Title: Exit Here

Author: Jason Myers

Year of Publication: 2007

Exit Here is an exceptional novel about 19 year old Travis Wayne, a troubled teenager who has returned from a year at college in Hawaii with a massive secret and a heavy drug habit. It is rare that I am captivated by a book in the way that Exit Here enthralled me; every page was filled with something different, exciting, hilarious, devastating.

The novel deals with the general teenage issues of drugs, sex, growing up, trust, friendship and life and although it features an admittedly fairly cliched young adult story line, it is written in a way that almost pushes it into the adult fiction category. Although I can see why it was classified as young adult fiction, Travis is a heavy drug user and deals with very adult emotions and circumstances which is why I believe that many adults would also enjoy the story.

One only has to watch the events that unfold as a result of Travis’ drug use, his disconnection from his family, the disintegration of his love life with his girlfriend Laura, the tragedy that ensues as a result of some fatal mistakes and the downwards spiral of his younger sister and her friends to be put off drugs for life. The story is leading up to the reveal of Travis’ huge secret and the whole novel keeps you wondering what could have happened. I admit that throughout the course of the novel curiosity for the world of drugs is aroused but by the end a huge reality check is received and the consequences really hit home. We tend to turn a blind eye to drug use and its consequences in our modern society but this novel brings forward some very real issues common in our world in a poignant, heart-wrenching, hilarious, captivating manner. 

Overall, Exit Here is a must read. It has been some time since I was enchanted by this novel but it still hangs in the forefront of my mind. A good author always ensures a reader feels as though they are part of the story, and that’s how I knew this novel was something special. My heart ached for Travis by the end of the novel and I still often spare him a thought, wondering how he’s going and feeling his pain almost as though he is a long lost friend.

8/10