The first book in a duology, Looked Down Upon: The Exiled Kin is an imaginative coming-of-age thriller from indie author Jordan Lopez. Published on August 12, 2023, with the sequel coming out last year, it clocks in at 316 pages and feels like a personal project in more ways than one. Reading it, I kept getting The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time vibes, not necessarily in plot, but in the way the story lets readers sit inside the head of a neurodivergent narrator and see the world through him. Though I went into this book not knowing what to expect, I ended up getting attached to its characters and plot to the point that I was looking forward to the sequel.
The story follows sixteen-year-old Luke Ramirez, an autistic Puerto Rican teen living in Tennessee, who’s already dealing with poverty, bullying, and a host of other problems before his world gets turned upside down: he learns that his father, long believed dead, is actually alive. However, he left the family under horrifying circumstances. Before long, Luke sets off with his two closest friends, Bonnie and Drew, on a dangerous journey to track his father down and find some kind of justice. Along the way, the book weaves in family secrets, first romance, recurring visions of an unsettling masked figure that seems to embody Luke’s fears, and a slow build toward a tense, action-driven climax.
By far the best part of this book is its cast and the main trio. Every character is likeable or at least has a distinct, believable personality. Luke himself stands out as a particularly strong piece of representation, and on two fronts at once: his autism is portrayed with real specificity rather than as a checklist of “quirks,” and his Puerto Rican identity is written naturally into the family dynamic instead of feeling tacked on. He’s stubborn, naive, scared, and brave all at once, and Lopez does an excellent job making him feel like an actual teenager.
Digging a bit deeper into that portrayal: the book is upfront early on that Luke is autistic and “on the high-functioning end of the spectrum,” and it commits to showing what that actually looks like day-to-day rather than just labeling him and moving on. Crucially, the book doesn’t treat these traits as either a “Rain Man”-esque superpower or a tragedy; they’re just part of how Luke moves through the world. Worth noting too that the book uses “autism” and “high-functioning” rather than “Asperger’s,” though that tracks with the term having fallen out of clinical use anyway.
The recurring “Masked Haunter” is one of the more intriguing threads running through the book. He shows up in Luke’s dreams as a menacing, mask-wearing figure who taunts Luke with cryptic warnings and visions. The ambiguity is well handled for most of the book: is this creature a genuine supernatural presence, a manifestation of Luke’s trauma and anxiety, or some blend of both? The book itself never fully resolves this, and it’s fun to see a bit of imagination sprinkled into what could otherwise be a pretty heavy story.
On the prose level, the author writes in a plain, unadorned, dialogue-forward style, with minimal purple description, and a preference for letting characters talk their way through tension rather than lingering on interior monologue. It’s largely not a lyrical book, though it’s overall very well-written and edited. Where the prose shines brightest is in dialogue, in particular the rhythm of Luke, Bonnie, and Drew talking over and interrupting each other, right down to the bickering and inside jokes. The action sequences, particularly the climactic confrontation later in the book, pick up pace nicely too, with short, punchy sentences mirroring the panic of the moment rather than slowing things down with over-description.
What I enjoyed most on the page, though, was the friendship dynamic between Luke, Bonnie, and Drew. Their banter feels genuine and like people you might really meet, with Bonnie’s loyalty in particular giving the trio real heart. Their scenes together carry a natural, easy chemistry that makes the quieter moments land just as well as the dramatic ones.
Pacing-wise, the book is terrific, with a slower first act establishing Luke’s home life in the fictional town of Blackroot before the reveal about his father kicks the plot into gear. The middle section, covering the two-day horseback ride to Memphis with Bonnie and Drew, is the most propulsive stretch of the book, with the journey itself doubling as a bonding arc for the trio. The supporting cast beyond the core trio is also lovely and adds texture without overcrowding the story: Luke’s grandmother, Sophie (“Bela”), is a standout as well as Dr. Washington.
Thursday is Luke’s favorite day of the week because every Thursday he has his therapy session with Douglas Washington. Dr. Washington has been Luke’s therapist since he was three years old, when he was diagnosed with autism. The therapist has been the closest thing to a father figure Luke has—he taught him correct pronunciations, how to tie his shoes, and even recommended Luke take karate lessons to defend himself against bullies.
I didn’t really have any major criticisms of the book, although admittedly, going into it I thought the title and cover art suggested something more fantasy-adjacent, so I went in expecting magic and was a little thrown when it turned out to be pretty grounded YA coming-of-age instead. My only issue with the plot is that Ben, Luke’s father, comes across as irredeemable; maybe I would have liked him to be written a bit more sympathetic, but that’s just my personal preference. Ending-wise, the book closes out its main plot on a satisfying note, while an ominous epilogue chapter sets up a bit of a cliffhanger heading into the sequel.
Overall, this is a very strong, emotionally honest debut that earns its emotional beats rather than manufacturing them, and its biggest asset—Luke and his circle of friends—is exactly what carries it through to the end. This is obviously Book 1 of a duology, so there’s a cliffhanger waiting at the end that will lead into a time jump for the sequel. My review of that one will be up soon!
Final Verdict: For fans of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Speak, Looked Down Upon: The Exiled Kin is a worthy, heartfelt addition to your shelf.
You can get your copy of Looked Down Upon: The Exiled Kin here!
