Outside In (Insiders, #2)

Aug 10, 2010 Maria V. Snyder rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Duh! I'm going to mark all my books with 5 stars :) I find it funny there are three reviews when the book wasn't even finished! And I'm grateful for all those who have this marked TBR - I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it :)

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May 22, 2011 faeriemyst rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

***Possible spoiler alert concerning Inside Out***

2.5 stars
A rather disappointing end to the duet after the very enjoyable first book, Inside Out. Suffering from too many subplots that connected to the central story, the book just had too much going on. Each subplot that popped up was quickly taken care of in order to move on to the next scene and felt like the author was going down a checklist, "Okay, that's done, on to the next." It just wasn't very smooth at all. Most of the action was indica...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Janina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, read-in-2011, given-away, sci-fi, did-not-see-that-coming, series-finished

Despite enjoying the first book in this series, Inside Out, I went into this with low expectations. For some reason, my excitement for Trella’s world and dystopian sci-fi in general had died down considerably (I didn’t remember much about the first book or why I liked it so much anyway and therefore even reduced my rating in hindsight.) and I had heard too much about Maria Snyder’s sequel syndrome.

But I soon was immersed in the story. It was fast moving and suspenseful, portraying the time after...more Despite enjoying the first book in this series, Inside Out, I went into this with low expectations. For some reason, my excitement for Trella’s world and dystopian sci-fi in general had died down considerably (I didn’t remember much about the first book or why I liked it so much anyway and therefore even reduced my rating in hindsight.) and I had heard too much about Maria Snyder’s sequel syndrome.

But I soon was immersed in the story. It was fast moving and suspenseful, portraying the time after the successful overthrow of an authoritative government. How to install order and peace without repressing one group? How to reconcile former enemies? How to form a nation with a common sense of identity instead of a nation still thinking in terms of us and them? How to ensure everyone is content with his place in the new order? How to fight against new rebellions and sabotage?
All these questions need to be answered by Trella and a newly established committee ruling over Inside, but it’s difficult to leave old habits behind and Trella is scared to accept the responsibility of being a leader. Therefore, Inside is soon threatened by a new force. Can the citizens unite to fight against it? Or is it too late for that?

This was definitely a fascinating read, and Snyder had me on the edge of my seat waiting for what would happen next. Allies turning into enemies turning into allies kept the unpredictability up, but on a whole, it was a little tiring to deal with the changes in loyalties every five minutes.
Also, I can’t really say I was really emotionally invested in neither the characters themselves nor the romance aspect. Deaths occurred, but were not really devastating to me. Relationships ended, but I couldn’t care less. Also, for me, this series has an almost Middle Grade feel to it. Trella’s voice sounds very young despite her 17 years, and I thought that the romance didn’t really fit with that. The little “hot” (hot compared to what happened in book one) scenes included just seemed very awkward to me. This was enhanced by Trella and Riley’s infatuation with Sheepy, a stuffed animal and the symbol of their revolution, who was brought up about every ten pages. I mean, I do like stuffed animals and can tolerate a joke or two about them, but Sheepy just failed as a running gag.

All in all, a satisfying read concerning world building and action, but not so much concerning interpersonal relationships and I didn’t feel a real connection to the characters.
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Aug 23, 2012 Nemo (the Moonlight Library) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, mine-mine-mine, purchased, 2012-read, publisher-harlequin

See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

Outside In suffers from the same page-turning excitement The Hunger Games suffers from. I say ‘suffers’ because I suffered when I had to put it down to do normal things like eat and sleep and work. It begins a few short weeks after the end of Inside Out, and for one thing, it’s a totally awesome name for the book. Not only does it match its predecessor, but it’s actually accurate to the plot. Something from Outside wants in. How fucking sinister...more See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

Outside In suffers from the same page-turning excitement The Hunger Games suffers from. I say ‘suffers’ because I suffered when I had to put it down to do normal things like eat and sleep and work. It begins a few short weeks after the end of Inside Out, and for one thing, it’s a totally awesome name for the book. Not only does it match its predecessor, but it’s actually accurate to the plot. Something from Outside wants in. How fucking sinister is that?

There seemed to be a lot more action in this novel. I read it at break neck speed and I think I may have skimmed a bit because I was so keen to find out what happens next, so I did confuse myself a little a times. Luckily, Snyder has this way of summarising, and even if you think you’re a little lost she’ll pull you back on to the right path. Trella gets a lot of injuries and travels to a lot of places, but there’s still room enough for a second rebellion, developing relationships, betrayal and heartache.

Trella’s a great heroine to follow. Her relationship with Riley is totally realistic. Can I just smoosh those two together? Their relationship problems are not entirely from the outside influence: it’s their own fucked-up-ed-ness that leads to the issues within the relationship. That’s a realistic portrayal, even when it’s in a dystopian setting. Trella grows as a person in this novel, too. She learns to be less self-centred, to take responsibility, and the most amazing thing: she learns to give people second chances. That’s a pretty huge thing for Trella to overcome, but she does it slowly over the course of the novel. It’s a pleasure watching her.

The politics in this novel has matured greatly from Inside Out. In the first novel, it’s pretty much scrubs vs uppers. In this novel, it’s pretty much everyone vs everyone. You don’t know who to trust, you don’t know if someone you’ve trusted will betray you. It’s very intriguing and tangled, woven together in a web of politics and a belief system that runs akin to religion.

