A review by emvdw
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I read this as the atrocious situation in Gaza was evolving and it was very sobering and made it quite a hard read for me. Not because of the book itself, but the context made it hard to get through. Part of the message of the book, of course, is that this context is happening all the time, all over, so I shouldn't have a hard time reading this book NOW as opposed to any other time, but it is undeniable that the news cycle has an effect on what is on the forefront of your mind.

I really liked this book. It is written in a very peculiar way, and it feels a bit detached sometimes. This is what held me back from giving it a full 5 stars, because I didn't feel fully connected to the characters. It's a bit hard to describe, but I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, but challenging and interesting read.
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