Inside Out (Insiders, #1)

Aug 22, 2010 oliviasbooks rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those who liked dystopian fiction like Exodus by Julie Bertagia

Shelves: scifi-dystopian-apocalyptic, young-adult-fiction, stays-with-me, read-2010, favorites, love-story-romance, hug-them-lick-them-favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Short review: Great, inventive, dystopian fiction with a surprising ending that makes you jittery for the sequel, a tough, edgy, likable heroine, some tragedy, a little romance. The world building met exactly my taste: It was a little like the film "The Isle" and a little like the young adult novel Exodus by Julie Bertagna, but altogether pretty unique.

Long review (especially written for Teccc): Trella, who is by the old time counting system about seventeen years old, lives in a building that is...more Short review: Great, inventive, dystopian fiction with a surprising ending that makes you jittery for the sequel, a tough, edgy, likable heroine, some tragedy, a little romance. The world building met exactly my taste: It was a little like the film "The Isle" and a little like the young adult novel Exodus by Julie Bertagna, but altogether pretty unique.

Long review (especially written for Teccc): Trella, who is by the old time counting system about seventeen years old, lives in a building that is her entire world, because no exit is known to the inhabitants. The world - called "Inside" - has existed for about 150.000 weeks now. A week consists of 100 hours and splits up into five work shifts and five off-time-shifts for each grown-up. Nobody knows what and where "Outside" may be. Rumor has it that the souls of well-behaving Insiders are released to the Outside, after their body has been fed to the "Chomper". "Inside" is two kilomenters long and two kilometers wide and has four levels, which are segmented into sectors. Apart from staircases and elevators the levels are connected by heating vents, water and electricity pipes, laundry and waste chutes. The population forms two classes: The 2.000 "uppers", living in the upper two levels are all decendants from ten powerful families. The 18.000 scrubs living and in the crowded barracks on the lower two levels believe the uppers live idle lives in spacious apartments, having to care for nothing, making decisions that effect them all without checking back. Although a passive attitude prevails, many scrubs resent having to live in large dormitories devoid of any privacy, having to hand over their newborns to a Care Mother in the care facility, laboring in the recycling plant, the laudry room, the vegetable or mutton farms, getting checked, punished or killed for misbehavior by the so-called "Pop Cops", the population control set up by the ruthless Trava family, who is in charge of Inside Security.
Those who desperately wish for change set their hopes high whenever a "prophet" starts to gather followers. Prophets generally either preach that somewhere a "Gateway" to Outside must be hidden by the uppers, or that everything will end or begin when week 1.000.000 has been reached. Cool-headed Trella stays away from prophets. In fact, she tries to stay away from people altogether, which is almost impossible for a scrub, but she manages: Trella belongs to the pipe-cleaning-team, because her body is small and flexible. Instead of sleeping in her shared bunk she secretly crashes in heating vents or water pipes. It is widely assumed that Trella even knows every nook and niche of the pipe system in the upper levels, which is strictly off-limits to the majority of the scrubs. Her nickname "Queen of the Pipes" travels to the latest prophet "Broken Man", a wheel-chair-bound degraded upper, who claims to have hidden proof of the existence of "Gateway" in an upper level air-vent. Trella complies to help as a favor to her best and only friend Cogan, a mechanic. On one her dangerous journeys to the upper levels, which mark the slow start of a scrub revolt and bring her into the focus of the Pop Cops, she accidentally gets to know Riley, a teenage upper. And she begins to see, that her view of the uppers had been heavily colored by Pop Cop propaganda and that the secrets and problems of Inside reach much further that she had imagined.

Some reviewers complain that the talk about the design of and the day-to-day life of Inside delivered during the first chapters put them off. I did not feel like complaining. I soaked every detail up and fed it to the picture that constructed itself in my head. Throughout the story, bit after bit was added to the first bigger chunk.

Trella is a wonderful heroine. You could say she is more young-adult-compatible than Yelena or Opal. She did not suffer more traumas than the rest of her fellow scrubs. She does not seem older than her age. She isn't that tough. Her Care Mother (CM) loved and secretly encouraged her to think for herself, her care sibling Cogan looked out for her and held bullies at bay. She has spunk and she dares to cross boundaries. She spices up her life by challenging herself. She despises the other scrubs for their compliance and shakes her head about Cogan's sunny disposition and his wish to get along with everybody. Her journey of personal growth is believable.
Cogan is a wonderful best friend and Riley is a perfect love interest. There were characters who seemed to be good and turned out to be twisted in the end, and there were characters who could or could not be trusted, but you never knew. The Trava family reminded me of Commander Ambrose's security people. Yes, the whole set-up with everybody wearing the uniforms indicating their position and handiwork reminded my of the society of Ixia. In spite of that Mrs. Snyder has created something entirely new and different from her Study/Glass world.

The question prevailing my thoughts after reading the last page was: "When can I pre-order Outside In?" There are so many possibilities hinted at by the astonishing ending.(less)

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May 10, 2010 Annalisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of The Uglies and similiar YA distopias

Shelves: young-adult, dystopia, sci-fi, speculative

I'd say this is a cross between The Uglies and (view spoiler). Interesting, but not completely original. I struggled understanding some of the world, especially the way she calculated birthdays and eventually gave up trying to figure out how old everyone was or how much time had passed. Plus, there were some minor discrepancies/holes in her world that gave me pause (like the rotating of shifts that supposed to be half on/half off, but then staggered when it was convenie...more

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Aug 29, 2010 Janina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of dystopian fiction that includes rebellion and class divide

Recommended to Janina by: Olivia

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, read-in-2010, given-away, sci-fi

Inside Out is definitely totally different from Synder’s Study series, but set in a fascinating new world that I was drawn into from the very beginning.