While I am a fan of The Hunger Games, this dystopian is nothing like that. It’s far more similar to Amy Kathleen Ryan’s Glow. I think if you’re a fan of that novel (as am I), you will most likely enjoy Outside In. I am sad it was only ever a duology, as I believe a whole entire series could have been made out of this concept.(less)

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Dec 14, 2010 Skye rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review is also posted on by blog, In The Good Books.

Trella thought her part was over. She led a rebellion and won Inside back from the Travas and Pop Cops. Now she's happy to give control over to a Committee.

But The Committee can't decide on anything, everyone still harbors Scrubs/Upper prejudices, Inside is practically in anarchy, and now something from the Outside wants In.

The Inside Out series is dystopia, a genre that's increasing in popularity. It's more science-fiction-y than I'm used...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenge, didn-t-live-up-to-expectations, favorites, finished-series, own, sci-fi, signed, wow-worldbuilding, young-adult, dystopian

I read Outside In sometime in 2011. I know it was before I started my blog, and it was one of the first reviews I wrote on Goodreads. Because of that, I don't recommend you go read it (my writing is horrible), but I can tell you that I adored the book. I may not have been able to articulate my thoughts as well as I can now, but the feelings are still the same. I LOVED IT. It was one of my favorites and it just cemented my growing love for Maria V. Snyder's writing. So it was with great trepidat...more I read Outside In sometime in 2011. I know it was before I started my blog, and it was one of the first reviews I wrote on Goodreads. Because of that, I don't recommend you go read it (my writing is horrible), but I can tell you that I adored the book. I may not have been able to articulate my thoughts as well as I can now, but the feelings are still the same. I LOVED IT. It was one of my favorites and it just cemented my growing love for Maria V. Snyder's writing. So it was with great trepidation that I picked up Outside In. I was just worried it wouldn't be as good.

And unfortunately, it wasn't. Perhaps the magic had worn off. Maybe I have just gotten pickier. Whatever the case may be, I was a little disappointed. It IS possible that my expectations were a little too high. At any rate, I did still really like it though. It just wasn't that 5 star book that I was expecting it to be. And I don't think that I am being unfair by having that expectation considering I loved the first book so much.

One of my main issues with Outside In was the plot. If this had been a standalone, this would probably have been a 5 star book. But because the first book was so damn suspenseful, I had the same hopes for this one. The story was fantastic--Trella has to organize and save the world from a new group trying to take over "Inside"--but it didn't make quite the same impact on me that Inside Out did. Trella was pretty unlikable throughout the first hundred pages or so and I found myself being disgusted by some of her behavior. So when she finally got her shit together, I was already a little disillusioned with the book. It was a page turner though. And I loved seeing some of my favorite characters back to their old shenanigans. But it just didn't feel the same.

Trella was an awesome, strong heroine once things got going and Riley, once again, is swoonworthy. All of the side characters are fun and really entertaining. I also really appreciated the new dynamic between Trella and Doctor Lamont. It was interesting and brought something completely new to the book's dynamic. Maria V. Snyder writes really strong characters, and that continued into this book. I feel like they all had their own personalities, motivations, and lives within the universe of "Inside."

Speaking of "Inside," my favorite thing about both of these books is the world-building. It blew my mind in book one and I still found it to be almost as satisfying in book two. I say almost because book one just kept revealing layer after layer and in book two I felt like I knew everything and there weren't as many secrets to be revealed. Perhaps that is why I was a little underwhelmed by Outside In even though it still is/was one of the more original series I have ever read.

You have to remember that these books hit the YA scene before the dystopia/post-apocalyptic fad hit. This is not an author who wrote this book to make a quick buck. These are truly original ideas. I remember seeing an interview on a blog somewhere where the author stated that when she started writing these books, she didn't even intend for them to be dystopian but that it just worked out that way. I think when you read these books, it is easy to tell that this is true. The detail in the setting and the depth that goes into the world-building is just so immense and well-planned.

So even though I didn't love this book as much as I loved Inside Out mainly because I was a little underwhelmed by the suspense and Trella's actions, I still really enjoyed it and I highly recommend the duology, especially for those readers that love dystopian books but are getting a little tired of the repeated tropes and themes. While there are a few things in these books that you will find in the others, because this one came first, it doesn't feel overused or overdone in the least. I do highly recommend them and Maria V. Snyder is always an author I will turn to for a good book. I know and trust her writing. And that's a fantastic thing.
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Mar 20, 2011 Camilla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, favorites

After finished Inside Out, I was so excited and anxious to get my hands on a copy of this sequel. to this day, I still cannot get over at how realistic everything is within this book. The world Snyder has crafted is absolutely fantastic and her characters are crazy awesome. So I was so excited to jump right back into Trella's world. Both books have served every little bit of nail biting action that is sure to have you on the edge of your seat. Trella is the kind of kick butt character that has y...more After finished Inside Out, I was so excited and anxious to get my hands on a copy of this sequel. to this day, I still cannot get over at how realistic everything is within this book. The world Snyder has crafted is absolutely fantastic and her characters are crazy awesome. So I was so excited to jump right back into Trella's world. Both books have served every little bit of nail biting action that is sure to have you on the edge of your seat. Trella is the kind of kick butt character that has you anticipating every moment of her crazy adventure and I love every twist within the mystery. Together, the world, the characters and the plot are enough to have you captivated right from the start of this sequel.

*Before you continue reading, read Inside Out!!!*

Snyder starts off by filling the reader in with what happened since the last book. As you know, Inside Out ended with a crazy cliffhanger, Trella and Cog found the Gateway, and opened it. When you start Outside In, you learn that that door led to 'The Outside', also known as Outer Space. Turns out that their world is a giant floating cube floating in space, and when Cog opened the Gateway, he was sucked out into the dark abyss. He died in the act of saving Trella's life.

