Near-future U.S. the setting for surreal dual-world storyline

This novel, Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel, presents a surreal storyline set in a near-future United States. The country has been divided by civil war, with California declaring independence as a standalone republic. The novel follows the character Ari Waker, a 48-year-old woman who has just been released from 18 years in prison.

She attends a house party in Los Angeles to celebrate the lifting of wartime curfews, only to find strange occurrences. A woman seems to have changed clothes between rooms, a painting disappears, and the host mysteriously disappears. It is as if the party serves as a portal to another world, an alternative universe where Ari and others lead parallel lives in drastically different circumstances.

Mandel explores themes of a free society versus a regulated police state through the contrasting societies in the novel. She incorporates elements of detective and sci-fi genres, along with traditional literary fiction. The novel is divided into two parts, an "A-side" and a "B-side," mirroring a retro vinyl album.

The storytelling is non-linear, with the narrative looping through time and space. The characters' lifespans, jobs, and personal histories are explored. The story also touches on Europe and even briefly ventures to the moon. Throughout the book, Mandel plants clues for readers to decipher, mirroring the effects of quantum mechanics, such as the concept of the multiverse.