Inside is an intriguing place. Divided into four levels, it is the home of the uppers and lowers, also called scrubs, and a wonder of modern technology. Especially the scrubs suffer from shortage of space and the constant presence of the Pop Cops, who ensure that everything runs smoothly and according to the Controller’s orders.

Trella is a scrub...more Inside Out is definitely totally different from Synder’s Study series, but set in a fascinating new world that I was drawn into from the very beginning.

Inside is an intriguing place. Divided into four levels, it is the home of the uppers and lowers, also called scrubs, and a wonder of modern technology. Especially the scrubs suffer from shortage of space and the constant presence of the Pop Cops, who ensure that everything runs smoothly and according to the Controller’s orders.

Trella is a scrub and works as a cleaner in the pipes of Inside. She mostly keeps to herself and wishes for only one thing: to have some privacy and to be left alone with hopes for escape and a better life ‘Outside’. But then a new prophet claims he knows the location of a Gateway, and the only thing Trella wants to do is prove him wrong. But soon afterwards, she finds herself caught up in the beginnings of a revolution and all her beliefs about herself and her fellow Insiders are challenged …

The first half of the book is a bit slow, but I thought that this was more than compensated by the vivid and detailed descriptions of Inside and Trella’s life there.
Trella was a fascinating heroine. Introverted and disillusioned at the beginning, she begins to make new friends and to trust and appreciate those close to her slowly. You could watch her grow throughout the novel and abandon some of her prejudices, but she always stayed true to herself.
The romance plot was very small, but felt genuine to me. However, I found the development a bit too hurried at the end. Snyder could definitely have left some of that open for the next volume.
The secondary characters were sometimes less developed, but intriguing nevertheless. I liked that you could never truly know if somebody was a dedicated rebel or a traitorous spy. It kept up a constant suspense.
The ending totally took me by surprise. Inside Out definitely has left many questions open that I hope will be further explored in Outside In, the sequel coming out in 2011.

All in all, the only complaints I have: Sometimes, solutions to problems came rather easily with the help of new inventions or the discovery of some computer data, which I found a bit unrealistic and often a little hard to follow.
Also, the heroine's voice was just a tad too young for me, makng this almost middle grade material (although Trella is around 17).
Nevertheless, I'll be reading the sequel.
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Mar 09, 2010 April rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, netgalley, dystopian, ya, highly-recommended

I am so glad I had low expectations for Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder, because it blew my mind. I often set the bar high for books that I read and wind up disappointed, so I was quite pleased when the opposite proved true while reading Inside Out.
Read the rest of my review here

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Apr 20, 2011 Camilla Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Dystopian fiction - fans

Recommended to Camilla Rose by: marlene

Shelves: favourite-novels

"I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own - until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution."
- Goodreads

Norwegian review:

Jeg tror dette må være noen av de mest spennende bøkene jeg har lest. Det var slik at jeg hadde ly...more "I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own - until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution."
- Goodreads

Norwegian review:

Jeg tror dette må være noen av de mest spennende bøkene jeg har lest. Det var slik at jeg hadde lyst til å lese i ett strekk. Det skjedde noe hele tiden. Jeg blir slått av hvor fantastisk Maria V. Snyder er til å bygge opp historier. Det er så komplisert og eksepsjonellt utførte historier. Dette er en bok i den dystopiske/science fiction-aktige sjangeren. Jeg vet ikke helt hvordan jeg skal begynne med å forklare serien, for den er så innholdsrik og unik. Det er forresten to bøker jeg snakker om! Den første boken heter "Inside Out" og den andre heter "Outside In".

Boken handler om Trella som bor i The Inside. The Inside er på en måte deres verden. De kjenner ikke til noe annet - ingen jordklode, ikke noe univers, de vet bare om innsiden av plassen de bor på. Det eneste som menneskene i Inside holder seg fast til et håpet om The Outside. At det finnes noe på utsiden av verdenen deres. Det var en historie om The Gateway, som skulle lede dem ut til Outside. Jeg vil si at det i starten minnet meg om en stor boks av metall eller jern. Inside er delt opp i fire nivåer. I de nederste nivåene, så jobber "the scrubs" som holder Inside ren for de som bor i de øverste nivåene - også kalt "the Uppers". Trella har som jobb å rengjøre disse rørene som går over alt. Hun kommer ikke så godt overens med folk, så hun holder seg ofte ute av syne. Arbeidet blir strengt overvåket av "The Pop Cops", som passer på at alle gjør det de skal. Det som boken hovedsaklig handler om er Trella og hvordan hun styrer opprøret mot Travas-familien og søken om The Gateway.

Trella, som er hovedpersonen, er en veldig spesiell karakter. Hun er rett og slett råtøff. Dette er en historie som er veldig langt unna vår verden og vårt verdensbilde, men samtidig så er det så realistisk. Så jeg vil absolutt anbefale denne serien til dere som liker dystopiske bøker og bøker som er spennende!(less)

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Jun 01, 2011 Brooke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian-sci-fi, i-own-a-copy, big-bad-evil-people, surprisingly-enjoyed

Wow. I definitely underestimated this book. So good!

I'm not going to say much, because it's not really a book you can review in detail without giving much away.