That's not the only new thing that has changed their world, after the rebellion, The Travas were arrested and a temporary Committee was formed. There are no more Pop Cops. Trella also discovered that there are more than just four levels within this metal cube, so the population within can spread out. As you can see, there have been drastic changes to their world, and soon there will be more trouble.

When an explosion strikes and it causes serious damage. Many people are hurt and it leads to the next twist in this mystery. Turns out that the explosion no only damaged the power plant system, but it damaged a secret system that they now know about. It's called the Transmission and it's what allows them to move through space. It takes energy from the power plant and releases it to the outside, which allows them to move them to their unknown destination. The explosion wrecked the transmission, which stops them from being able to go faster or slower or even maneuver. In other words, while they are floating in space, things like meteorites, asteroids or comets can crash into them or exert enough energy to throw them of course. This is a dangerous situation that leaves everyone wondering what could be in store next.

That's not the last of the unexpected attacks. Looks like someone is out to disrupt the course of their world, and trying to hack into the computer systems. Looks like Logan will have to work together with Trella and her gang to piece the clues together in order to solve this mystery. and it looks like something from the Outside would like a way in.

Along with this mystery/adventure, I was happy to see that many relationships develop. It was great to see Riley and Trella become closer, I love them together and whenever they were side by side, I just couldn't put the book down. It was also great to see Trella's relationship with Dr. Logan, also known as Karla. She has trouble swallowing the fact that she might be her mother, and their relationship hits some rocky patches but I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop.

Trella is just an amazing character and I am thrilled that I was able to follow along her journey in discovering more about her world. This series has everything you could ask for!

5/5
2011-012(less)

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Feb 09, 2011 Jess (Gone with the Words) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, scifi-aliens, read-2011, female-narrator, dystopian, netgalley

Read My Review for Outside In here: http://www.gonewiththewords.com/2011/02/review-outside-in-by-maria-v-snyder.html

Outside In picks up soon after the end of Inside Out. Trella kind of takes a backseat to the committee, and wants to just explore more of Inside and spend more time with Riley. She feels she doesn’t have the expertise to make decisions that will impact the citizens of Inside. She doesn’t realize that the citizens of Inside see her as a leader, one who has abandoned them. There hasn...more Read My Review for Outside In here: http://www.gonewiththewords.com/2011/02/review-outside-in-by-maria-v-snyder.html

Outside In picks up soon after the end of Inside Out. Trella kind of takes a backseat to the committee, and wants to just explore more of Inside and spend more time with Riley. She feels she doesn’t have the expertise to make decisions that will impact the citizens of Inside. She doesn’t realize that the citizens of Inside see her as a leader, one who has abandoned them. There hasn’t been much progress and everyone is still being segregated, Uppers from Scrubs. The Scrubs are losing hope that changes will soon be made because hardly any are being implemented as fast as everyone had hoped. All these things soon lead to huge problems; bombs are being set off and someone has taken over the computer systems. Trella has to figure out who she can trust in her quest to finding out who’s responsible for these attacks. People she thought she could trust will let her down and she will find allies in very unexpected places.

Trella and Riley’s relationship is beyond cute! Riley is very funny and adorable, I wish I could materialize him from the pages of this book!! (Wishful thinking…sigh) They have this mocking, sarcastic way of joking around with each other that makes me laugh. I just love it! He loves her so much but she can’t seem to brave that step towards the idea of a future with him, which will bite her in the butt! There is a lot more sexy scenes between these two than in the previous book, which I shamelessly enjoyed…A LOT!

Trella also has her new found mother to deal with. I feel bad for Dr. Lamont. She has made some bad choices out of desperation, and Trella doesn’t feel she deserves a second chance for betraying all of them. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve chapter after chapter.

Maria V. Snyder leaves me in awe once more with her amazing world building and characters. She created a very vivid picture in my mind! This book was a nail biter, page after page, with a whole lot more action and fighting than the last book. Aside from that, you take away a feeling of hope for the lives of these characters she has so thoughtfully created. I highly recommend this series. And if you haven’t read her Poison Study series, I suggest you run out and buy that as well! It is a must for anyone who loves to read fantasy.

(This book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com for an honest review)(less)

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Jun 21, 2012 April rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, netgalley, dystopian, sci-fi, ereader

FYI this review contains spoilers for Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder, so if you haven’t read it yet, I suggest you do so and then come back here.

Friends, I bow to the greatness that is the writing of Maria V. Snyder. I will admit, I was nervous when I first read Inside Out because a few friends had read it, but didn’t really enjoy it. Then I read inside out and fell in love with Trella and Sheepy and Riley. However, I wasn’t really sure where Snyder could take the story. I certainly didn’t think...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Emlyn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: like-watching-paint-dry, not-worth-the-paper-to-print-them

It was kind of anticlimactic. I mean, there was a bunch of stuff "going on", but not much actually happening. I felt like half of it just got written to make the book bigger, and the sheep got brought into it WAY too much. It was Sheepy this and Sheepy that, and I was about to reach through the pages and strangle it. I just realized, that's pretty sad. I wanted to harm a fake sheep... But truly, Trella and Riley mentioned Sheepy almost every time they were together, which was a LOT, and she was...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia, young-adult

Outside In is the sequel to the thrilling Inside Out. This review will have spoilers for the first book, so go and read it before reading this review!

The Queen Of The Pipes is back!!!!
(I *love* Trella!!)

