“Exit Party” by Emily St. John Mandel – let’s read and discuss!
Details
Welcome back, readers! For this round we have chosen Emily St. John Mandel’s new novel “Exit Party”, which came out just last month.
Short summary:
> 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. From the bestselling author of “Station Eleven”, “Exit Party” is Emily St. John Mandel’s epic new story of crimes committed and loves lost across worlds and decades.
Surprisingly, this is the first time we are reading one of Mandel’s books in this book club, but her name has come up many times during discussions. Looking forward to talk about it together!
Need more convincing? Here’s a review in The Guardian and you can find more information on the novels’s GoodReads page.
Curious to join us? Order a copy at your local book shop or online:
An e-book and an audio version are also available.
Our meeting is scheduled for Nov 24, 2026 and we usually discuss in English for 1.5-2 hours. You definitely don’t need a literature degree to participate! It’s important to us to listen to each other, to treat everyone with respect and to create a safe setting.
The discussion takes place virtually in Zoom and the meeting link will be added to this event on the day it happens. Just check back here half an hour before the meetup starts!
It doesn’t matter if you have actually finished the book or whether you’ve attended before – everyone is welcome, as long as you have read at least a few pages and bring your impression.