Maria Snyder creates an intricate world which is so easy to get caught up in. I must admit, it confused the heck out of me at first and on several occasions I considered setting the book aside, but I'm so glad I didn't. I needed to do a few 'read-then-re-read's of sentences to make sure what I was reading made sense, but after you catch o...more

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Apr 10, 2010 Misty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia-postapocalyptic, excited-for, juvenile-ya, read-in-2010, arc-or-galley, cover-appeal, review-copy-solicited, sci_fi-fantasy, ala-2010, own

Okay. Let's begin with the fact that I got a digital copy of this early, which -- no, no, no, let's go back farther. Let's begin with the fact that I met MVS back in November (and I never posted pictures or notes of the rollicking good time that was had by all), and at dinner, she told us about the book she was working on that was due to come out in, oh, 1/2 a year (the tease). It was a YA dystopian novel she says, and then I drifted out a bit, because could she have said anything more up my all...more Okay. Let's begin with the fact that I got a digital copy of this early, which -- no, no, no, let's go back farther. Let's begin with the fact that I met MVS back in November (and I never posted pictures or notes of the rollicking good time that was had by all), and at dinner, she told us about the book she was working on that was due to come out in, oh, 1/2 a year (the tease). It was a YA dystopian novel she says, and then I drifted out a bit, because could she have said anything more up my alley? Maria V. Snyder, she of the series' and the characters that make my book club get really loud and inappropriate and, dare I say, fangirlish, was writing a YA. DYSTOPIAN. NOVEL. She somehow read my dreams.

But I didn't want to get my hopes up. Too 'up', anyway, because that's not fair, and there were all kinds of what ifs. YA dystopia is not her norm -- what if she can't write YA? What if she can't write dystopia? What if I *gulp* hate it.

What if I drive myself crazy with worry slash ineeditnow, when I know damn well that it's going to have her talent and character-driven goodness behind it. Back to the "getting the digital copy" bit, I found it on NetGalley and snagged it for review, and what was I worried about?

All of the things I loved about Snyder's adult books are her in Inside Out. I care about the characters, I see a budding romance, but on a YA level, the writing is super fast paced and catching, and it flows wonderfully. Trella is definitely rootforable, and ya love her even when you want to shake her. There was great tension and edge-of-your-seatness, and the world is fully realized and intriguing, just as her worlds always are. All of this I've come to expect from Snyder. AND there are 2 more good things, which I wasn't expecting. 1 - the beginning had me right from the start. Now, this isn't to say that her beginnings don't generally grab me, because that would be a lie, but they sometimes feel like beginnings to me -- they feel clunkyish or awkward. This was a "plunge right in, sink or swim" beginning, and it worked beautifully. #2 - she shocked me. ME. I'm never surprised by anything that happens in a book. I always see it coming, at least in part, and it's generally a question of how well it's done. But even though I perhaps should have known -- clues were dropped, I'm not an idiot -- she shocked me. I didn't think it could be done. Hats off, Maria.

So I think that's all I can say. I don't want to give anything away, I just want you teased enough that you'll go out and grab this, because trust me, it is well worth it. And then you can sit and wait anxiously with me for the sequel, Outside In.
[laughs diabolically:](less)

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Jan 29, 2011 marlene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: top-favourites, 2011, top-11-books-of-2011

It's been a while since i finished a book in only two days. I just couldn't put this book down! The story had me from the beginning, and there were some seriously awesome twist and turns.
I really loved this book! Everyone who enjoys sci-fi or dystopian will definitly enjoy this book too. Read it! :D

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Jan 26, 2011 Anne Osterlund rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Trella is the Queen of the Pipes. Capable of climbing places where NO ONE else can go on the Inside. Not her fellow scrubs, forever hemming her in, or the uppers—the exalted upper level inhabitants who think they control the scrubs. No one controls Trella.

Because she doesn’t connect.

But the chance to find Gateway. The chance to escape the Inside.

THAT is a challenge Trella can’t turn down.

A challenge that matters to everyone on the Inside. Enough for people to risk their lives. The workers in the...more

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May 21, 2011 Kaity rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, dystopia, library-book, science-fiction

Review originally posted on Bitten Books and given 5 stars.

Trella, a scrub and Queen of the Pipes, has agreed to humor her only friend another time and listen to a new prophet babble on about Gateway in hopes that she can prevent Cogon from getting into trouble. Only this time the prophet doesn't seem to be a Pop Cop ploy or completely delusional man. The prophet asks Trella to break rules restricting the scrubs to the lower levels and steal back important computer files, files that possibly pro...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, favorites, young-adult

Interesting summary up there. I have to be honest. I put off reading this book for awhile because of that summary. I'm not exactly sure why, but maybe it's because I prefer a little more information than what was given. That's just my preference and I know not everyone feels the same way. Either way, I finally got around to reading it and I'm glad I did. Inside Out was friggin amazing.

There is something about Maria V. Snyder's writing that I absolutely adore. I loved the Study series, and if it'...more

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Mar 01, 2010 Lenore Appelhans rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian

Trella is a scrub, just one of the thousands packed in like sardines in the lower levels who keep Inside clean. Because of her penchant for roaming the miles of pipes around Inside to steal moments of peace for herself, Trella is known as Queen of the Pipes. And her superior knowledge of getting around comes in handy when she inadvertently starts a rebellion against the ruling Upper family of Inside and their brutal Pop Cops.

I don’t often get fangirly in my reviews, but OMG does this book make m...more Trella is a scrub, just one of the thousands packed in like sardines in the lower levels who keep Inside clean. Because of her penchant for roaming the miles of pipes around Inside to steal moments of peace for herself, Trella is known as Queen of the Pipes. And her superior knowledge of getting around comes in handy when she inadvertently starts a rebellion against the ruling Upper family of Inside and their brutal Pop Cops.

I don’t often get fangirly in my reviews, but OMG does this book make me giddy! I’ve been thinking about it non-stop since I finished it last night, and I am excited to share what made me enjoy it so (spoiler-free of course).

This dystopia has a very sci-fi feel, especially when you realize that everyone Uppers and scrubs alike are essentially trapped within a very large, self-sustaining cube. It gets you spinning theories as to how they got there, why they’re there, and who controls “gateway” (the way out all scrubs are hoping really does exist).

This cube setting was difficult for me to imagine initially. Trella does A LOT of crawling through the pipes from one sector to the next, so it made things much simpler once I drew a diagram (there’s a detailed description in the first 10 pages that starts you out) to help me imagine the distances and locations of everything.

