Exit Party
From the bestselling author of Station Eleven, Exit Party is Emily St. John Mandel's new mind-bending epic: a story of crimes committed and loves lost across space and time.
2031. America is at war with itself, but for the first time in weeks there is some hope: the Republic of California has been declared, the curfew in Los Angeles is lifted, and everyone in the city is going to a party.
Ari, newly released from prison, arrives with her friend Gloria just as a fragile new era begins. But there are people at the party who shouldn't be there. Something is very wrong . . .
Years later, living a different life in Paris, Ari remains haunted by that night. Whatever happened at the party fractured her sense of reality - and may hold the key to a very different world.
Exit Party is Emily St. John Mandel's electrifying new novel about freedom and surveillance, art and survival, love and loss in a broken world.
My posts about this book
Finished reading: Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel 📚
Finished reading: Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel 📚
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