This is a fantastic series and the sequel is as nerve-racking as the first! When I learned what the deal was with Inside/Outside, I had this strange sensation of falling into space. I have bad vertigo so the whole idea of being *gasp* in space *gasp* - no matter how fabulous it would be - just ma...more Outside In is the sequel to the thrilling Inside Out. This review will have spoilers for the first book, so go and read it before reading this review!

The Queen Of The Pipes is back!!!!
(I *love* Trella!!)

This is a fantastic series and the sequel is as nerve-racking as the first! When I learned what the deal was with Inside/Outside, I had this strange sensation of falling into space. I have bad vertigo so the whole idea of being *gasp* in space *gasp* - no matter how fabulous it would be - just made me hold onto walls all day. Here, not only is everyone stuck inside, but they are helpless when something on the Outside wants to go in.

We find Trella who spends most of her time as a consultant to the new Committee in charge of making life better Inside. But old habits die hard and "Uppers" do not wish to do manual jobs with scrubs. A lot of discontent appears among the various levels and several acts of rebellion are casting a shadow on the joy of unity at last.
Trella is also starting to have issues with Riley. He doesn't like how she never spends time with him and how she is always putting herself in harm's way. There is also the question of Dr Lamont who betrayed her and how they have to live together and how she might be her mother. So Trella's life isn't that fantastic after the rebellion, but it's nothing compared to what it will be when Outside tries to come Inside and people start to die.

I really love Trella as a character, she has her own mind and can't really shake an entire life of feeling alone and rejected. She has also her flaws which make her even more endearing! We get to have a better look at the other characters' personality, especially after there is no more distinction between Uppers and scrubs.
I find that the book is a brilliant exemple of human nature and how "easy" it is to manipulate people in being divided just by giving them the impression that the Other is different. The system implemented by the Travas in Inside Out was a clear example of "Divide to Conquer" whereas on the other side, Outside In shows how a lack of leadership isn't always a good thing because if everyone has a voice, some will always scream louder than others.

Trella makes some even more fascinating discoveries by visiting the "ship" and I am dying to know more about it (because there will be more about it, right? RIGHT?!!) and how it started and - obviously - how it will end!!! She is a fantastic character and definitely a kick ass heroine. I loved the development of her relationship with Riley and how she is maturing. I am also a huge fan of the Tech Nos like Logan! There are various personalities in the book and they reflect well the situation in which they are living in.

The book is really well written and you stay at the edge of your seat the whole time. I've read it in barely two days because I needed to know what was happening next! There are some violent passages and some sexy times but nothing too bad.

This is one of those stories where the less you say the better since the surprise will make it even more fascinating so I highly recommend this series to people who enjoy dystopia, sci-fi, thrillers and anything going on in space. The story will resonate in you in a "what if?" kind of way and you will want to continue reading for the story, if not just for the survival tips. (Yes, I see dystopia as just an anticipation of what might come in the future and as the best way to be prepared for anything.)

Note to self: Learn how to climb a rope, throw a punch and navigate in pipes.(less)

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Feb 13, 2013 Allison Ta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

J'avais découvert le premier tome d'Inside out peu après sa parution en 2011 et, à l'époque, je ne connaissais pas encore la dystopie. Ce fut alors une très belle surprise et c'est aussi ce roman qui m'a donné par la suite envie de découvrir les autres romans de Maria V. Snyder (notamment la saga Les portes du secret qui est un coup de coeur).

A la fin du premier opus, on apprenait l'étonnante révélation de l'origine du monde de Trella. En effet, les personnages découvraient que le monde dans leq...more J'avais découvert le premier tome d'Inside out peu après sa parution en 2011 et, à l'époque, je ne connaissais pas encore la dystopie. Ce fut alors une très belle surprise et c'est aussi ce roman qui m'a donné par la suite envie de découvrir les autres romans de Maria V. Snyder (notamment la saga Les portes du secret qui est un coup de coeur).

A la fin du premier opus, on apprenait l'étonnante révélation de l'origine du monde de Trella. En effet, les personnages découvraient que le monde dans lequel ils vivent, le Cube, était en fait un énorme vaisseau spatial bâti par leurs ancêtres et programmé pour une destination inconnue dans l'espace. Après une chute pareille, je n'avais qu'une envie : découvrir la suite. Malheureusement, celle-ci fut longue à venir car la traduction du tome 2 a été repoussée pour n'être finalement disponible qu'en e-book. Quel dommage de donner si peu de crédit à des sagas aussi prenantes qu'Inside out !

J'ai donc commencé ce tome 2 avec une impression de flou total : je ne me rappelais que peu des personnages secondaires et des rôles de chacun dans "la rébellion des moutons" (dont j'avais d'ailleurs oublié l'existence). Il m'a donc fallu un petit temps d'adaptation pour reprendre mes marques dans l'univers du Cube. Cela a heureusement été de courte durée et je me suis vite remise dans le bain.

J'ai ainsi eu le plaisir de retrouver la pétillante Trella et son chevalier servant Riley; le brillant Logan et sa mystérieuse soeur jumelle Anne-Jade, et bien d'autres. De nouveaux personnages ont été ajoutés à l'intrigue et sont tout aussi intéressants.
Ce que j'aime avec Maria V. Snyder, c'est sa façon de traiter la psychologie des personnages d'une façon remarquable. Chaque fois, elle parvient à instaurer un suspens haletant et on finit par ne plus savoir qui est réellement sincère, qui est un traître ou en qui l'héroïne peut avoir confiance. Quel bonheur de voir que ces retournements de situations que j'avais tant apprécié dans le premier tome sont aussi présents dans celui-ci.