Speaking of Trella... She’s hard to like at first. She’s a stubborn, skeptical loner with a prickly, sarcastic personality. But as the story progresses, and she starts to let her guard down, your heart goes out to her as you realize it’s the divide and conquer techniques of the rulers that have molded and manipulated her (and everyone else).

And boy are the rulers messed up. Seems they seized control from a more democratic initial leadership, and make sure nobody is in the know except for them. Anyone who doesn’t conform to their 10 hour on, ten hour off shifts, who asks questions, or forms noticeable friendships is fed to the Chomper. They have a strict one child policy for the Uppers and encourage pregnancy in scrubs (but take the children away). There’s a lot of food for thought here on eugenics, class warfare, and such but it’s worked so well into the plot and action, you never feel like you are getting an info dump.

The plot kept me engaged throughout with its clever twists and turns. Along the way we get to know a great cast of characters, all of whom felt real to me (even the rat guy who was only given one page of face time).

My absolute favorite character was Riley, the Upper boy who becomes Trella’s ally and romantic interest. He is so YUM, I want to create a button that says “Team Riley” (though there’s no other team to be on really in this book) and post in my sidebar right under my “Team Peeta” button. I loved his and Trella’s scenes together, and how his silly sweetness really draws her out.

Ok, now that this is officially my longest review ever, I’ll wrap it up by saying the ending packed a punch. I thought it concludes this chapter of life Inside very nicely (the story arc feels complete, no cliffhanger), but still makes you eager to read further adventures when they come out. I just hope the next installment, OUTSIDE IN, due in 2011, has lots and lots of Riley!
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Jul 01, 2010 Mariah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Mariah by: find books by title or author or isbn

Shelves: 2010, arc, jan10, for-review, tour, ala10, own

I received this book just as I was starting to read Maria's first novel Poison Study. So I was kind of comparing the different styles of the different series. That was probably not very fair because I absolutely loved the Poison Study series, while I was not as enamored with this book.

Because of all of the amazing dystopian books that are available, this one needed to be amazing to really stand out in such a large market. And while I enjoyed it, it kind of fell flat. The premise was good and ove...more

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Feb 27, 2010 Sab H. (YA Bliss) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia

Okay, so I first heard that this book was not that good. When that happens, I tend to have less expectations or expect it to be boring at least. So maybe its because I was expecting it to be bad, or maybe because I just love anything dystopian, but I really, really enjoyed this book. I've been thinking for a while how to put my thoughts into words, because I feel I liked all the aspects except the romance part. And that never happens! Or shouldn't happen at least. I will try to explain this as b...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Brodie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

This is my first Maria Snyder book and I'm more than pleased to say: it definitely won't be my last! She has created such a captivating, intriguing, original new world. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started, but what I found was a thoroughly unique and refreshing atmosphere that I did not want to leave!

Trella, otherwise known as the Queen of the Pipes, is a scrub who lives in the lower levels. It's her job to clean the pipes and ensure Inside stays clean and rust-free. She deliberate...more This is my first Maria Snyder book and I'm more than pleased to say: it definitely won't be my last! She has created such a captivating, intriguing, original new world. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started, but what I found was a thoroughly unique and refreshing atmosphere that I did not want to leave!

Trella, otherwise known as the Queen of the Pipes, is a scrub who lives in the lower levels. It's her job to clean the pipes and ensure Inside stays clean and rust-free. She deliberately distances herself from her fellow scrubs, who she sees more-or-less as a herd of obediant sheep. There's only one person who she willingly associates with - Cogon. Her one friend in the crowded, over-populated lower levels she craves to be free of, a boy she grew up in the same Care group as. And it's him who persuades her to see the supposed prophet, Broken Man, who claims he knows where to find Gateway - a doorway to the Outside.

It's on a whim that she decides to follow Broken Man's instructions in retrieving a number of disks he had hidden. He says they contain information on Gateway's whereabouts. Trella doesn't believe in such nonsense - or maybe just doesn't want to give herself that kind of hope. So she makes her way through the pipes to uncover the disks and sets off the start of what will change their entire existence and by doing so, marks herself as the leader of a rebellion. I loved what this did for Trella, the growth it allowed her to have over the course of the novel. She began working as a team with others, forming genuine friendships and getting to know people for the first time, eventually realising that they aren't so much different to her afterall.

In her journeys through the pipes, she stumbles across a secret storeroom... well, not-so-secret to the Upper-level boy using it. Riley. Aw, I adore Riley! There is a light touch of romance that begins to develop between him and Trella, which was really sweet and innocent. Riley was a great character and the whole "Sheepy" thing was too adorable! With all the fictional bad boys who often like to dominate our hearts, Riley has the genuine 'nice guy' vibe going for him, yet he's not boring in any way. He's cute and charming with a stubborn streak. And while he had to work on gaining Trella's trust, there's no doubt the connection between them is going to heighten in the sequel. They completely changed one another's view of the Uppers and Lowers, coming to the realisation that they've all been fed lies to create enmity between the levels.

I really loved all the characters in this book. Trella had a strong and compelling voice that kept me glued to the pages. She's stubborn, tough and rational - a real headstrong character who I loved to watch grow. The secondary characters were equally as awesome - from Cogon, ever the optimistic and people-person, to Logan the techno genius. Characters are the meat of a novel - you can have an amazing plot, but if your characters suck, it's a total flop. But even if the plot sucks, there's still a chance at survival if your characters are captivating. Maria has nothing to worry about though, she has both the endearing characters AND the kickass dystopian plot that you'll be hard pressed to draw your ink-smudged nose away from me. Trust me, I tried, but the darn book just sucked me back in again.

