Book review by Corey
Exit Strategy
Exit Strategy brings Murderbot back toward the people from the first book after it learns that Dr. Mensah may be in serious trouble because of what happened on GrayCris. Instead of staying safely out of the way, Murderbot decides to go back and help, which says a lot considering how much it usually prefers avoiding people altogether.
The story is fast, tense, and still very funny, but it also gives Murderbot more emotional depth than before. Its relationship with Mensah is especially important here, and the book does a great job of showing how much Murderbot actually cares without ever making it suddenly act completely human.
The Goods
- Murderbot gets more emotional depth
- Great mix of action and humour
- Dr. Mensah is used really well
- Fast pacing
- Strong payoff to the first four novellas
The Bads
- Very short
- Some side characters get limited time
- The plot moves almost too quickly
- Works best if you read the earlier books
- Ends before you are ready for it
My Recommendation
This is a very satisfying entry for readers who have been following Murderbot from the beginning, especially because it brings the emotional side of the series more clearly into focus. The rescue storyline gives the book plenty of tension, but the real payoff is seeing how far Murderbot has come in its relationships with the humans around it. If you like character-driven science fiction with dry humour, AI themes, and a main character who would rather watch media than admit it cares about anyone, Exit Strategy is one of the strongest books in the series.