L'intrigue est similaire au tome 1 dans le sens où une nouvelle rébellion va émerger, une nouvelle résistance envers des êtres dont je ne vous parlerai pas pour vous laisser l'entière surprise. Sachez en tous les cas que l'histoire est pleine de rebondissements et qu'une fois encore, chaque fin de chapitre nous laisse dans un tel état d'attente qu'on se voit obligé de poursuivre. C'est donc un roman qui se lit très vite et qui est vraiment prenant, comme c'est souvent le cas avec les livres de cette auteure.

Ce qui fait la grande force de ce roman selon moi, c'est l'univers en lui-même. J'adore l'originalité de ce monde clos et les règles qui régissent le Cube. C'est la volonté de découvrir encore un peu plus tout cela qui m'a fait dévorer ce tome 2. D'autre part, le personnage de Trella, l'ancienne gratteuse et "reine des tuyaux", est très attachant et son changement de rôle est très intéressant à suivre.

C'est donc une vraie bonne fin de saga que j'ai vraiment pris plaisir à lire du début à la fin. Ce qui empêche le coup de coeur, ce sont les quelques petites déceptions qui ne pèsent pas bien lourd dans la balance mais que je tiens quand même à souligner :
La fin ne permet pas vraiment d'achever l'histoire et de savoir ce qu'il va advenir du Cube. J'aurais donc attendu une suite qui n'existe pas malheureusement. Autre petit point faible de cette fin : elle m'a semblé un peu bâclée et j'aurais aimé avoir plus de détails.

Globalement, le pari est réussi et je conseille évidemment à tous de lire cette très bonne dystopie différente de ce que l'on peut lire en SF. J'ai maintenant hâte que la nouvelle saga de Maria V. Snyder, The touch of power, soit traduite en français. (less)

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Jan 06, 2013 Miranda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

Trella's world has changed dramatically in the past few weeks. Before, she was nothing but one of many Scrubs, people who were treated like scum. Now, after playing an essential roll in the rebellion that has changed everything and discovering that Inside is in fact a spaceship travelling through something called Outerspace, everybody knows who she is. And they expect her to be a leader. To unite the Scrubs and the Uppers, who still refuse to work together. Terrified of messing up, she gives up...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Janelle Dazzlepants rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, utopia-dystopia, space-opera, sci-fi

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Well, that was certainly anticlimactic.

I'm disappointed as hell that Trella and co. didn't get to see their intended destination. I was holding out for some turn of events where they would arrive at the planet way ahead of schedule, and would get to roll around on that so-called 'green carpet' and admire the 'blue ceiling'. Instead, we just get a lame few pages saying 'And then they elected people and Trella was one of them and she finally boned Riley. The end'. We're not even treated to an epi...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Alyce (At Home With Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Outside In is the sequel to Inside Out. There will be spoilers for the first book in this review, but not for the second.

Outside In addresses the difficult aspect of revolution that dystopian books so often gloss over – what happens after the revolution. Outside In is about the rebuilding of social structure and the attempt to unite people of opposing forces in order to live in a peaceful and equal society. This proves nearly impossible since old prejudices don’t disappear overnight, and most fi...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Becky {Somewhere Between The Pages} rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, 5-stars, review, dystopia-and-or-post-apocalyptic, purchased

Okay, so the first thing I have to mention is this: I've finally worked out the layout of Inside! I'm telling you, the amount of sketches I made trying to figure it all out whilst I was reading Inside Out was unbelievable - I must have killed about five hundred trees. It probably wasn't all that hard, but Maria V. Snyder's writing just didn't give me a clear view, you know? But I finally figured it all out! So happy.

Enough of that, now. This book was amazing. The writing style was, again, beauti...more Okay, so the first thing I have to mention is this: I've finally worked out the layout of Inside! I'm telling you, the amount of sketches I made trying to figure it all out whilst I was reading Inside Out was unbelievable - I must have killed about five hundred trees. It probably wasn't all that hard, but Maria V. Snyder's writing just didn't give me a clear view, you know? But I finally figured it all out! So happy.

Enough of that, now. This book was amazing. The writing style was, again, beautiful. Snyder has a way with words that, while not exactly simple, is poetic and flows well. There weren't many new characters introduced but those that were created in the first book were still as amazing as ever. I really do admire Trella, and Riley is just a big ball of yum. And Logan fast became my third favourite character of the book. Though he was "secondary" (in my eyes) in Inside Out, this book proved that the series just wouldn't work without him. He's too cute.

The storyline itself was incredible, and the answers left over from Inside Out were answered in a way that left no room for doubt. There were so many parts of this story that were beyond heartbreaking, and others that made me want to jump for joy. The relationship between Trella and Riley felt so real and I loved the passion between them, as well as the pain caused by certain situations. In my eyes, they belonged together. We also hear more about the mysterious Controllers which was interesting considering I just didn't expect any of it. This book was definitely much less predictable than its predecessor for which I'm extremely grateful.

I wasn't half as confused during this book as I was during Inside Out, probably because Snyder didn't have to explain half as much. There were still about a dozen things going on at once and I did lose it a couple of times, but I quickly got back on track and don't think I missed anything vital in the process. There's more action in this book than its predecessor - though I didn't think that was possible - and many twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

For more reviews, check out my blog at Somewhere Between The Pages.(less)

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Oct 16, 2012 Bonnie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apocalypse-dystopia, young-adult, ya-fantasy-sci-fi

Disappointing - this is a noticeably worse book than the first. It was kind of unnecessary, too. The first book got tied up and ended on a hopeful note — Trella and Riley got together, more space is found in the ship (howwww??? How does this ship manage to move through space???), and the revolution succeeded.