There was some level of predictability, but it never stopped me from turning the pages faster and faster to see what would happen next. There was still a few shocks in store for me! And the lure of Outside was too tempting to resist. Did it really exist? Would they find it in time? If they did find it, what was really beyond the Gateway? When all was revealed, I was actually quite surprised. I wasn't expecting what was uncovered! Plus the whole characters in peril, coming uprising, ignorance between the Uppers and Lowers, danger, action and mystery were all kind of... hmm, what's the word? Addictive!

Thank the Force of Sheep I had the sequel nearby as soon as I finished!(less)

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Apr 13, 2011 Monica! rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, it-was-earth-all-along, robots-and-rockets-and-scifi-oh-my, but-wait-theres-more, i-love-you-for-your-cover, you-go-girl, what-is-this-feeling, yippie-kay-ai-motherf-cker, romtopian

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 22, 2010 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-owned, book-type-tradepaperback, autographed

or anyone who has read her Study (Yelena) or Glass (Opal) books, this will be a different experience for you. Its not a fantasy based archetype--it more strongly resembles a dystopian futuristic archetype and has been written specifically for the teen market. This isn't to say that Snyder 'dumbed down' the writing because its meant for the teen market, she instead took things from a different perspective. Whereas many of Yelena's or Opal's acquaintances had experiences that they had to catch up...more or anyone who has read her Study (Yelena) or Glass (Opal) books, this will be a different experience for you. Its not a fantasy based archetype--it more strongly resembles a dystopian futuristic archetype and has been written specifically for the teen market. This isn't to say that Snyder 'dumbed down' the writing because its meant for the teen market, she instead took things from a different perspective. Whereas many of Yelena's or Opal's acquaintances had experiences that they had to catch up to, Trella's companions are all pretty much on level with her. They've worked together, ate together, fought together--some specific experiences vary, but by in large they have lived similar lives.

Humanity, such as it is, is pretty jam packed into Upper Levels and the Lower Levels. More so on the Lower Levels, since they're treated and considered little better then canon fodder by the Uppers. The Lowers work to keep the Uppers in luxury, or so the common belief goes. Things change when Trella accidentally encounters an Upper boy named Logan. Together they piece together certain facts that neither side wants the other to know and learn a whole lot more about who Trella really is and why they are all stuck Inside.

Inside Out moves at a slower pace, Trella preferring to stay out of confrontations as much as possible and using her quick wits to accomplish things. She doesn't trust practically anyone, except Cog, but its not a suspicious mistrust, but one born of being sick and tired of always being crammed in tightly. She's always been a little different then the other Scrubs, preferring solitude and quiet so she tends to keep away from them. Despite this she is liked, or at least others believe in her and when she gets around to asking for help they are enthusiastic even.

My only real complaint (the one I can say without spoilers) is the ending. It felt more abrupt and arbitrary. There was a large build-up, a climax, the after-climax and then...a little more. Hopefully with the release of the second book, Outside In, shall shed some light on what Trella and Co. find at the very ending...and I wouldn't be adverse to more Logan and Trella banter either.(less)

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Mar 28, 2010 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Trella lives Inside, which is basically a building that has everything. And the Outside is a mystery, possibly a myth. Inside contains two groups of people, the Uppers and the Scrubs. The Uppers are the high class that basically run things and the Scrubs are the hard laborers.

Trella's a teenager and her job is to clean the pipes in the walls. And where she basically keeps to herself and explores the Insides without the Uppers knowing. She's a loner and perfectly content with keeping to herself a...more Trella lives Inside, which is basically a building that has everything. And the Outside is a mystery, possibly a myth. Inside contains two groups of people, the Uppers and the Scrubs. The Uppers are the high class that basically run things and the Scrubs are the hard laborers.

Trella's a teenager and her job is to clean the pipes in the walls. And where she basically keeps to herself and explores the Insides without the Uppers knowing. She's a loner and perfectly content with keeping to herself and the pipes. But she does have one best friend, Cog. And Cog believes that there is a Gateway to the Outside and asks Trella to help him and the supposed prophet, Broken Man.

Now, Trella finds herself as a front runner in a Scrub revolution which leads her to living a double life in the Inside. How will she deal with such changes in her life?

Just like a few fellow book friends, I had low expectations for this book. I haven't heard much praise for it. But maybe that's good for the book in a way because in the end I loved it. I'll admit, it was slow to start, but as soon as the middle hit...woah!

This dystopian novel really had me curious to what type of structure they were living in and where it was. But really this books main concentration was on the way their society ran on the inside. It was really interesting to read about these two classes. I'm not sure if it's because I'm taking a class right now on the philosophy of education, but it really made me think about how important education is and who runs it.

Not only is the society interesting, but so are the characters. Trella is a strong main character who I constantly wanted to protect. She's an independent girl surrounded by interesting people. And these people are also characters that I cared for and want to learn more about. Especially Riley...such a sweet guy...awwww. The characters along with their riddles and their brains were wonderful to read.

This book has family relationships and sacrifices made and about hope. It's a wonderful novel and it is part of a series that I can't wait to read in the future (hurry up second book and come out!!!)

I really hope you all pick this one up!!!(less)

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Feb 26, 2013 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 'Across the Universe' and 'The Hunger Games' fans

Shelves: ya, review, library, dystopian

Hmm... this one is a toughy. The best way to describe it perhaps, is Across the Universe meets The Hunger Games.

