Author: C.E. Grundler
Hazel grew up on the road with her truck-driver dad. Smart and feisty, and definitely lacking any sort of impulse-control, Hazel confronts a twisted conspiracy head-on. When her cousin goes MIA and the shady goons hunting him come looking for her, Hazel dives into the mess swinging.
You all know I have a bias against self-published book. Very rarely do I have a good experience reading one, or even dealing with the authors of self-pubbed books. I am so happy to be able to say Grundler and her book are shining examples of what self-published books should look, read, and behave like.
The story grabs you from the first page. Hazel is one of the best characters I’ve come across in a long time. She’s fearless, slightly psycho, but has this sweet vulnerable side that draws the reader into her life and refuses to let go. The whole book reads like you’re watching a movie. You see everything just as the author wants you to, in HD detail! I can honestly say it’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long, long time. Hazel is just the coolest heroine. Stuck in the middle of a conspiracy, she finds herself doubting everyone she knows and trusts, sometimes with tragic results. It’s hard to say much because a lot of the twists are out of nowhere and breath-stealing.
Last Exit has everything—a bit of romance, horror, mystery, drama, and lots of dark humor. The characters are weird, but completely believable. Otto is so crazy, but sympathetic enough that you will love him, once you figure out what his goals are. It’s a little bit heartbreaking when you find out about Annabel, but once you follow through on that twist, it’ll leave you with a smile on your face.
The one thing about this book that kept it so captivating was the question “So who’s the bad guy, and is he really bad?”. Hazel has her unreasonable moments that make you want to clench your eyes shut so you don’t have to watch. Grundler does such a great job keeping the reader waffling back and forth on who the ‘villain’ really is. Hazel is an ingenious protagonist—she’s smart and funny and dead-set on saving Micah. When she sets her sights on revenge, she will turn hell upside down to make sure she gets it. She’s not above using boobytraps and switchblades to exact revenge.
The book is a double mystery. The main question, the one that sets up the entire situation, is “Who set Micah up?”. The plot evolves, and we had in “Who is Otto?” and “Who is Stevenson, and what does Otto have to do with him?”. Even deeper into the book, and we open up more cans of worms.
One problem a lot of self-published authors have with their books is the inability to not throw in every plot device and then the kitchen sink. Last Exit is chock full of story—there isn’t a page that turns without something happening. The great thing about this book is that every event moves the story forward until you’re flying along, trying to figure out what the hell is happening to Hazel. Grundler is an excellent writer with amazing potential. If she continues writing, she would be insane not to submit to agents and publishers. The only slight dissatisfaction I had with the book was the very end. I wanted something more concrete! The ending suited the story, but my imagination demanded something more firm.
I absolutely love this book. I actually had to ask the author whether it was self-published or not, because the editing is spot-on (with the exception of a misspelled word), both technically, contextually, and line editing, and the story is just so damned good. Grundler could have had a problem with info-dump, especially regarding the trucks and boats, but she wove it into the story marvelously. If you like dark, twisted stories and fresh, exciting characters, you’ll love it.
Rating: (4 out of 5):