But, okay, this book. Trella sucks at managing a society. Not that she wants to do it. But everyone acts like Trella is this awesome Rebel Leader. Trella never really led anybody. She just...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

This "review" may contain a spoiler if you haven't read the first book.
So if you read my thoughts on Inside Out you know I had trouble getting into the story, and almost quit. Well book 2 was soo much better. I already knew the world of Inside so it was easy to get drawn right in. I finished this book quickly and while I liked it more than the first it still left a lot of unanswered questions.

The story was more developed and definitely had a lot more action and suspense. I was not happy about...more

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May 02, 2012 Meaghan R. (YA-aholic) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenge

hmmm.....well, i preferred the first book. the writing was worse in this one. same mistakes as before, but just A LOT MORE, which i find funny, because she thanked her proofreader in the beginning of this one.

i didn't care for Trella's character in this story very much...just...to weak/whiney...what happened to the hero for the first book.
-yes, i understand this one is about re-finding herself but still!

there are a few thing that i felt w23ere lacking in this story, had they been there, it would...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Erin Huber rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fast-paced sequel to Inside Out, it was an enjoyable continued exploration of Trella. I can't say I always understood some of her decisions--sometimes they were too easily explained with "that's just what I do" or with a reason someone else gave for what she does.

Trying not to give too much away, I was a little displeased with the way the romance drama worked out in this book--it seemed too sudden, and then too clean a break. Is it bad to say that I wanted Trella to mope a little longer? She's...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, ya

Before I go ahead and dig in, I'd like to note what an interesting time it is for this particular story to come out. With everything that's been going on in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, there's been a lot of governments being overthrown and being rebuilt. A big part of Outside In focuses on what happens after the revolution, when the people have won and everything needs to be restructured. Finding a system to replace the one they've torn down isn't easy, though, and having a story with that kind o...more Before I go ahead and dig in, I'd like to note what an interesting time it is for this particular story to come out. With everything that's been going on in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, there's been a lot of governments being overthrown and being rebuilt. A big part of Outside In focuses on what happens after the revolution, when the people have won and everything needs to be restructured. Finding a system to replace the one they've torn down isn't easy, though, and having a story with that kind of focus being released right around the same time so many countries are very publically facing the same dilemma is... well, it could be either a good thing or a bad thing, and I guess which it is will depend on your point of view.

Why yes, I do realize release dates are set far, far in advance and therefore this timing is totally coincidental. You can't deny that this particular coincidence is an interesting one, though.

With that out of the way, let's dig into the book itself, shall we?

I like Trella a lot. I think she's an interesting and relatable protagonist, a strong young woman plagued with insecurities just like the rest of us. She's a reluctant hero, someone who would much rather just be free to live her life than have to deal with the big picture. She's stubborn and occasionally single-minded and just wonderfully flawed in a very real way. I think a big part of the reason I enjoy reading these books is because I enjoy spending time with Trella.

I also love that a big part of this book deals with what happens after. It's something rarely dealt with once the hero's journey is completed. We've dethroned the evil empire and now everything will just be roses and sunshine forever, right? Well, not so much, and I really love that Outside In goes there.

On the other hand, why exactly is an antisocial seventeen-year-old girl the best option they've got for world leader? Seriously, isn't there someone wiser and more experienced who could possibly take on the job? No? Really? You sure? I mean, I realize this is a YA novel and all, but you're stretching the boundaries of my suspension of disbelief here. I'm willing to go along with it as long as I'm reading the book, but as soon as I put it down, my brain starts going "wait, what?" again.

I have no hesitation in saying that I enjoyed reading this book, but I also have no hesitation in saying I enjoyed its predecessor much more. I like the ideas explored, I like the protagonist and the way she continues to grow and change from the misanthropic loner we met at the beginning of the first book, but I didn't feel this was as solid a read as I've come to expect from Ms. Snyder.(less)

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Mar 03, 2012 Tania rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A worthy sequel to Inside Out, Maria V. Snyder again writes us a world we don't want to leave. I simply could not put this book down. We learn more about each character at every turn, and the consistency of Snyder's writing means the story flows seamlessly from scene to scene and character interactions feel authentic. She mentions this was book 8 for her in her credits. I say bring on book 9!

The Insiders thought they had it figured out. The Travas were incarcerated and the Pop Cops disbanded. A...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Jab843 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My short review for now.

***Possible spoiler alert concerning Inside Out***

This book is part of the series started by Inside Out. Outside In can be read without reading the previous novel; however, if you are going to spend time to read a book of this length and have to decide between the two in this series, I would recommend reading Inside Out instead. Not to say that I didn't enjoy this book, but it lacks the crispness, development, and excitement of the previous novel.

Maria Snyder fell for a f...more My short review for now.

***Possible spoiler alert concerning Inside Out***

This book is part of the series started by Inside Out. Outside In can be read without reading the previous novel; however, if you are going to spend time to read a book of this length and have to decide between the two in this series, I would recommend reading Inside Out instead. Not to say that I didn't enjoy this book, but it lacks the crispness, development, and excitement of the previous novel.

