Review: Exile by Kevin Emerson

I asked HarperCollins International for the chance to review Exile because I thought the cover was cute. Was a bit unsure about the summary, but thought I could enjoy it. But I was wrong. I was so, so wrong. I really, truly hated this book. I'm so sorry. But I did. So, be warned. This review will not be nice. As I have a lot of bad/honest things to say about the book. Sigh.

I really wanted to like Exile. But I knew from the moment that I started reading it that I would not like it. I didn't like the writing. At all. And there were way too much information about things I didn't care about at all. A bunch of boring things that I feel like no one thinking about. Ever. Sigh. At least not me. There was just so, so much I did not like about this book.

I had so many issues with this book. And even thinking about them is making me angry. I wish it wasn't so, but it was. Exile was not for me. I could say that maybe it had been for me, if I had cared more for bands or whatever. But the truth is that I don't think I would have ever liked this book. Because I do like music. But I couldn't connect at all to those parts in this book. It was just a bit boring for me. And way too much drama. The book is all about drama. There is this music school they go to, I suppose. But we never read more about it. It obviously didn't matter in this book. The book is told from the point of view of Summer. Or Catherine. Or whatever. She was two people. One with her parents, one with others. Seriously? Not cool. I didn't like her much. How she lied and never talked to her parents. You don't do that. And she just.. she was not a good person. Well, in some ways. Mostly I didn't connect with her.

I'm not going to mention all the things I didn't like in this book. Would take forever. But I'm going to mention some. As I said, I did not like the main character. Probably because we never got to know anything about her. AT ALL. We get to know that she used to be manager for a band that left her, and she dated the guy for years. And that's it. She compares him a little to the new guy, but then we barely hear about them at all. No mentions about what she did back then. No mention about who she was.

The whole book was like that. We don't get to know anything about anything. Okay, a few things. But it wasn't enough. Mostly focus on inside her head about things I have no clue what was supposed to mean. Didn't make any sense. Sigh. Oh, then there is the boy, Caleb. Who is dreamy and hot and blah blah blah. They meet. Then an hour later they are kissing. SERIOUSLY. Very bad case of insta-love. She knew NOTHING about him. Just that he was hot. And could sing. I hated the way the romance was written.

Sigh. There was just so much I hated in this book. The band parts. I didn't care. Not even a little bit. There's supposed to be this mystery, but I couldn't find it in me to be excited at all. It was just boring and truly not that exciting at all. We meet more characters. Whom we yet again know nothing about. Then in comes Val. And Summer is oh so jealous. And Caleb is saying it's nothing. And it is awful. I hated it. No love triangle. Summer learns about her past, and she is full of guilt. Seriously? Not real.

Then there is that ending. It just ended. With the plot half-way there. We didn't get to know anything about what happened with.. you know, THE WHOLE PLOT. The reason for the book. We never got to see what happened. Not that I care, because I don't, but seriously. Not a good ending. Sigh. I'm sorry. There was just a lot of things that I did not like in this book. And I've only mentioned some of it. But I'm not going to say more now. I don't want to. I just want to forget about this book as soon as possible.

But huge thank you to HarperCollins International for the review copy of Exile. <3 I'm so sorry that I didn't like it. At all. But I'm still thankful that I got to read it. <3 And I must admit that my review copy looks all kinds of gorgeous, as I do still love the cover. It's pretty. I'm not sure I can recommend this book to others, though. As I'm not sure anyone would like it. Sigh. But I also know that some will love it. But it wasn't for me. But if you do read it, I do hope you like it more than me. Kind of. Probably :)

Goodreads - Buy it