ARC Review - Exile (Exile, #1) by Kevin Emerson

Buy the book:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Connect with the author:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Publication date: April29th, 2014

My rating: 4.5 stars

Book summary:

"Catherine Summer Carlson knows how to manage bands like a professional—she’s a student at the PopArts Academy at Mount Hope High, where rock legends Allegiance to North got their start. Summer knows that falling for the lead singer of her latest band is the least professional thing a manager can do. But Caleb Daniels isn’t an ordinary band boy—he’s a hot, dreamy, sweet-singing, exiled-from-his-old-band, possibly-with-a-deep-dark-side band boy. And he can do that thing. That thing when someone sings a song and it inhabits you, possesses you, and moves you like a marionette to its will.

Summer also finds herself at the center of a mystery she never saw coming. When Caleb reveals a secret about his long-lost father, one band’s past becomes another’s present, and Summer finds it harder and harder to be both band manager and girlfriend. She knows what the well-mannered Catherine side of her would do, but she also knows what her heart is telling her. Maybe it’s time to accept who she really is, even if it means becoming an exile herself."

"...all together, it's doing that thing, he's doing that thing that a song can do. Do you know it? When a song inhabits you, possesses you, and moves you like a marionette to its will?"

      Didn't you write this well, Kevin Emerson? But it goes for your book too - I was completely mesmerized. And no, you don't deserve a glare anymore.

      How to describe Exile and not give away too many details? Hm... That will be hard because there's so much more to this story than what is described in the synopsis. How about I list everything I liked?

• Music. If you are music fan like myself, and if you appreciate '90 music scene, you will feel nostalgic because of all Nirvana... um, references? You'll get it when you read the book. But it's not just about music that marked my teenage years. Exile is not another glorified novel about rock stars and their groupies. Well, of course it's not, after all it is labeled as young adult, but we are constantly bombed with those kind of stories. Kevin Emerson offers two different views on music - from a person who creates it and one who should promote it. Creativity plus business. It reminded me a lot of Amplified by Tara Kelly and even a little bit of Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John - both my favorites.
• Summer. Main character - seventeen year old girl, band manager, music lover. I know that some of you will find her annoying, but the thing is she is more real than some fictional girl written by a woman. Who should know how is it to be seventeen year old girl. She is selfish, jealous, insecure, brave and shy, grown up but still a child. She has big plans and is all about girl power, but turns in complete idiot in front of her current crush or bastard of ex-boyfriend.
• Mystery. Exile is not just about love and music, about cute boy and that new girl. There is whole other layer of the plot. Let's leave it at that, I don't want to spoil it for you.
• But... There is always but. No, it's not about cliffhanger. Now you want to know if there is a cliffhanger. My lips are sealed. I found few more philosophical parts kind of misplaced. Or I didn't get them. 

Who should read it? Everyone who loved Five Flavors of Dumb, Amplified and similar books. If you want to read a little bit different young adult novel. If you are Nirvana fan. If you love music and books about music.


Happy reading,

***Copy of this book was provided by publisher, Katherine Tegen Books, via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.***