Maria Snyder fell for a fatal flaw found in modern literature targeted for this audience, the creation of an underdeveloped character who has to rediscover themselves in the second novel. Now I am all for Trella being the person who ended at the first book, a strong hero who has lived through the struggle and now has to deal with creating a new society that doesn’t fall into the same trap as before the revolution. Alas, Snyder seems determined to back pedal and for the first 60+ pages, we have to deal with Trella as she appears in the beginning of the Inside Out. How terrible! Ducking her head and being a scrub who keeps to herself. Eventhough she is no longer a scrub, she might as well be the lost and insignificant person we first came to learn.

So, the book itself. Maria Snyder has improved her writing since her earlier books such as the Study series (starting with Poison Study), her prose have clearly been improved and her ability to convey her characters feels more personal. However, it is almost like I am reading a condensed version of the Study series all over again. Without going into detail, we face the age old relationship that is broken and mended (this is a call for Snyder to be creative and come up with a new plot line). The plot is predictable and despite the betrayal of certain people, the plot line is not one to blow your socks off.

Readers of the Hunger Games series will feel a sense of Déjà vu. I am attempting not to give away any spoilers in this review so I will continue thusly. The ending itself is not so disappointing, but I wish we saw the development of Trella instead of a regression of her character. Yes her dislike of trusting people is still apparent despite all that she has faced, and yes in the relationship sector there was a need for the events that happened. Yet, I still wished and longed for the character that we had grown to love and meet in Inside Out.

Now on to Snyder’s improvements as a writer. The characters seem real for the most part and relatable, so imagine my surprise when I find a defeated individual that is about as useful as mud. Without the support provided by certain people, it would appear as though the Rebel Leader Trella/Ella has left to become the Queen of the Pipes once again. Indeed, her exploratory nature is the reason that the society is able to expand and ultimately survive as is shown in the success of the rebellion in the previous book.

Why did I give this book only 3 stars? I intended to give it 4, yet re-reading Inside Out and some other novels gave me a sense of irritability in this novel. Why can’t the characters pick up where the left off in Inside Out?? Yes, it seems as though Trella is the only one who has such a stark regression.Spoiler for Hunger Games (view spoiler)

Trella is not amazing in my minds view and the amazing part is the unique setting and material in this series. I wish I could give this book 4 stars (maybe I will upon re-reading it), but at this point it seems as though I would have been just as happy maybe even happier if Inside Out stood by itself. Yes the clever titles Inside Out and Outside In make it inevitable that there would be a sequel, considering the lack of closure in the previous novel, but it could have been more. I wish more time was spend on reconstructing the society as outlined in the end of this novel, but alas, I was faced with book one all over again.
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Nov 27, 2011 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, sci-fi

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. welllllll... things aren't going so well after the sheep revolution... establishing a new committee to run things, they just argue things to death, and decisions are extremely slow to made, if ever... uppers and lowers are not meshing, the lowers are unhappy and day by day fewer and fewer are showing up to work...

and then there is an explosion that damages the engines that navigates and propels the ship, and many are hurt... ultimately, the Travas have continued to be in communication with the O...more welllllll... things aren't going so well after the sheep revolution... establishing a new committee to run things, they just argue things to death, and decisions are extremely slow to made, if ever... uppers and lowers are not meshing, the lowers are unhappy and day by day fewer and fewer are showing up to work...

and then there is an explosion that damages the engines that navigates and propels the ship, and many are hurt... ultimately, the Travas have continued to be in communication with the Outside, and the Outsiders are people from their planet that had been exiled (we never find out why)... they were placed in lesser ships, without enough supplies, and have been chasing the Cube ever since - conspiring with the Travas as Controllers to regain control - and their plan is to do to the Insiders as had been done to them - place them in ships, and exile them, taking over their home.

Trella starts as advisor to council, then resigns that position - she is afraid to make decisions, and doesn't want th responsibility. She explores the new region she discovered, and finds a ship (that can carry 1,000 people we find out later)... but before she shares her knowledge, the transmitter is damaged.

Trella doesn't know who to trust - she reacts, she sees, but she doesn't think things through. she is with her mother, who betrayed her father, and later her (although not to quite to the same extent). She spends a lot of time with her mother in the infirmary - and bit by bit she comes to trust her and to be happy she is her mother. Logan realizes someone is tampering with the computers, and when another explosion targets him, she barely is able to rescue him - with burns to her body.

She manages to align with the right people, and to understand that the Outsiders are in... she is captured, they have a pain collar to track and control her, she escapes and organizes people to fight back - there are 20,000 of them and only 500 Outsiders, foiling their control over the air system, where they planned to gas out any dissenters. And Reilly is back, and she fully trusts him ahhhhh
Periodically she ruminates on how things should be run different - and she thinks to reorganize the people by families, not uppers and lowers... to allow all to have a vote... and each family to make up a council... One can choose where they want to work, but once decided they work all aspects of the area - from computers, to the labor... and all take a 4-hour shift in the sanitation muck - which works to once every 19 years. It ends with her election as Admiral, and then mated and in Reilly's arms. ahhhh

an interesting alternate world, with questions as to the whys and whatfors, but the story is about one young woman in this world, when they are still 7/10ths away from the destination - many generations forward - before they are where their progenitors intended them to be. hmmmmm(less)

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Oct 29, 2011 Katy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Contrary to what most people thought, I actually liked this book better than the first book. I think part of the reason why is because a lot of the setting was already explained in the first book, and Snyder could sum up the world in the introduction. Because the book wasn't bogged down to describing the world and not really focusing on the storyline. It made it a lot easier to get into the storyline.

