Exit West by Hamid (4.5 stars)

[Jen]

4.5 stars
A near perfect book for me. Others have reviewed it here previously so I'll forgo the synopsis other than to say it's the story of a relationship/romance between two people who are required to flee terrorism and violence in their home country. Elements of magical realism are woven into the story.

I really enjoyed this book. It was brilliantly written and an interesting exploration of love and immigration both themes play prominently in the novel. I thought it was slow moving but beautiful in the way the emotions unfolded over the course of the novel. The magical realism elements were really subtle more to promote the flow of the plot and allow the author to place emphasis not on how the couple moves from place to place, but the experience when they arrive.

Overall, really well done and a quick read.

[Jen]

it's been on the NY times bestseller list for 4 weeks