The Exiles, by Allison Lynn

Nate and Emily are striking out on a grand adventure.  They are leaving the rat race of Manhattan and starting a new life with their infant son in Newport, Rhode Island.  But the adventure gets off to a rocky start when the couple stops to get the keys to their new home, and their car, full of all their belongings, is stolen.  Over one long weekend, the couple is faced to come to terms with both the impact of their pasts and the trajectory of their future.

I was so excited to read this book when I read its description.  The idea of a couple being exiled from their new life seemed intriguing.  But I really felt like the story falls short.  The premise and concept are both solid, it is the execution that I struggled with.  I never felt like I got to know Nate or Emily.  They were just not as developed as I would have liked.  As a result, it was difficult for me to feel any empathy for them or their situation.  The part of the story that did make me empathize, however, was Nate's family history, and the hereditary disease he may be facing.

I did not care for Emily, or her substory.  I found her actions to be selfish, and I just could not believe, based on what little information we had about her, that she would have done the foolish thing she did.  The book is fairly short, but for me it was a slow read, and I struggled to keep my attention focused.  Fans of contemporary literature may appreciate this book more than I did.  For me, it was just lacking in a certain richness and depth.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

 
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