There is always a problem when it comes to science fiction books, particularly in the YA genre. I find something about it that I don't fully agree on/ believe- that it ruins my whole experience. I found 'Inside Out' for the most part great; the setting, plot etc. was well done, but, I couldn't help but feel disconnected from it in some way. That doesn't mean to say that it was badly wr...more

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Jun 23, 2010 faeriemyst rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: readers who like lighter sci-fi or dystopian books

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, dystopia, young-adult-sci-fi, library-loan

Having not read many dystopian or post-apocalyptic books, I went into this book with fresh eyes. Although the plot and setting are both very interesting, they could have been more clearly described; yet they still are good enough to set the stage for the characters and events. Trella, the main character, is the type who always interests me; she's a loner, doesn't trust easily, is independent, and is "street" smart, so to speak. Yes, she can be slightly abrasive, but only to others in the book, a...more

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Oct 18, 2011 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

This book started out a bit slow, but picked up pace towards the middle and kept it well through to the end. And once it did get going, I found it hard to put down! There are a couple of really great twists in there which I did not see coming at all, one making it somewhat similar to a couple of other recent books which I won't divulge so as not to ruin the surprise.

I like all the characters, but it is only like. I never really connected to Trella in particular and I can't really say why, thoug...more This book started out a bit slow, but picked up pace towards the middle and kept it well through to the end. And once it did get going, I found it hard to put down! There are a couple of really great twists in there which I did not see coming at all, one making it somewhat similar to a couple of other recent books which I won't divulge so as not to ruin the surprise.

I like all the characters, but it is only like. I never really connected to Trella in particular and I can't really say why, though I really like Cogon, Riley and Logan. My favourite character was, however, Sheepy. I love him. I would almost recommend this book on strength of his appearances alone, though this is likely to be largely due to personal preference. Still.

I liked how Trella grew through the course of the story - she matures so much, and comes to understand people so much better which was nice to see. Riley was all lovely and gooey and I hope their relationship continues to develop because he is very good for her and is the catalyst to a lot of her changes. Logan was just kinda awesome. He get's so excited about his tech he's like a little kid, and it provided a lighter touch to what is an otherwise somewhat...dark? heavy? book (neither of them are quite the right word, but almost so they'll have to do).

(view spoiler)

I loved Snyder's first book, Poison Study, but none of the other have really lived up to that. This book is the closest she's come - generally good characters and a nice pace once it gets going - and for that reason I'm very happy. I'm tentatively looking forward to the next book and hoping it continues in the same line.(less)

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May 11, 2010 Reading Teen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Trella is a scrub. Being a scrub means living in the overcrowded lower levels, working ten hour shifts to keep Inside clean, never speaking to any Uppers, not knowing your real family, and being constantly monitored by the Pop Cops (Population Control).

Trella’s job is to clean the heating and air ducts, earning her nickname “The Queen of the Pipes.” She has a hard time relating to the other scrubs because she thinks of them as mindless sheep that aren’t worth her time or concern. She’s even take...more Trella is a scrub. Being a scrub means living in the overcrowded lower levels, working ten hour shifts to keep Inside clean, never speaking to any Uppers, not knowing your real family, and being constantly monitored by the Pop Cops (Population Control).

Trella’s job is to clean the heating and air ducts, earning her nickname “The Queen of the Pipes.” She has a hard time relating to the other scrubs because she thinks of them as mindless sheep that aren’t worth her time or concern. She’s even taken to sleeping in the pipes she knows so well. Her only friend is Cogon, a boy she’s grown up with, and when he begs her to meet a Prophet, named Broken Man, she reluctantly agrees.

Broken Man is yet another Prophet preaching about Gateway and Outside. He says he needs The Queen of Pipes to help him find them. Trella agrees to the mission, but only to prove that Broken Man is a fraud, and spare Cogon from the pain that comes from lost hopes.

As Trella starts looking for Gateway, however, she finds herself not only daring to believe, but also inspiring others to rebel against their captors. She meets many surprising people along the way, including a cute Upper boy, named Riley, who challenges everything she thought she knew about Uppers, and begins to open herself up to friendship, trust, and hope.

Inside Out is a sci-fi thriller full of action, adventure, a little romance, and a lot of pipes! Although I found the settings pretty difficult to visualize (I need a map), I really enjoyed the story of Trella and the mystery of Inside. I found myself wondering who was in control of this self-sustaining cube and what had happened to Outside that made this life necessary. The clever plot twists kept me engaged, and actually made my mouth drop open at one point. I felt like the relationship between Trella and Riley was a little forced, but I still loved their characters and was glad to see them develop a relationship. The ending was a complete cliffhanger and I’m excited to see where the story goes in the next book Outside In.

~Andye @ http://ReadingTeen.blogspot.com/

Parents should know: This book has a lot of "minor" curse words. It also has some kissing, and some talk about sexual things, though mostly as an explanation of life in Inside. Additionally it has quite a bit of violence. For more details, go to http://ParentalBookReviews.com/(less)

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Mar 20, 2010 All Things Urban Fantasy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-abigail

Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com

INSIDE OUT is the perfect example (at least for me anyway) of why you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover. This cover didn’t do anything for me, in fact I thought the cover model looked like Miley Cyrus which really didn’t do anything for me. Once again my shallowness almost had me missing out on an excellent book.

In a sentence, INSIDE OUT is 1984 meets The Hunger Games. And if you’ve been living under a rock somewhere and haven’t read The Hu...more Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com

INSIDE OUT is the perfect example (at least for me anyway) of why you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover. This cover didn’t do anything for me, in fact I thought the cover model looked like Miley Cyrus which really didn’t do anything for me. Once again my shallowness almost had me missing out on an excellent book.

In a sentence, INSIDE OUT is 1984 meets The Hunger Games. And if you’ve been living under a rock somewhere and haven’t read The Hunger Games, the comparison is a huge compliment.

Seventeen year old Trella is a scrub, in the Dystopian world she and the rest of humanity live in called Inside. What exactly is Inside? No one really knows. Trella has explored it more than most and she’s concluded that it is a massive cubed city enclosed on all sides by steel. But Inside isn’t nearly as important as the mythical Outside, especially to Lowers like Trella.