I did find Trella just slightly more irritating in this book than the first book. I mean she was...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Lorenzio Phillibuster Fireworks rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really hate not being able to give it more stars.I LOVED the Study series. I cannot count how many times I have reread the Study series, and how many people I have told to read them. I LOVED Inside Out, though interestingly I can't really remember much of what happened in it.

But Outside In failed me. Or maybe I failed it, I'm not sure. I have spent the last four hours reading this book, and yet I don't know I could tell you what REALLY happened. I could perhaps mention a few names, and that s...more I really hate not being able to give it more stars.I LOVED the Study series. I cannot count how many times I have reread the Study series, and how many people I have told to read them. I LOVED Inside Out, though interestingly I can't really remember much of what happened in it.

But Outside In failed me. Or maybe I failed it, I'm not sure. I have spent the last four hours reading this book, and yet I don't know I could tell you what REALLY happened. I could perhaps mention a few names, and that some exiled Outsiders try to come back and take over the ship. But HOW it happened, WHY it happened, WHO the outsiders were and HOW Trella and co saved the ship, I couldn't tell you. I'm not even sure if Snyder knew, but more on that later.

I spent the first half of the novel really disappointed. Trella, after having SO much faith in the first book that a better world existed, has given up. She struggled and fought and recruited people and lost people because she believed there was a better way of living, a place where everyone could co-exist and be happy. And in this book, she's decided "hey man, I did all the hard work in the last book, how about I chillax poolside and you slackers get off your arses?"

And sure, Trella deserves a pat on a back and a nice long rest, BUT when she's the one who had the vision of change, who not only recognised things were bad, but recognised how to fix them, then she's gunna be the only one who can make it better. No one else had the vision of a better world, so no one else can be left in charge to figure out HOW to make it a better world. It just seemed very uncharacteristic of Trella. She went from being kickass Yelena in the Study series to weak little Opal in the Glass series.

By the time Trella gets her arse into gear, the shit's already hit the fan. This is where I have the biggest problem with this book. I don't really know what happened. I don't really think Snyder knew what happened. In the Study/Glass books, Snyder knew her world back to front, upside down, inside out and would still be able to recognise it if a demolition crew went to town in it. So whenever anything happened, you understood exactly how it could have happened and why it happened because Snyder understood why.

She explained this when I saw her at an author talk recently: She's a method author. She LEARNS how to do exactly what her characters do so she knows how to describe it. And I think it's FANTASTIC. I love the realism of Yelena learning to pick locks, of Opal making glass. (It's Opal at her most likeable, but that's another story.) Snyder obviously can't learn how to live on a spaceship, and perhaps that hindered her writing.

It felt like some episodes of Doctor Who feel. They have this really fantastic storyline, full of drama, full of bad Cybermen and evil Daleks and people in danger. But when it comes time for the Doctor to save the day, and the writers don't know how to resolve it, the storyline falls to pieces. So they distract you from the gaping holes in their logic. The Doctor prances around, presses lots of buttons, makes lots of excited noises and there's a few flashing lights and some slapstick comedy from the aliens. You're so caught up in focusing on why the Doctor is having a sudden Tourette's/ADHD moment that you forget that the storyline is completely implausible and falls apart under a small amount of scrutinty.

This is what happened in Outside In. The storyline didn't exist beyond the surface. There was no explanation of who the Outsiders where, we discover the entire history of the Insiders on a wall, but are never told what it is and the resolution is so vaguely written that it's basically useless. So to hide this we have Trella getting kidnapped several times. We have Trella being betrayed several times, we have suspects being the good guys and the good guys being the bad guys. All of Trella's supporting characters are kidnapped. There's more betrayals, there's bombs and explosions and bright lights. There's a character death to shock us.

The action and adventure side of it is fairly well written. But nothing actually HAPPENS. It was half a novel of whinging and then half a novel of pyrotechnics and dramatic music like in a really bad action movie. All of which were only there to distract me from the nothing that was being written. It was like the novel was all the surface interference on a radio frequency stopping me from getting to the inside of the novel.

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Aug 11, 2011 Kristina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I raced through this hoping for some great explanations, but reached the end left with very little. After the revelation in the last book that Inside was a floating space ship, I was excited to see what Snyder would do to further the story - the rebuilding of the new levels, restructuring the society, finding out what really happened that people had to travel to another planet, etc.

None of that happened. Okay, for the first few pages, she pretended to cover the first two, but it was just glossed...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Jessica Strider rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pros: good pacing, interesting story, realistic relationship development

Cons: Trella manages to do an awful lot despite injuries and being tracked at one point

The Pop Cops are in the brig and a committee now runs Inside. But the scrubs aren't happy and most have stopped working. Trella's still reeling from the events of Inside Out and doesn't want more responsibility. So she's only a consultant to the committee, which is ignoring all of her suggestions. After a blast destroys a key system and in...more

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May 10, 2011 Marissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi

A wonderful sequel to Inside Out. This book picks up a few weeks after the events in the previous one, and provides more romance and action. It is interesting to see how Snyder answers the questions around what exactly happens after a revolution. It's not magically "all better," and there is a lot of work necessary to reconcile the population. Trella also sees a lot of personal growth throughout the action. As a 17 year-old former scrub, she has a lot of mental and emotional growth that she need...more

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Apr 18, 2011 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apparently I liked this a lot more than the first in the series, because I just reread my review of that and I totally ragged on it! Now I feel bad - I think I was comparing it too much to the author's first series, which I adore and tend to judge everything else in the universe by. Anyway, this is a nice continuation of the story (which is about a bunch of people living in a self-contained community inside a giant cube that, unbeknownst to them -- first book spoiler alert! -- is actually a spac...more

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