Customer Reviews

Exit Here

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I did. I stayed up all night to read this. I picked it up to 'start' it. Little did I know it would suck me in so fast. I won't give a report about Travis and his life or his love life or his low life friend/s. I will just say I loved this book. I was disturbed, educated, a little shocked in spots, moved, and did I mention sucked in? A really great read.

"Inhale. Exhale."
And the events of Travis Wayne's life unfold.

In Exit Here, Myers tell the story of Travis Wayne as he arrives home for the summer after his fist year away at college. Throughout the book, Travis struggles to come to terms with the truth and reality of his life and his future. Enough with my plot synopsis; read the book and find out what happens. Now, on to my opinion of the book:

First of all, this book is awesome. I don't know why you are sitting on your computer reading my review when you should be reading this book, but if you need more convincing I will go on. When I first got the book, I was a little wary of the length. I mean, how can a book with over 400 pages be fun and exciting. Well, in Exit Here something happens on every page. After the first few pages, I didn't want to put it down; so I wasn't astonished when I finished it in 2 days. This book is a true page-turner.

What makes the book so fun to read is all the pop-culture references. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much while reading a book; it was great! How can you not love a book that makes fun of a former member of NKOTB! AWESOME!!!

It is not all laughs either. Besides it being a hilarious story, it also tackles difficult issues of growing up and learning responsibility while facing sex, drug, and alcohol abuse. I think it is sometimes hard for a novel to both be funny and have a strong thematic message, but Myers is able to accomplish this beautifully. He so seamlessly creates a world in which all the characters exist. By the time I finished the book, I felt like I knew Travis and all his friends. It's weird because I felt like their lives continued even when the book ended. Myers is truly a talented writer in this aspect.

If you like reading good books, read Exit Here.

Would any teen really get the references in this book? I did, but I'm in my 30s. Saved By the Bell? My So Called Life? James Spader--I mean, really? I laughed at a lot of them, true, but I thought they'd go right over a younger person's head. And unfortunately those moments of humor were the only saving graces of the book--Myers glorifies casual sex and drug use to the extreme and it's not even the main character who truly pays the price, only his friends who fall very predictably one by one around him. This is a shallower version of what has been done before (like the movie "Kids" and on from there) with lots of extraneous pop culture thrown in. Does Myers work for Vice magazine, or what?

I read about the first 40 pages of this book. Then, sensing what I was up against, I flipped forward about 20 pages. Yep, that page could just as well have been the next page. So I skipped forward about 30 more pages. Same thing. All the way to the end. The afterword is much too little, too late to save it.

I was originally drawn to this book because the author is a relative of a friend. For that reason, and to write an accurate review, I did go back and read the whole thing.

This is fiction that makes you think you could be reading the diary of a real 19 year old loser. The author should be given props for this at least, because his bio doesn't give the impression that this book could be a semi-autobiography. The book DOES parallel real life. I've known people like the characters in this book and the protagonist. They're annoying, juvenile, and repetitive. It's no wonder they have to do so many drugs - they have to in order to put up with themselves and their friends. I felt almost as annoyed reading this book as I do around these people in real life. Perhaps that was the author's intention. There's nothing glaringly bad about the writing (nothing particularly noteworthy either).

See another review about the tedious listing of nobody bands and hipster apparel.

The author does create believable dialogue. For this I will look for his next book. But if it's not radically different in outlook and worldview (and tedious room and clothing descriptions), I'm not going to struggle through it.

This book and its characters perhaps warrant a quote from the Boomer Bible. It speaks directly about characters such as this, and perhaps those who find this a great read.

"We don't care what they say, at all, because they are disgusting to us, and it doesn't really matter if they still know how to read or not, or if they can understand writing that doesn't have cute scenes in it, or charming losers dancing on the brink of doom, because we're not interested in being liked, whether they like it or not. We're interested in leaving a record, for the ones who will come later, the ones who will have to start over, when they have finished rotting everything to pieces."

The Book of They, Ch. 9, vv. 1-12

at first i thought, cool, nice title, immediately brings to mind that whole "less than zero" thing that i thought was so cool as a teenager back in the late '80s. then on reading the above excerpt, i realised that over 400 pages of bret ellis ripoff might be a bit hard to take...

Honestly, I can't believe the ratings and reviews for this book are so high. I got a used copy out of lost and found and I'm glad I didn't spend my money on it. Even as books on drug cultures go, it isn't even well written. The convoluted storyline doesn't have enough meat to keep going. I just started keeping a running tab on the product placement for underground bands. Really, is mentioning every single cd playing in a house, car or bar necessary?
Go read Crank or Smack instead.

I would rather give it zero stars. The author tries so hard to garner sympathy for the main character. Boohoo, your friends use you for money, boohoo your dad wants you to be successful and not screw up your life. Boohoo this, boohoo that. It was a book about some rich spoiled coke head brat. Books about rich people who have everything and a perfect life, and screw it up are so cliche. The author tries so hard to talk about underground bands, and clothes, and all things hipsterness, yet at the same time trying to be so above hipsterness. Which is such a hipster thing to do. It was practically the hipster bible, so if you're a hipster, you'll like it. I'm all for drugs and sex in books, but this guy just tried way too much and it all ended up simply raunchy. Remember, keep it classy kids. I can't believe I actually spent money on this book. I wish I could burn it, but that's unethical... but so is reading this book...

Open up a copy of "Exit Here" and here is what you're likely to find on any given page:

- A detailed description of one or more characters doing cocaine... again
- A head-to-toe description of what a hipster kid is wearing
- Senseless, outdated pop culture references such as full-episode recaps of "Saved By the Bell" or Vincent Gallo movies
- A young, priviledged, cosmetically beautiful teenager whining about how terrible their life is because of things they willingly take part in on a daily basis (drugs, partying, drinking, promiscuous sex, etc...)
- The oh-so-clever gimmick of not using quotes to outline what the main character may or may not be saying or thinking

"Exit Here" wants you to feel bad for the main character, Travis. Really, he has an extremely tough life: He is bloody rich, he lives in a gigantic house, he has tons of friends and could get a free ride to any school he wanted to. But he gets caught up in drugs, sex, murders, abortions and various other things because of decisions he could have easily avoided making. I felt no sympathy for him whatsoever. In all honesty, he really just needed a good slap in the face.

All the supporting characters are one-dimensional. Just a cast of a bunch of teenagers who do stupid things, reflect on it for about three seconds when something bad happens (like someone dying), but ultimately end up learning nothing and don't change for the better. I can't believe a book with no character development like this even made it past the first editing run.

The build up to what actually happened on his Hawaiian vacation at the end was such a let down, too. It was way too easy to guess. I was hoping the author would really hit me with something unexpected, something that would justify forcing my way through 400 pages of self-indulgent crap. But no, just another "woe is me" story that came about from Travis doing a lot of drugs. I want those hours of my life back, please.

I didn't feel sorry for Travis. I feel sorry for anyone who forced their way through the 400+ pages of total garbage.

I am not much of a reader but I could nt put this book down I have now finished all three and can't wait for another! It may be dark and depressing but it is how each story ends that makes you think you can do the right thing at the right time.

Except Exit Here was unlike any other captivation I have ever experienced from a book. Jason Myers writing may be a little difficult to follow at first, but after getting used to his style, the book will never leave your hands. I received this book two days ago... If I had not paced myself and talked myself into not skipping my college classes, I probably would have stayed in and read it all in one sitting. This book is that good. If you're a fan of screwed up lives, explicit actions that shouldn't be read without a warning, and cursing like you wouldn't believe than trust me, this book is for you.