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The Loneliest Girl in the Universe
Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met, never even spoken to – someone who is light years away?
Romy Silvers is the only surviving crew-member of a spaceship travelling to a new planet, on a mission to establish a second home for humanity amongst the stars. Alone in space, she is the loneliest girl in the universe until she hears about a new ship which has launched from Earth – with a single passenger on board. A boy called J.
Their only communication with each other is via email – and due to the distance between them, their messages take months to transmit across space. And yet Romy finds herself falling in love.
But what does Romy really know about J? And what do the mysterious messages which have started arriving from Earth really mean?
Sometimes, there’s something worse than being alone . . .
Romy Silvers is the only surviving crew-member of a spaceship travelling to a new planet, on a mission to establish a second home for humanity amongst the stars. Alone in space, she is the loneliest girl in the universe until she hears about a new ship which has launched from Earth – with a single passenger on board. A boy called J.
Their only communication with each other is via email – and due to the distance between them, their messages take months to transmit across space. And yet Romy finds herself falling in love.
But what does Romy really know about J? And what do the mysterious messages which have started arriving from Earth really mean?
Sometimes, there’s something worse than being alone . . .
290 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 2018
About the author
Lauren James
16 books1,438 followers**I don't respond to messages on here - email me at laurenjamesauthor[at]gmail[dot]com instead***
Lauren James is the Carnegie-longlisted British author of many Young Adult novels, including Green Rising, The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker and The Loneliest Girl in the Universe. She is a RLF Royal Fellow at Aston University and the story consultant on Netflix’s Heartstopper (Seasons 2 and 3).
Lauren is the founder of the Climate Fiction Writers League, and member of the Society of Authors’ Sustainability Committee. She works as a consultant on climate storytelling for museums, production companies, major brands and publishers, with a focus on optimism and hope. She runs a Queer Writers group in Coventry.
Her books have sold over two hundred thousand copies worldwide in seven languages. The Quiet at the End of the World was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize and STEAM Children’s Book Award.
Her other novels include The Next Together series, the dyslexia-friendly novella series The Watchmaker and the Duke and serialised online novel An Unauthorised Fan Treatise.
Her writing has been described as ‘gripping romantic sci-fi’ by the Wall Street Journal and ‘a strange, witty, compulsively unpredictable read which blows most of its new YA-suspense brethren out of the water’ by Entertainment Weekly.
She was born in 1992, and has a Masters degree from the University of Nottingham, where she studied Chemistry and Physics. She has taught creative writing for Coventry University, WriteMentor, and Writing West Midlands.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,144 reviews
May 31, 2019
This is a book about learning to be yourself without needing someone else, and a book about loneliness, and a book that occasionally gets really fucking scary. It plays on your deepest fears. It's a page turner — I found myself turning pages so quickly that I got a full 100 pages through without even checking the page count. I am one of those people who obsessively checks page counts. What did this book do to me.
I feel like this is a book I really can’t say much about because it is one you don’t want to know anything about going in. But let’s try to write some crap.
This was such an improvement on Lauren James’ earlier stuff. Her writing has gotten a lot better for me, a lot more streamlined, a lot less romantic, and a lot more clever. I'm so ecstatic to see a writer whose debut I rated three stars write such a 10 / 10 book.
What really solidified this as a fave for me is the concious subversion of everything you expect. The plot is… not really what I expected, even though I had been told there were twists? I am particularly impressed by how subversive Romy’s character arc is. I mean, I know I talked about this up above, but she is so well developed and so fantastic. I cry a lot.
So some of you might know I love subversiveness and it’s basically the only thing I care about. Some of you might also know I love books that read as light and fluffy but have a crapton going on behind the surface. I feel like this review hasn't gotten all my thoughts across, but this book was just my cup of tea, and I'm so excited to continue reading Lauren James's work.
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I feel like this is a book I really can’t say much about because it is one you don’t want to know anything about going in. But let’s try to write some crap.
This was such an improvement on Lauren James’ earlier stuff. Her writing has gotten a lot better for me, a lot more streamlined, a lot less romantic, and a lot more clever. I'm so ecstatic to see a writer whose debut I rated three stars write such a 10 / 10 book.
What really solidified this as a fave for me is the concious subversion of everything you expect. The plot is… not really what I expected, even though I had been told there were twists? I am particularly impressed by how subversive Romy’s character arc is. I mean, I know I talked about this up above, but she is so well developed and so fantastic. I cry a lot.
So some of you might know I love subversiveness and it’s basically the only thing I care about. Some of you might also know I love books that read as light and fluffy but have a crapton going on behind the surface. I feel like this review hasn't gotten all my thoughts across, but this book was just my cup of tea, and I'm so excited to continue reading Lauren James's work.
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August 1, 2018
if youre going into this thinking it will be a fluffy sci-fi romance set across the stars (like me), then youre in for quite the surprise! and i mean that in the best way possible.
this wasnt what i was expecting, not at all. the first 200 pages catch the reader up on the whole galaxy expedition situation and introduce romy and j, who share cute emails back and forth with each other. all is good in love and space. and then page 201 happens and everything changes. i dont want to give anything away, but its quite thrilling!
i was surprised that i didnt find most of this boring, considering the main characters are stuck in the same setting for the entire book. i think it was smart to keep this short because you can only write so much about the daily routine on a spaceship. the reason this isnt a higher rating for me was due to the writing. i understand this was YA, but it felt too juvenile for me. its written in first person and the main character is nearly 20 but she talks/writes/acts like she is much younger than that. and i, for the life of me, cant figure out if that is great characterisation because she has been isolated her entire life or just poor writing quality.
but overall, this was pretty decent! its the perfect quick and exciting story for anyone looking for a sci-fi fix!
