Reviews with content warning for Racism - Exit West

Such an interesting book, I loved to see all the different perspectives on the topic of migration. Definitely strong characters, and a good, well constructed plot.

Content Warnings

lianne_rooney's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Content Warnings

wordsareworlds's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Exit West was a thought-provoking read that I enjoyed immensely. Hamid wielded tension and emotions so well, and while the pace is slow it felt perfectly matched to the story and character development. The alternate, intersecting paths of religion and traditional beliefs and independent exploration were both handled with respect and nuance that I appreciated. The parallels to current real-world events and attitudes are impossible to ignore, but Hamid has told a story that ends in hope more than sadness.

I also found the layers of storytelling Hamid used very interesting. There is Saeed and Nadia's relationship, and one step out we get to know a bit about people who intersect their lives and often how those people die or another detail from their future, and then also more about the war that has now most definitely come to their city, and then snippets of separate, apparently unrelated events around the world. There is a surreal quality to Hamid's descriptions. They simultaneously feel a step removed and immediate. All of this is related as past events, and without much explicit or long description of the characters' feelings, but the events and their actions make those feelings abundantly clear and impactful. I spent a lot of time thinking about why Hamid chose to give us glimpses into specific moments in Saeed and Nadia's lives, and which side characters he chose to give us more details about. Each choice felt very deliberate and like it built on what was going on around them in a complex and nuanced way.

The book overall was very interesting, and the ways that the doors changed some things about immigration and otherness and not others were layered and complex. I enjoyed Saeed, Nadia, and the evolution of their relationship. Also very, very happy about having a bi South Asian MC whose sexuality wasn't a source of angst or persecution. The book has a sense of ebb and flow about it, and that neither happiness nor sadness is all-encompassing or static, and the doors don't change that but make both more accessible and immediate to people's lives.

Content Warnings

sydapel's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Stunningly intimate writing that describes a society that feels foreign and yet darkly prescient, I have that empty-yet-full feeling I often get when I finish a book like this. Often, I am annoyed with literary fiction authors who try to comment on too much within a book, but Hamid manages to discuss war, refugees, capitalism, religion, family dynamics, the collapse of society, climate change and probably more that went straight over my head, all within the core story of a relationship that will remain with me for awhile.

Content Warnings