Finished reading: Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel 📚

★★★★ Literary Fiction Exit Party Ebook Own StoryGraph

Emily St. John Mandel never disappoints. This is a fairly fast read with a twisting timeline that spans space and time, starting in 2031 with one night at a party and unraveling across time and people’s lives. It offers two very realistic scenarios for what America’s future may hold; I’ll let you decide which one.

…but we were all tired in those years. Societal breakdown is exhausting.

I can operate in this environment, but I dislike it,” I said. “Don’t you wish life were easier?” “Of course. Doesn’t everyone?” He looked at me. “We don’t get to choose the world we’re born into. But you either learn to navigate that world, or you don’t.”

It’s full of very human stories: mass surveillance, art, survival, societal breakdown, love, and so much more. Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I don’t think this one sticks with you afterward, but you will enjoy the journey.

263 pages · First published 2026