↠ 3.5 stars
this wasnt what i was expecting, not at all. the first 200 pages catch the reader up on the whole galaxy expedition situation and introduce romy and j, who share cute emails back and forth with each other. all is good in love and space. and then page 201 happens and everything changes. i dont want to give anything away, but its quite thrilling!
i was surprised that i didnt find most of this boring, considering the main characters are stuck in the same setting for the entire book. i think it was smart to keep this short because you can only write so much about the daily routine on a spaceship. the reason this isnt a higher rating for me was due to the writing. i understand this was YA, but it felt too juvenile for me. its written in first person and the main character is nearly 20 but she talks/writes/acts like she is much younger than that. and i, for the life of me, cant figure out if that is great characterisation because she has been isolated her entire life or just poor writing quality.
but overall, this was pretty decent! its the perfect quick and exciting story for anyone looking for a sci-fi fix!
↠ 3.5 stars
April 2, 2018
Wow - what a thrilling, terrifying, weird little book.
March 11, 2018
This review can also be found on my blog, Dana and the Books.
If you're going to read only one book in September, make it The Loneliest Girl in the Universe.
I was one of the lucky space troopers who managed to buy an early release copy at YALC back in July. I kept seeing announcements throughout the weekend that it had sold out and were scrambling to find more. When I finally arrived on Sunday, the first thing I did was make a beeline for the Waterstones booth to pick up my gorgeous copy.
I love space. I love spaceships. I love stories set in space with spaceships doing spacey things. Obviously, since Loneliest Girl checks all those boxes, I knew I was going to like this book. But I didn't know I would love it.
Romy, with her anxiety and nightmares, actually seemed like a girl who had been on her own for years. Slightly detached from reality, but had come to terms with her situation. She was timid and awkward, but she was also smart and resourceful.
The tension builds up so well you don't even realise it until your knuckles are white and you need to take a few minutes to tell yourself that you're in the real world and not stuck on The Infinity with Romy. Be warned, this thriller is not a book you can stretch out over a week or two. You're not going to be able to put it down!
The mystery, the plot twists, THE ENDING. It's all so well done.
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe may even my favourite book from 2017! It 100% lives up to the hype surrounding it.
Thank you, Lauren James, for writing the book I didn't know I needed.
And it was just announced that the North American rights have been purchased so US and Canadian readers can get their hands on this wonderful book in 2018! Though, if you're impatient and need it right now (I support this decision), you can grab a copy now from Book Depository with free international shipping — so it's a win/win really.
Loneliest Girl is out in the UK on September 7. Don't miss out!
Book Links: Book Depository | Amazon US | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK
If you're going to read only one book in September, make it The Loneliest Girl in the Universe.
I was one of the lucky space troopers who managed to buy an early release copy at YALC back in July. I kept seeing announcements throughout the weekend that it had sold out and were scrambling to find more. When I finally arrived on Sunday, the first thing I did was make a beeline for the Waterstones booth to pick up my gorgeous copy.
I love space. I love spaceships. I love stories set in space with spaceships doing spacey things. Obviously, since Loneliest Girl checks all those boxes, I knew I was going to like this book. But I didn't know I would love it.
Romy, with her anxiety and nightmares, actually seemed like a girl who had been on her own for years. Slightly detached from reality, but had come to terms with her situation. She was timid and awkward, but she was also smart and resourceful.
The tension builds up so well you don't even realise it until your knuckles are white and you need to take a few minutes to tell yourself that you're in the real world and not stuck on The Infinity with Romy. Be warned, this thriller is not a book you can stretch out over a week or two. You're not going to be able to put it down!
The mystery, the plot twists, THE ENDING. It's all so well done.
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe may even my favourite book from 2017! It 100% lives up to the hype surrounding it.
Thank you, Lauren James, for writing the book I didn't know I needed.
And it was just announced that the North American rights have been purchased so US and Canadian readers can get their hands on this wonderful book in 2018! Though, if you're impatient and need it right now (I support this decision), you can grab a copy now from Book Depository with free international shipping — so it's a win/win really.
Loneliest Girl is out in the UK on September 7. Don't miss out!
Book Links: Book Depository | Amazon US | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK
September 22, 2020
What a wild ride this was!
Totally unexpected.
So Romy Silvers is 16 years and currently all alone on a NASA spaceship travelling to Earth 2 - where the original mission was to begin a new civilisation for human life.
Romy’s parents were the original astronauts chosen for the job but since their death the fate of the human race has fallen to Romy.
She has been alone for the past 5 years, apart from her favourite TV show and daily emails from her therapist she has zero contact with any other humans.
When she is informed that a new spaceship has been built to travel fast enough to catch-up with her and join forces she is overjoyed. Finally she won’t be alone, she can’t wait to meet other people.
