Parents' Guide to

Exile, Book 1

By Mary Cosola, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Fast, fun trip with teen rock band manager, star boyfriend.

Book Kevin Emerson Romance 2014
Exile, Book 1 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

Summer attends the performing arts academy within her high school. She's torn between pursuing the future her parents want for her -- good college and high-paying job -- and her dream of working in the music industry, discovering and managing bands. After Summer's previous band gets signed to a label and dumps her, she's on the lookout for the next big thing. She's not only angry about being fired as manager, she's also heartbroken because her boyfriend, the band's leader, broke up with her. Then she meets the handsome and talented Caleb, who just blew apart his last band for unknown personal reasons. Her resolve not to get involved with another musician she's managing dissolves, and the two embark on a romantic and business partnership. When Summer learns what happened to shake Caleb's faith in himself and his future in music, she helps him deal with the discovery and works with him to put together a new band. The story weaves together their romance, band dynamics, Caleb's family history, a road trip, and high school social drama, all set against the angst-driven pulse of rock 'n' roll.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

EXILE is a light, fun journey into the excitement of young love and rock 'n' roll. Author Kevin Emerson realistically depicts how hard it is for a performing artist to bare his soul and share his work with the public. The book also captures the thrill of discovering music you love as a teenager. The music industry and those who run it are presented realistically, for good and bad. The story speeds along and is best when we see Caleb uncover his family history and thus learn more about himself.

The speed with which Summer and Caleb fall in love is barely believable, as are the state-of-the-art facilities in the music academy at their public school. The school is supposed to be falling apart because of funding issues, but somehow it has practice spaces, espresso machines, and professional-quality music and video-production gear. And, although it's understandable for Summer to be upset over getting dumped as manager of her former band, it's unrealistic of her to expect to be professional manager when she's only 17. But overall, the story's an enjoyable light read.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about expectations for the future. What do parents want for their kids, and what do kids envision for themselves?

  • How does Exile's depiction of the way record label executives act compare with what you see in the news and in other books, in movies, or on television shows?

  • Have you ever created anything -- art, music, a story, or a poem -- that you've shared with a large group of people? Were you happy you did it? Or, if you didn't share it, do you wish you had?

Book Details

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