In the novel INSIDE OUT, the population is divided into two
distinct classes: The privileged Uppers, who enjoy unimagined
freedoms like the ability to marry, parent a child, and even live in semi-private quarters. The Lowers (proles for 1984 fans) are essentially slaves forced provide manual labor until they die. They sleep in giant, crammed bunkers, are not allowed to raise any children they bear (if a women tries to keep a child or abort it, the authorities take the child and breed the mother until she becomes infertile), and if even a hint of dissension arises they are ‘recycled’ into fertilizer. It’s no wonder the Lower’s long for Outside.

That’s all I’m comfortable with revealing in order to avoid spoilers. I’ll just say that INSIDE OUT will infuriate you because of the social injustices that occur and thoroughly entertain you till the last page. If you haven’t tried Dystopian fiction yet (and you should), this is an excellent place to start. Outside In, the sequel, is due out in 2011.

Sexual Content:
( YA titles receive a more thorough breakdown) Kissing. References to ‘mating,’ birth control, and implied forced ‘breeding.’(less)

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Mar 02, 2010 Chelsea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Though I have never officially reviewed any of Maria V. Snyder's books before, I am a long time fan. Her Poison Study trilogy got a second read-through from me, which rarely happens. I will also recommend Poison Study to just about anyone who asks me for a good book recommendation. Her Glass series is equally excellent and I am looking forward to the conclusion this fall. So suffice it to say I was absolutely stoked to know she would be releasing a young adult book!

Trella lives Inside, a futuris...more Though I have never officially reviewed any of Maria V. Snyder's books before, I am a long time fan. Her Poison Study trilogy got a second read-through from me, which rarely happens. I will also recommend Poison Study to just about anyone who asks me for a good book recommendation. Her Glass series is equally excellent and I am looking forward to the conclusion this fall. So suffice it to say I was absolutely stoked to know she would be releasing a young adult book!

Trella lives Inside, a futuristic place where people are treated like scrubs and worthless machines. Trella is an anti-social teen - she'd rather sleep in the pipes she is assigned to clean than mingle with the other scrubs. Because of this, others call her the Queen of the Pipes. She has accepted her dreary life as just another hard-working scrub in the Lower Levels. Her best friend Cog (like the machine part) is a believer, one of many who perpetrate a rumor of the Gateway, or a way out of Inside. During some of her usual work shift mischievousness, she falls (literally!) into the friendship of an Upper named Riley, and her whole world changes. This meeting sparks a series of events that will push Trella's skills and beliefs to the limits. But along the way, she learns she may have more to believe in after all.

One word can sum it all up for me: WOW. Just... WOW. Once I had started reading it, walking away was out of the question. This was a fantastic distopian vision of a future life. Inside was terrifying and claustrophobic. Snyder has a tendency to write strong female characters with seemingly endless amounts of stamina, and Trella falls into this role nicely. The action sequences were not only supremely intense, but there were many of them. My heart raced, my blood pounded, and I swear I even held my breath once or twice. And all racing towards an ending that left me gasping for more. I also feel strongly that both boys and girls will like Maria Snyder's stories, as they all have tons of action plus plenty of intimate elements as well. If you have never tried Maria V. Snyder before, this is definitely the one to start with!

All of this is making me wonder: when is the movie coming out?! (less)

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Jan 17, 2010 Lindsay Paige rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Once you start reading, and it gets interesting, by the time you are almost finished, you have lost track of time, it's one AM, and you missed dinner. Even more surprisingly, you don't really care. And you keep reading. I really enjoyed this book. Each character is defined and like no other.

It was a very interesting book and it took time to get use to their world and to understand how it works. But it was well worth it. While reading, the book reminded me a little of The People of Sparks by Jea...more

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Dec 21, 2009 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-reads, youngadult, science-fiction

Trella is a scrub. She lives on the lower levels of the Inside and cleans the water and air ducts in order to keep everyone safe from contamination. Life as a scrub isn’t a pleasant experience. All the scrubs live in cramped quarters, work ten hour shifts with hardly any time off, and are watched carefully by the Pop Cops (Population Control Police).

Trella only has one friend, Cogon, and when he drags her to meet, yet another, Prophet spouting nonsense about the Gateway to the Outside, she goes...more Trella is a scrub. She lives on the lower levels of the Inside and cleans the water and air ducts in order to keep everyone safe from contamination. Life as a scrub isn’t a pleasant experience. All the scrubs live in cramped quarters, work ten hour shifts with hardly any time off, and are watched carefully by the Pop Cops (Population Control Police).

Trella only has one friend, Cogon, and when he drags her to meet, yet another, Prophet spouting nonsense about the Gateway to the Outside, she goes with only one purpose in mind – to discredit the Prophet. If she can prove there is no Outside, Cog won’t get his heart broken when the Gateway turns out to be nothing but a dream.

Trella isn’t prepared for the danger she gets herself into when she starts looking for the Gateway. With her knowledge of the vents and ducts, only she can get to some of the places where secret information is stored and once the Pop Cops find out what is going on, they stop at nothing to prevent her from finding out about Gateway and Outside.

INSIDE OUT is a science fiction novel from the author of POISON STUDY. I’m sure there will be some out there that will absolutely love this book, but here are the things preventing me from giving it a higher rating:

Inside, where everyone lives, is built like a cube, with levels and sectors. It was difficult for me to picture it in my mind when Trella referred to places like Sector H1.
Since Harlequin Teen is publishing this book, there has to be a little romance in it, but what is there is at the very end and feels like it was just stuck in for the purpose of fitting the publishers requirements.
Trella is unsure of her family history and when given the information to answer he questions – doesn’t take it. This irritated me. I know there is going to be a sequel and we might find out about it then, but …
The ending wasn’t very satisfying to me. It seemed like it was a little too quickly wrapped up. Again, I know there will be a sequel, but…
The sequel is called OUTSIDE IN and due for release in 2011.