She begins chatting to J over email and quickly forms an attachment. But things are not as they seem...
And that is all you are getting from me!! Read this book guys you will be shocked, so many twists and dark parts. I was expecting a kind of soft YA but that is not what I got and I am SO GLAD about that 😁
This was a whirlwind that will definitely scratch your Sci fi itch.
Totally unexpected.
So Romy Silvers is 16 years and currently all alone on a NASA spaceship travelling to Earth 2 - where the original mission was to begin a new civilisation for human life.
Romy’s parents were the original astronauts chosen for the job but since their death the fate of the human race has fallen to Romy.
She has been alone for the past 5 years, apart from her favourite TV show and daily emails from her therapist she has zero contact with any other humans.
When she is informed that a new spaceship has been built to travel fast enough to catch-up with her and join forces she is overjoyed. Finally she won’t be alone, she can’t wait to meet other people.
She begins chatting to J over email and quickly forms an attachment. But things are not as they seem...
And that is all you are getting from me!! Read this book guys you will be shocked, so many twists and dark parts. I was expecting a kind of soft YA but that is not what I got and I am SO GLAD about that 😁
This was a whirlwind that will definitely scratch your Sci fi itch.
March 12, 2020
I am so conflicted over how I feel about this book. I feel like the first and second halves of this book are completely different genres and my brain had a hard time processing the change in tone in the middle of this book. This story follows this girl Romy who is living on The Infinity, a spacecraft in space where she was born and it's all he's ever known. She is travelling toward what will be "Earth 2" and both of her parents and all the other previous astronauts are dead so she is all alone. Then NASA launches another spacecraft called The Eternity that is going to catch up to The Infinity within a year and it will attach itself to her spacecraft and help her get to Earth 2 much quicker than originally anticipated.
This story started off fine, I thought Romy was kind of naive and childish but I can't necessarily hold that against her considering her life situation, I mean.... she's lived in space her entire life and hasn't had human interaction since she was eleven years old, and she's never talked to someone her age, she's basically Rapunzel but in space so I get why she is the way she is. But even still, sometimes her decision making skills and her instant-trusting was frustrating to read about after a while. The story was really boring for the first 150-200 pages because it's an endless cycle of Romy's boring days on this spaceship and her routine and getting messages from Earth, and then not getting messages from Earth and going into a full blown isolated panic about what's going on on Earth - and it was just very repetitive and not a whole lot was happening.
But then after the 200 page mark we get a complete shift in tone and mood of the book that I was not expecting at all, and I actually kind of appreciated it. The story needed something extra and we definitely got something extra. I really like the idea behind where this story was going, I just don't think the execution of the plot twists were great. A lot of it came off as really cheesy and over dramatic and I found a hard time suspending my disbelief for some things, but I still didn't see a lot of it coming so the book gets credit for that.
I still enjoyed myself a lot reading this, I love books that take place in outer space and I flew through this book in less than 24 hours, it's incredibly easy to fly through with simple writing and short chapters.
This story started off fine, I thought Romy was kind of naive and childish but I can't necessarily hold that against her considering her life situation, I mean.... she's lived in space her entire life and hasn't had human interaction since she was eleven years old, and she's never talked to someone her age, she's basically Rapunzel but in space so I get why she is the way she is. But even still, sometimes her decision making skills and her instant-trusting was frustrating to read about after a while. The story was really boring for the first 150-200 pages because it's an endless cycle of Romy's boring days on this spaceship and her routine and getting messages from Earth, and then not getting messages from Earth and going into a full blown isolated panic about what's going on on Earth - and it was just very repetitive and not a whole lot was happening.
But then after the 200 page mark we get a complete shift in tone and mood of the book that I was not expecting at all, and I actually kind of appreciated it. The story needed something extra and we definitely got something extra. I really like the idea behind where this story was going, I just don't think the execution of the plot twists were great. A lot of it came off as really cheesy and over dramatic and I found a hard time suspending my disbelief for some things, but I still didn't see a lot of it coming so the book gets credit for that.
I still enjoyed myself a lot reading this, I love books that take place in outer space and I flew through this book in less than 24 hours, it's incredibly easy to fly through with simple writing and short chapters.
April 3, 2019
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe has its flaws, but i just can't bring myself to rate it lower than 4 stars. My inner coward who secretly daydreams of being an astronaut so she can endlessly float in space just can't do it!!!! address your complaints to her pls
i CANNOT believe it took me so long to finally realize that sci-fi is my favorite genre but i'm glad i did so i can stop wasting time like a dumbass
this book just pulls you in from the start and doesn't really ever let you go after that. it's like you're watching the character from a bird's-eye view, just following them along and occasionally being like oh my god stop you do not do that pls don't move i'm coming down to save you
the ending is what had me conflicted, it was certainly very thrilling but the reasoning didn't really struck with me and i'm left with more questions than answers
however comma if you dream about just being left the fuck alone on a spaceship 293764876483 miles away from human life (i mean, doesn't everyone??) you should read this! it's such a lovely nice read for when you want to bask in your loneliness and then get really scared for a moment there
rating: ★★★★
i CANNOT believe it took me so long to finally realize that sci-fi is my favorite genre but i'm glad i did so i can stop wasting time like a dumbass
this book just pulls you in from the start and doesn't really ever let you go after that. it's like you're watching the character from a bird's-eye view, just following them along and occasionally being like oh my god stop you do not do that pls don't move i'm coming down to save you
the ending is what had me conflicted, it was certainly very thrilling but the reasoning didn't really struck with me and i'm left with more questions than answers
however comma if you dream about just being left the fuck alone on a spaceship 293764876483 miles away from human life (i mean, doesn't everyone??) you should read this! it's such a lovely nice read for when you want to bask in your loneliness and then get really scared for a moment there
rating: ★★★★
September 14, 2018
"Someone outside of a situation is never able to truly judge the best actions to take."Disgusting. That's the first thing came to my mind after finishing it. It could have been so much better than this. Literally! And it was going better. But shit happened!!!!
