Exile follows a young university student, Fiadh, as her life is turned upside down after she is assaulted in her hometown. She soon spirals into freefall, skipping lectures and missing assignment deadlines, and revolves her life around drunken nights out with strangers. I read this debut in one sitting on a train ride to London and was hooked from start to finish. Walsh has crafted a truly brilliant novel centred on consent, friendship, and identity. The books portrayal of girlhood and university really stuck a nerve and would resonate with what a lot of young women feel venturing into the adult world. As a woman I easily empathised with Fiadh’s struggle and her destructive tendencies. I felt truly heartbroken at her desperate attempts to make sense of something so terrible happening to her. Exile is a hard, but necessary, read. *Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review*

This is an extremely important and visceral novel focussing on the life of Fiadh growing up in Belfast. Walsh has constructed some of the most believable, honest and flawed characters I have ever read. At a point during the novel, an event occurs that flips the whole novel and this was reminiscent to me of Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee in the sense of how the world of the characters changes around one event. In an interview, Walsh said she took inspiration from what you can do in literature from Milkman by Anna Burns and this absolutely shines through in this blistering debut novel. This is a wholly unique novel but one that I implore you to read, guaranteed to be a stand out debut of 2024!

A powerful debut introducing us to an unforgettable protagonist as she journeys into early adulthood, leaving her friends & family behind in Belfast as she takes to the UK for university. Though it is on one of these visits back home that her entire story flips on its head, and what follows is a desperate, heartbreaking attempt to return to the woman she was before she stepped out on that fateful night amongst friends she believed she could trust. Exile is a must-read novel to add to your lists this year. The weight of sadness and despair which weaves its way through the plot is palpable, and as a reader, and a woman, you easily empathise with her struggle not to descend into destructive behaviour, and to desperately make sense of something that you never imagined could happen to you. Another incredible Irish debut that is worth picking up just for that powerful ending. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 Thank you to John Murray Press and NetGalley UK for the eARC of Exile in exchange for an honest review. I found this debut dark and impactful, with the character of Fiadh being the star of the show of this book. The way she was written was intimate, like I was reading about a friend, and that made me want the best for her, especially because of what she was going through. Also, Exile deals with tough themes in a very thoughtful and sensitive way, and for this reason it's an important read albeit probably a heavy one for most. This book was a bit repetitive, which is why it didn't get a higher rating, but this doesn't take away from the fact that I recommend it to anyone who finds the blurb interesting and who usually likes literary coming-of-age novels dealing with darker themes. I look forward to reading more by Aimée Walsh. Please check the content warnings before reading.

For me, the most searing element of this novel was the depiction of intractable friendship; the pain of outgrowing your friends while you watch them outgrow you. Walsh manages to pierce that exposed nerve carried by those of us who have left home for university only to come back to find that home is not how you left it. Exile explores girlhood, family, rejection, and the worst forms of betrayal in a way that left me feeling both breathless and completely seen. A stunning debut that manages to slot into place among the other voices of her generation while never getting lost in the chorus. A must-read for 2024!