Absolutely beautiful. Hamid's choice to narrate Exit West in past tense gives the story of refugees Saeed and Nadia an affecting and compassionate, yet unsentimental tone that would smack of reportage if it wasn't so poetic. Filled with keen insights into the sociopolitical questions of the day, the novel looks even further to meditate on how we all relate to one another, our place in the world, and our place in time — and in turn how these relations affect one another.