The story is about a girl named, Romy, who is on the ship, The Infinity, which is going to a distant planet having suitable conditions for life. This is the program by NASA. She is all alone on this ship. Her parents has died on this ship some years ago. So, this makes her the commander of the ship.
One day, she gets the message from NASA telling her that another ship named The Eternity is coming to join her ship Infinity. After some days her contact with NASA loses as a result of political conflict on Earth. A conversation start between her and the pilot of other ship via emails. And eventually, they fall in love.
--I didn't have any problem with the love here. It's pretty natural because they were the only persons in space. And I don't think it was an insta love. It was step by step.
--I didn't like the lack of science in this Sci-Fi. For God's sake, you're writing an entire novel in space with love-interest in it with nothing at all and you don’t explain the proper working of the ship, the life support system etc.. there were stuffs regarding them but not upto my satisfaction.
--Romy's fan fiction was fine. Didn't hate that.
This book unexpectedly broke my heart. Really, it has pissed me off so much! :/
March 19, 2019
This could have been a bit longer, the ending came quite quickly but I still enjoyed it a lot.
Even though you spent most of your time with one character in the same setting it doesn't get boring at all. You're to invested in the backstory and what's about to come! It's just done very well.
Even though you spent most of your time with one character in the same setting it doesn't get boring at all. You're to invested in the backstory and what's about to come! It's just done very well.
March 16, 2018
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is another example of great premise going to waste. Whoever writes blurbs at HarperTeen should get a raise because every time I finish a book by HarperTeen I vow to never read anything by them again only to break this resolution as soon as I come across some of their amazing blurbs. Unfortunately, as in the case of this book, great blurb does not guarantee great read.
Storytelling - 1 STAR
Setting of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe was flat. No wonder since it took author two short chapters to reveal some background information and then I was thrown into the plot without further detailed introduction of main character. Those of you who like to be thrown headfirst into the action, you will be pleased by this book. To me, it felt like nothing more but prolonged summary with zero real feels to help me build some relationship with narrator or make me feel connected to her before story picks up.
Characters and storyline - 2 STARS
But even though I found MC superficial (she thought/acted/behaved like the most ordinary teenager which was highly unbelievable for a girl born and brought up on a space ship billion miles away from Earth only by her parents with no real human interaction for last 5 years), I was still hoping that exciting and unique storyline would save this story for me. However, tremendous potential that this story had was not met at all. I know that this is YA novel meant to entertain not to lecture, but being YA novel is not an excuse for storyline to be shallow and for characters to be underdeveloped, is it?
Twists - 3 STARS
Fortunately, there were flickers of greatness when it comes to twists and those flickers kept me entertained enough to finish this novel. Nevertheless, it was not enough to make this book memorable for me in any way and I am afraid that in couple of days I won’t even remember the name of the main character...
*ARC provided by publisher as an exchange for honest review*
Storytelling - 1 STAR
Setting of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe was flat. No wonder since it took author two short chapters to reveal some background information and then I was thrown into the plot without further detailed introduction of main character. Those of you who like to be thrown headfirst into the action, you will be pleased by this book. To me, it felt like nothing more but prolonged summary with zero real feels to help me build some relationship with narrator or make me feel connected to her before story picks up.
Characters and storyline - 2 STARS
But even though I found MC superficial (she thought/acted/behaved like the most ordinary teenager which was highly unbelievable for a girl born and brought up on a space ship billion miles away from Earth only by her parents with no real human interaction for last 5 years), I was still hoping that exciting and unique storyline would save this story for me. However, tremendous potential that this story had was not met at all. I know that this is YA novel meant to entertain not to lecture, but being YA novel is not an excuse for storyline to be shallow and for characters to be underdeveloped, is it?
Twists - 3 STARS
Fortunately, there were flickers of greatness when it comes to twists and those flickers kept me entertained enough to finish this novel. Nevertheless, it was not enough to make this book memorable for me in any way and I am afraid that in couple of days I won’t even remember the name of the main character...
*ARC provided by publisher as an exchange for honest review*
May 23, 2020
I am so sad that it took me so long to pick this up because it was amazing. I was up again late into the night (12:30 am. Oops not Oops).
The premise was really depressing. I mean personally I'd I was alone in space I would:
A) Go crazy and puke
B) Puke and then go crazy
C) Tip over and hit my head killing myself because I'm so crazy.
Anyway, apparently Romy doesn't go crazy because she get audio messages from her psychiatrist. This leads to a whole other topic about the messages but I'll get to that later.
