[1] The novel, which can be considered fantasy or speculative fiction,[2] is about a young couple, Saeed and Nadia, who live in an unnamed city undergoing civil war and finally have to flee, using a system of magical doors that lead to different locations around the globe.

Since 2010, Hamid has emerged as an author known for writing fiction that explores alternate ways of global living and emphasizes the disadvantages of being born in a third-world country.

[9] Written within the era of Trump and Brexit,[2] Mohsin Hamid wrote Exit West as a way for readers to look at the refugee crisis from a different perspective.

They eventually obtain the compassion of a local Greek girl who has a rapport with Nadia and helps the two go through a recently discovered door which leads to a luxury home in London.

Although the couple are on a list that puts them among the first to obtain a secure home, Nadia asks Saeed to leave through another portal and they eventually take their chance arriving in Marin County, California.

[18][19] Writing in The New Yorker, Jia Tolentino described how "the novel feels immediately canonical, so firm and unerring is Hamid’s understanding of our time and its most pressing questions.

"[11] Paste's Jeff Milo wrote that the hope of Saeed and Nadia "is kindled by rumors of mysterious doorways that transport people to undetermined locations.

"[21] Leah Greenblatt, writing for Entertainment Weekly, stated, "Hamid’s spare parable [...] took the sobering reality of a global refugee crisis to the most fantastical realm of fiction, and somehow made it all feel even more true.

Some scholars believe the idea of considering all humans on Earth as refugees is “wrong-headed.”[9] Exit West was a New York Times best seller,[24] and many outlets included the book in "best of" lists.

Kirkus Reviews,[24] Shelf Awareness,[25] TIME,[26] and Tor.com named it one of the top ten novels of 2017, whereas Entertainment Weekly,[22] The Harvard Crimson,[21] Literary Hub,[27] and Paste[20] included it in their lists of the best books of the decade.

[44] Scholars argue that Hamid is questioning the trending opinions of border security with Brexit and Trump, emphasizes the fake sense of connection to refugees through technology, and stresses the importance of preserving the global environment.

Hamid uses fiction to create a reality for readers to reconsider the “relationship between history and geography” with the use of “magical portals that allow instant access to destinations around the world”.

[2] Hamid wraps the novel up with a positive ending to help convey the idea that readers shouldn’t think of refugees as a problem, but more of an opportunity for an improved world.

Similar to some of Hamid's previous novels, Exit West also hints at the importance of changing global habits and creating a cleaner environment around the world.