When more of you guys have read this book, be sure to come back and tell me what you think about it.(less)

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Jun 28, 2010 BOOK BUTTERFLY added it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian

Trella is the Queen of the Pipes. She lives in an enclosed world somewhere in the future. Divided into two factions, Trella is definitely one of the lower class, known as a scrub. She prefers to keep to herself in the pipes rather than deal with the overcrowded, maddening conditions most scrubs resign them to. In the pipes Trella has quiet and a sense of peace. Everything changes, however, when Trella inadvertently sparks a revolution and becomes the leader of a cause she never wanted to believe...more Trella is the Queen of the Pipes. She lives in an enclosed world somewhere in the future. Divided into two factions, Trella is definitely one of the lower class, known as a scrub. She prefers to keep to herself in the pipes rather than deal with the overcrowded, maddening conditions most scrubs resign them to. In the pipes Trella has quiet and a sense of peace. Everything changes, however, when Trella inadvertently sparks a revolution and becomes the leader of a cause she never wanted to believe in.

"I would never have had the patience to fight my way along the main paths, but Cog's thick body left a wake behind him. I followed along in this space, walking without effort and without touching anyone. A moment of peace." (p13)

Trella initially threw me off with her prickly, hardened shell and general disdain for everyone around her. With Cog being her only friend and closest thing to any semblance of family, I thought more time could’ve been devoted to really showing the reader just how much he meant to Trella. Instead it felt like their friendship was quickly “told” rather than “shown". It wasn‘t until his situation became increasingly dire that I began to feel just how much she cared for him. As for those assisting Trella with her cause, Riley was by far my favorite character. A breath of fresh air, he helped round out a lot of Trella’s sharp edges and made her more likable for me. Riley was just about the sweetest boy I’ve ever encountered in a dystopian novel and I looked forward to every time he came into the picture. Their playful banter about the “sheep” showed Trella’s softer side, and allowed me to become more vested in her character as well. I would like to see much more of Riley and the TechNo’s Anne Jade and Logan in the next installment for this series. There is a lot of potential to do much with those characters and I look forward to meeting up with them.

Inside Out, a novel with a dystopian flair and hint of science fiction escapism, explores thought provoking issues such as eugenics, political control and class warfare while still managing to entertain the reader with an exciting storyline. This was the first novel I’ve read by Maria Snyder, and I was impressed with her writing style. I do have to note, however, that I almost gave up on the book early on. The first ten pages or so were devoted to the complex workings of the large, self sustaining cube where both classes of the people in Trella's world live and work. Much as I wanted to, I couldn’t picture the layout very well and Snyder began losing me with all the pipe crawling and different sector names. I still don’t have a clear mental image of it nor do I completely understand Snyder’s definition of telling time. With that being said, I’m really glad that I did keep reading on. Once Trella became involved in the revolt and began working with the people willing to put their lives on the line to help her, I began to care more about her character. Things finally kicked into high gear for me when she met Riley, an “Upper” who could’ve turned her in, but didn’t. At that point, I couldn’t read fast enough and ended up finishing the book in one sitting.

Just like the pipes where Trella felt most at home, the plot of Inside Out twists and turns with danger, self-discovery and the thrill of rebellion. So many people looked at Trella as their last hope, that it added an incredible amount of suspense and tension. Add in the threat of the Pop Cops, Chomper (a frightening death sentence) and cryptic computer files, and it was enough to reel this reader in. My favorite aspect of Inside Out was how even in times of distress, a little hope and a lot of courage can have widespread and long lasting influence for change in the world. We are not predestined to live out our lots in life, we can make a difference and we can change the course of our future. Outside In, the sequel to Inside Out releases in 2011.
(less)

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Apr 28, 2011 Miss Clark rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, fairytale-fantasy-sci-fi-mythology

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 2.5

This is close to being my favorite Snyder book and I am very much looking forward to the next book,Outside In, coming January 2011.

Trella is just another scrub, one of the members of a futuristic society that is over-crowded and separated into two distinct classes. The uppers, who have their own apartments, families and easy jobs, and the scrubs who are forced to live in barracks and do all the hard labor. Trella hates this existence and holds herself apart from her fellow workers, hiding ou...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Jodi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In many ways, this book is similar to Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games, where one girl accidentally begins a revolution. It's completely different in many other ways. Trella is a scrub, one of the lower level people who keep the Inside running but are below the lowest class. She doesn't have any hope that things will get better. But her friend Cog convinces her to meet a prophet who calls himself the Broken Man. That meeting changes everything. Not because she believes that there is life outside o...more

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Dec 09, 2010 Rita Webb rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, read-in-2010, ya

Trella's job is to clean the pipes of Inside, a 4 story building that traps these has trapped these people for about 180,000 weeks. She knows every crook and cranny and hiding place and passage, even the way to get to the upper floors where the lowly scrubs are segregated.

The Pop Cops patrol the lower floors, preaching the upper floors dominance over the lower floors and controlling the scrubs (what the people of the lower floors are called).

When a prophet starts preaching that he knows where to...more

1 like · like · see review

topics	posts	views	last activity
Plot Similarities	5	17	Apr 05, 2013 01:23pm
What's The Name o...: YA novel a girl in a kind of spaceship who travels through tubes? SOLVED [s]	9	37	Mar 18, 2013 11:26pm
Do you recommend reading this?	31	95	Mar 16, 2013 09:08am
Romance?	9	48	Dec 14, 2012 08:09pm
What is this book about?	11	134	Nov 09, 2012 07:47am
Bookin' It : Inside Out (Insider, #1) by Maria V. Snyder	1	3	Sep 29, 2012 01:45pm

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