The story really started getting interesting when the Eternity set sail into space. Then the messages stopped coming from the Psychiatrist. And other things happen. I really can't say without spoiling.
Now, let's talk about the messages. They are two years delayed. So if someone from earth sent a message, Romy wouldn't receive it until two years later. Two years!! So she obviously can't properly reply right? I felt like the whole message thing was super confusing.
Other than that th is book was great!
Bottom Line:
5 Stars: Creepy, Exciting, with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Age Recommendation: 13+
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The premise was really depressing. I mean personally I'd I was alone in space I would:
A) Go crazy and puke
B) Puke and then go crazy
C) Tip over and hit my head killing myself because I'm so crazy.
Anyway, apparently Romy doesn't go crazy because she get audio messages from her psychiatrist. This leads to a whole other topic about the messages but I'll get to that later.
The story really started getting interesting when the Eternity set sail into space. Then the messages stopped coming from the Psychiatrist. And other things happen. I really can't say without spoiling.
Now, let's talk about the messages. They are two years delayed. So if someone from earth sent a message, Romy wouldn't receive it until two years later. Two years!! So she obviously can't properly reply right? I felt like the whole message thing was super confusing.
Other than that th is book was great!
Bottom Line:
5 Stars: Creepy, Exciting, with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Age Recommendation: 13+
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April 23, 2018
This was chilling and fantastic. I LOVED this book. Omg. Omggggggg.
July 7, 2018
whoa this book was such a surprise. I picked it up on a whim and didn't know much about it but it wasn't at all what I expected. It was actually kind of terrifying at parts.
i really loved this
i really loved this
Read
June 29, 2018I wrote this!
August 2017 - It was announced in Publishers Weekly today that The Loneliest Girl is being published in America by HarperCollins. HarperCollins. That’s the stuff that dreams are made of. It’s going to be out in July 2018 in hardback, eBook and audiobook (my first English-language audiobook!). Deal info here.
First Chapter | Amazon UK | Amazon US
| Waterstones | Wordery | Book Depository | Foyles | Barnes & Noble | WHSmith | Hive | Audiobook
You can subscribe to my mailing list for updates.
My tumblr posts about The Loneliest Girl In The Universe are all collected here. Here are some links to get you started:
Romy's blog on tumblr and Wattpad
A post about finishing the book
Playlist
Romy's cameo in The Last Beginning
Book press release
Proofs are here!!!
Amazon UK | Waterstones | Wordery | Book Depository | Foyles
August 2017 - It was announced in Publishers Weekly today that The Loneliest Girl is being published in America by HarperCollins. HarperCollins. That’s the stuff that dreams are made of. It’s going to be out in July 2018 in hardback, eBook and audiobook (my first English-language audiobook!). Deal info here.
First Chapter | Amazon UK | Amazon US
| Waterstones | Wordery | Book Depository | Foyles | Barnes & Noble | WHSmith | Hive | AudiobookYou can subscribe to my mailing list for updates.
My tumblr posts about The Loneliest Girl In The Universe are all collected here. Here are some links to get you started:
Romy's blog on tumblr and Wattpad
A post about finishing the book
Playlist
Romy's cameo in The Last Beginning
Book press release
My calculations spreadsheet for the space travel
Art of Romy by Alice Oseman
[April 2017]Proofs are here!!!
Amazon UK | Waterstones | Wordery | Book Depository | Foyles
March 18, 2019
*me before reading this book:* scared of space
*me after reading this book:* really freaking scared of space
this book is so much more than a cute coming-of-age story about a girl in space handling loneliness and independence.
it gets really really dark and scary and my gosh, was this a page turner. i didn't even notice how fast i was getting through the book, pages passed in seconds and the build of the tension and eeriness was incredible.
there were passages that i read where my heart was pounding and my hands were shaking and i just physically could not stop reading
honestly was not expecting something along these lines but if there's ANYTHING i can tell you about the book, it's DONT READ THE SYNOPSIS, just go in blindly bc it's so worth it
wow, i am exceptionally shook
*me after reading this book:* really freaking scared of space
this book is so much more than a cute coming-of-age story about a girl in space handling loneliness and independence.
it gets really really dark and scary and my gosh, was this a page turner. i didn't even notice how fast i was getting through the book, pages passed in seconds and the build of the tension and eeriness was incredible.
there were passages that i read where my heart was pounding and my hands were shaking and i just physically could not stop reading
honestly was not expecting something along these lines but if there's ANYTHING i can tell you about the book, it's DONT READ THE SYNOPSIS, just go in blindly bc it's so worth it
wow, i am exceptionally shook
October 26, 2017
Nope. Just nope. I think I'm being generous with the 2 star rating, but the book got slightly interesting towards the end, but I still didn't care for it. I didn't care for one aspect of this book. *sigh*
Want to read
October 18, 2019brb, reading this because of Romie.
December 26, 2018
. : ☾⋆ — 4 ★
READ THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG!!!
https://bit.ly/2LyqVQQ
oh, wow. WOW. now THIS is a shocking, unexpected book. do yourself a favor and read The Loneliest Girl in the Universe knowing as little as possible about it as you can. if I learned anything from it, it’s that I’m a gullible piece of sentimental crap and, just like the main character, I was completely and absolutely FOOLED by everything that happened in this book. it went from romance to horror real quick and I wholly and wholeheartedly fell for it. I am still feeling quite gobsmacked, to be honest.
