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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Significant violence including a mass casualty event and thriller-level action throughout
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Minimal sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Some
The concept of language as a weapon — and what it means to be one of the few people immune to it — creates the novel's sustained intellectual thriller tension
What this book is about
Max Barry's thriller follows Emily Ruff, a street hustler recruited by a secret organization that uses persuasion and language as literal weapons — words that can compel anyone to do anything. The novel alternates between Emily's training and a man who survives the destruction of an entire town. Barry constructs a clever and violent thriller about the power of language and its weaponization. Violence is significant and sustained.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Mass casualty event
Violence throughout
Reader Verification
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