spaceship that houses the only survivors of a nuclear holocaust, a young woman continually delves into a virtual reality scenario to rescue the teens still trapped within its programming. Lake, 17, knows that the ship, which is swiftly breaking down and running short on supplies, can’t return to the Earth’s surface until everyone is released from the simulation. It’s getting harder, though, to find her companions in the virtual San Francisco they’ve created. Worse, odd glitches in the simulation mean that no one is safe, and Lake is risking her life by going back in. Even with a simulated version of her sister and the recently reawakened Taren to aid her, Lake may not be able to succeed before time runs out. As the story alternates between the dilapidated spaceship and the virtual world, Peevyhouse (The Echo Room) skillfully blurs boundaries and perceptions, with the simulation’s mutable reality hiding both questions and answers about what’s really transpiring. As Lake wonders about her own motives and secrets, the story becomes somewhat obscured in ambiguity, even as it explores the grief and trauma felt by these few survivors mourning their lost world. Ages 13–up. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
"This post-apocalyptic novel will have wide appeal amongst gamers and fans of this genre....Caught in a tangle of strangely surreal settings, readers will find themselves questioning what is real and what is a simulation." —School Library Connection
“The tension increases with each layer of reality Lake peels away. Compulsively readable.” —Booklist, starred review
"Strange Exit is an exciting entrée into science-fiction, a beautifully-written story sure to please the Trekkie, the X-Phile, or the most ardent of realists. Peevyhouse has invented a new genre: the VR space-romp. And I am very much here for it." —David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik
"The latest wildly imaginative novel from Parker Peevyhouse showcases her ability to create multiple alternate realities that ring true." —April Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl I Used to Be
“Strange Exit is the type of science fiction that I love—a wild ride of a book that forces you to question your own reality. For a second, I thought I was back in The Matrix. Whenever I need a new read that pushes the boundaries of sci-fi storytelling, I head to the Parker Peevyhouse shelf at the book store.” —Maura Milan, author of Ignite the Stars
“A haunting, atmospheric tale of family, bravery, and the realities we construct for ourselves, Strange Exit will stay with you long after you're finished reading.” —Emily Suvada, author of This Mortal Coil
“An intense and compelling portrait of a world in crisis, this book held me in thrall from the first page. Strange Exit is a hypnotic, genre-bending puzzle of a book, one I could not shake for days after reading. I never know where a Parker Peevyhouse book will take me, but I am forever compelled to follow.” —Emily Henry, author of The Love the Split the World
Praise for Parker Peevyhouse:
“A one-of-a-kind talent.” —Traci Chee, New York Times bestselling author of The Reader
“Peevyhouse is a master storyteller.” —Brittany Cavallaro, New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Charlotte
“Peevyhouse is a puzzle master.” —Aaron Starmer, author of The Riverman
MARCH 2020 - AudioFile
This reality-bending work of science fiction narrated by Caitlin Davies asks listeners to suspend disbelief as they follow characters in and out of a virtual-reality world. Davies's task is to keep listeners grounded while the story’s bizarre and convoluted events unfold. She nails the listeners feet to the ground by choosing to narrate in a straightforward voice that makes one think that everything is going to be fine. Many of the characters are literally trapped inside pods with wires in their heads, so Davies’s voice has a bit of an echo effect, which makes listeners feel as though they’re in pods, too. It is a clever trick that works well. A.R.F. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2019-09-23
A young woman must free those trapped in a simulation aboard a failing spaceship before it's too late.
It's been decades since Earth was devastated by nuclear war. A lottery granted a group of San Francisco teens the chance to board a billionaire's spaceship and remain in stasis until the Earth is ready for their return. But something has gone wrong with Paracosm, the simulation meant to provide a safe haven for their minds. The ship's systems are failing, food is running out, and if its inhabitants don't awaken, returning home might not be an option. Seventeen-year-old Lake is able to dip in and out of the sim without losing herself, and when she rescues a boy named Taren, he insists on helping—but the sim, and some within it, has other ideas. The landscape is shot through with a pervasive sense of dread that follows Lake and Taren as they navigate the often dangerous corners of the Paracosm. However, the inevitable twist offers little surprise, and the narrative grows fuzzy toward the end. Still, Peevyhouse (The Echo Room, 2018, etc.) deftly explores the grief that Lake and Taren carry for their home planet and the loved ones they left behind, which inevitably shapes their virtual world. Most characters are white, but some diversity is suggested through names of secondary characters.
A not-quite-satisfying but still heady trip into a creepy, surreal virtual world. (Science fiction. 13-18)