I’m trying my hardest not to spoil anything here, but there really is no way to review this book without talking about how terrifying The Loneliest Girl in the Universe really is. the actual reality of space being scary as hell and the absolute anxiety that would surely come from being completely alone, drifting through deep space with no real control over what happens to you? and then the threat of everything that happens in the second half of this book? I am ASTONISHED at how frightening this book made me feel. and again, I’m trying really hard to spoil as little as I possibly can, but I ADORE a good villain. that’s all I’m gonna say on the subject, but Jesus, can Lauren James write a villain.
I like that this book also focused, at times, on basic human necessities. acne, pee, periods, teeth issues and even masturbation were all brought up at some point and I am just so thankful that books like this one still exist out there. also that our main character, Romy, was believable and realistic. she was scared and she was more often than not, a child, but she was PHENOMENAL and the audiobook narrator was absolutely incredible. I’m not sure if her voice acting influenced my opinion on Romy at all, but they were both fantastic.
at the end of the day, though, this is ultimately a book about an abuse victim and the psychological and physical torture she is put through and how she overcomes her own peril, her trauma and her anxiety and thrives because of it. it’s very unexpectedly one of my favorite reads of the year, I think, and for me to say this with only a few days of 2018 left is a HUGE deal.
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oh, wow. WOW. now THIS is a shocking, unexpected book. do yourself a favor and read The Loneliest Girl in the Universe knowing as little as possible about it as you can. if I learned anything from it, it’s that I’m a gullible piece of sentimental crap and, just like the main character, I was completely and absolutely FOOLED by everything that happened in this book. it went from romance to horror real quick and I wholly and wholeheartedly fell for it. I am still feeling quite gobsmacked, to be honest.
I’m trying my hardest not to spoil anything here, but there really is no way to review this book without talking about how terrifying The Loneliest Girl in the Universe really is. the actual reality of space being scary as hell and the absolute anxiety that would surely come from being completely alone, drifting through deep space with no real control over what happens to you? and then the threat of everything that happens in the second half of this book? I am ASTONISHED at how frightening this book made me feel. and again, I’m trying really hard to spoil as little as I possibly can, but I ADORE a good villain. that’s all I’m gonna say on the subject, but Jesus, can Lauren James write a villain.
I like that this book also focused, at times, on basic human necessities. acne, pee, periods, teeth issues and even masturbation were all brought up at some point and I am just so thankful that books like this one still exist out there. also that our main character, Romy, was believable and realistic. she was scared and she was more often than not, a child, but she was PHENOMENAL and the audiobook narrator was absolutely incredible. I’m not sure if her voice acting influenced my opinion on Romy at all, but they were both fantastic.
at the end of the day, though, this is ultimately a book about an abuse victim and the psychological and physical torture she is put through and how she overcomes her own peril, her trauma and her anxiety and thrives because of it. it’s very unexpectedly one of my favorite reads of the year, I think, and for me to say this with only a few days of 2018 left is a HUGE deal.
January 25, 2021
"Love take so much energy, and it just leads to pain. I think it's probably best for people to be self-sufficient. If I was strong enough to be independent, then I wouldn't be so desperately lonely. I'm sure of it."
This book was cruel. Like the MC, I was led to believe that this is just a sappy space romance. But here's the thing: the blurb was nothing but a self-effacing description of this book and its true purpose was to tear your expectations apart and leave you in a state of calamity. Why, Lauren James, why? I demand justice for my poor heart.
I am not really into sci-fi stuff and the only thing that made me read this was the out-of-this-world romance bait the blurb promised. I'm so thankful I'm gullible and such a sucker for unique romance that it lead me to this awesome book!
You know that feeling when you thought you knew what was going to happen next but then this goddamn awesome book was like "Nah uh, honey. That's boring. Let's jump off a cliff instead!"
Romy Silvers, the main character, is such a strong and smart girl and I adore her so much. Imagine being the commander of a spaceship at only sixteen! But also imagine being alone in a spaceship, traveling to an Earth-like planet your whole life with no one to talk to. *SOBS* The first few chapters made me empathize with her so much. She's so lonely I want to give her a warm hug. I have depression so I know how bad it is to realize your own loneliness and be helpless about it.
The characters are great. The storytelling was fast-paced. It's like a psychological thriller set in space. Also, thank God there were no deep scientific terms or I'll be bored out of my mind. I must say, kudos to Lauren James for the writing style. She was able to make it thrilling and completely entertaining to read even though the only setting was the spaceship. The only thing I didn't like in this book was the emergency dentist thingy. But overall, I enjoyed it so much I finished this in one sitting, with no bathroom breaks!
I highly, highly recommend this book. I think it's one of my favorites now.
September 2, 2018
“But some days it's hard to remember the exciting parts. I get stuck in the memories. It's hard to focus on the future when the past is so distracting.”
I fell in love with this book the moment I read the first line. I remember I sent my best friend a message saying, ‘you know this feeling when you start a book and you know it's going to be a new favourite? That's what I'm feeling right now.’ I just knew. And I wasn't wrong.
This book has a very unique atmosphere. I was both feeling safe and scared. There is this creepy feeling hovering over the story, it was obvious something was going to happen, but what? It was like being safe in your bed and wondering if you'd let the door open.
Like most people, I knew pretty much next to nothing about this story when I started it. I thought it was about a girl on a spaceship and nothing else. That was literally it. But I was so wrong. The moment I knew for sure that something more was going on, I kept waiting for something bad to happen, and when it did, I wasn't ready, no matter how much I thought I was.
This book is brilliant. It deals with anxiety in a way I'd never seen, it deals with aloneness and grief in such an unexpected way. It was done so well. I felt for Romy, I was so anxious for her, I could fear her fears and hopes. I simply loved every single second of this book.
I fell in love with this book the moment I read the first line. I remember I sent my best friend a message saying, ‘you know this feeling when you start a book and you know it's going to be a new favourite? That's what I'm feeling right now.’ I just knew. And I wasn't wrong.
This book has a very unique atmosphere. I was both feeling safe and scared. There is this creepy feeling hovering over the story, it was obvious something was going to happen, but what? It was like being safe in your bed and wondering if you'd let the door open.
Like most people, I knew pretty much next to nothing about this story when I started it. I thought it was about a girl on a spaceship and nothing else. That was literally it. But I was so wrong. The moment I knew for sure that something more was going on, I kept waiting for something bad to happen, and when it did, I wasn't ready, no matter how much I thought I was.
This book is brilliant. It deals with anxiety in a way I'd never seen, it deals with aloneness and grief in such an unexpected way. It was done so well. I felt for Romy, I was so anxious for her, I could fear her fears and hopes. I simply loved every single second of this book.
September 13, 2018
I have mixed thoughts on this one. I think the story did well in building up tension and intrigue, letting the reader anticipate what the twist at the end is going to be. The twist paid off the theme of the book and the emotional journey of the main character, who is someone that many girls can easily identify with. It's got a fast pace and a good message about learning to be yourself without needing someone else. The biggest flaw is the writing. It was too juvenile for my tastes, and its simplicity reduced the effectiveness of the story. I think just counting on a great twist at the end isn't enough; the story has to maintain good quality throughout.
August 6, 2018
Ahhh this was so good! I didn't really have a clue what this is about, but it was so surprising and gripping! My only negative point is that a certain someone is somehow evil without a real reason? But yeah, other than that pretty brilliant!
June 24, 2018
I honestly just thought this book was going to be about a young teenager who falls in love with someone she doesn't know in person.
But I was so wrong!
There was a twist I did not see coming until it was revealed. A romance with a huge twist. As soon as I hit 100 pages I struggled to put it down!
Anyone who loves stories like this I highly recommend you pick it up.
I'm really sad this book was as short as it is.
But I was so wrong!
There was a twist I did not see coming until it was revealed. A romance with a huge twist. As soon as I hit 100 pages I struggled to put it down!
Anyone who loves stories like this I highly recommend you pick it up.
I'm really sad this book was as short as it is.
Read
February 2, 2019This was a book that shouldn't have worked but still kind of did.
August 11, 2019
3.5 - I just didn’t love this quite as much as everyone else, but it is definitely a fun read! I just felt like the build up didn’t lead to an amazing ending.
June 28, 2019
*4.5/5 stars*
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is a strange little book. It is a sci-fi story, but also has vibes of contemporary. It's light and fun, but also chilling and dark. Most of all it hookes you in till you read the whole thing.
This is a story about loneliness, inner ghosts and having faith (or lack of it) in self.
Romy was born in space. She grew up on a spaceship heading to colonize a new planet. Now, years later, she is the only surviving member. Until she discovers a new advanced ship has been launched to accompany her to the planet sooner. Itcarries one passanger, J. She is able to communicate with him via email. And Romy feels less alone than ever. But strange things seem to be happening on Earth, and worse yet stranger things seem to be happening to her ship...
“This whole journey is a balancing act based on faith. We're all just hoping the The Infinity will eventually be able to reach somewhere safe. And for what? To satisfy the great human spirit of exploration?
My life is a gambling chip thrown carelessly across the universe in the hope it'll land somewhere my descendants can survive.”
I read this book almost in one sitting: it was so fun and engaging and atmospheric and oftentimes scary (which I didn't expect at all!!). After a while, I couldn't put it down. It also has under 300 pages, so it's a quick read. Although this book isn't what you'd call 'action packed'. It does have, for the most part, one character in it after all. It should't work, and it definitely shoudn't be this engaging because of it. And yet it does and it is! It works so well and makes for one hall of a ride, quite unique one at that!
The one thing I didn't care for at all were the little snippets of Romy's fan fic. Yes, she writes a fic based on her favourite tv show characters. And I get why she does as well as why the few and far between - thankfully - stories were included. But it just made me remember Fangirl and I was never a fan of that book. Thankfully, the stories were not present too much so it didn't bother me most of the time at all. But it is the one thing I would've gone without.
I have read one book - The Next Together - by the author before. And while I enjoyed that one (3 stars), I have to say James's books only get better and better! I'm really excited for The Quiet at the End of the World now.
"I’m pretty sure I’ve forgotten what other people feel like. When I dream, I dream in screens. A line of text, a voice in my ear. Nothing real.
The things people take for granted, like seeing the sky, walking on soil, feeling the wind on your skin – well, I’ve never experienced any of that. I was born on The Infinity. I’ve only ever known its clean white walls; its sterilized atmosphere and artificial gravity; its grey floors, curving around the ship’s hull.
I circle the same small space over and over every day, and nothing changes and nothing is different."
I really liked Romy's introspective and especially her character developmet. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the story - sometimes light and fun, sometimes dangerous and excruciating, sometimes tear inducing and scary. This book does have all of that and still menages to be overall light and entertaining read. I also liked the little details about the ship, as well as the time differences in-between emails, that James put into this.
"She didn’t cry, not once, the entire time. I couldn’t understand why, back then. Now, I know that there are just some things so terrible you can’t cry about them, because if you start, you will never stop."
All in all, highly recommended for everyone interested in character driven, very unusual YA sci-fi story. Even if you're not a sci-fi fan, I think this book might work for you either way. Immersive plot, shiver inducing atmosphere, main lead you'll root for and some plot twists. This is a book you should definitely check out.
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is a strange little book. It is a sci-fi story, but also has vibes of contemporary. It's light and fun, but also chilling and dark. Most of all it hookes you in till you read the whole thing.
This is a story about loneliness, inner ghosts and having faith (or lack of it) in self.
Romy was born in space. She grew up on a spaceship heading to colonize a new planet. Now, years later, she is the only surviving member. Until she discovers a new advanced ship has been launched to accompany her to the planet sooner. Itcarries one passanger, J. She is able to communicate with him via email. And Romy feels less alone than ever. But strange things seem to be happening on Earth, and worse yet stranger things seem to be happening to her ship...
“This whole journey is a balancing act based on faith. We're all just hoping the The Infinity will eventually be able to reach somewhere safe. And for what? To satisfy the great human spirit of exploration?
My life is a gambling chip thrown carelessly across the universe in the hope it'll land somewhere my descendants can survive.”
I read this book almost in one sitting: it was so fun and engaging and atmospheric and oftentimes scary (which I didn't expect at all!!). After a while, I couldn't put it down. It also has under 300 pages, so it's a quick read. Although this book isn't what you'd call 'action packed'. It does have, for the most part, one character in it after all. It should't work, and it definitely shoudn't be this engaging because of it. And yet it does and it is! It works so well and makes for one hall of a ride, quite unique one at that!
The one thing I didn't care for at all were the little snippets of Romy's fan fic. Yes, she writes a fic based on her favourite tv show characters. And I get why she does as well as why the few and far between - thankfully - stories were included. But it just made me remember Fangirl and I was never a fan of that book. Thankfully, the stories were not present too much so it didn't bother me most of the time at all. But it is the one thing I would've gone without.
I have read one book - The Next Together - by the author before. And while I enjoyed that one (3 stars), I have to say James's books only get better and better! I'm really excited for The Quiet at the End of the World now.
"I’m pretty sure I’ve forgotten what other people feel like. When I dream, I dream in screens. A line of text, a voice in my ear. Nothing real.
The things people take for granted, like seeing the sky, walking on soil, feeling the wind on your skin – well, I’ve never experienced any of that. I was born on The Infinity. I’ve only ever known its clean white walls; its sterilized atmosphere and artificial gravity; its grey floors, curving around the ship’s hull.
I circle the same small space over and over every day, and nothing changes and nothing is different."
I really liked Romy's introspective and especially her character developmet. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the story - sometimes light and fun, sometimes dangerous and excruciating, sometimes tear inducing and scary. This book does have all of that and still menages to be overall light and entertaining read. I also liked the little details about the ship, as well as the time differences in-between emails, that James put into this.
"She didn’t cry, not once, the entire time. I couldn’t understand why, back then. Now, I know that there are just some things so terrible you can’t cry about them, because if you start, you will never stop."
All in all, highly recommended for everyone interested in character driven, very unusual YA sci-fi story. Even if you're not a sci-fi fan, I think this book might work for you either way. Immersive plot, shiver inducing atmosphere, main lead you'll root for and some plot twists. This is a book you should definitely check out.
April 29, 2020
“Is no life at all better than the constant fear and fight for survival I face every day? I don’t know. If a life of fear isn’t worth living, then why should I carry on?"
representation: anxiety.
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
★★★★
yoooooo, this was WILD. it starts out as one book and totally does a 180 and ends up a psychological thriller XD
Had me on the edge of my seat until the very end, but
trigger warnings: loss of loved ones (in the past), grief, anxiety and spiralling thoughts, panic attacks, PTSD, tooth extraction, mention of war, parent with a mental illness, blood and mild gore.
representation: anxiety.
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
★★★★
yoooooo, this was WILD. it starts out as one book and totally does a 180 and ends up a psychological thriller XD
Had me on the edge of my seat until the very end, but
trigger warnings: loss of loved ones (in the past), grief, anxiety and spiralling thoughts, panic attacks, PTSD, tooth extraction, mention of war, parent with a mental illness, blood and mild gore.
October 28, 2018
This book was not what I expected. It got dark, and then even darker. The author created an eerie sense of paranoia and isolation. Sci-fi horror done right.
October 4, 2018
♦
Video Review
♦
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is a book that will blow your mind for sure, even if you think you know what you're getting yourself into.
I loved following our main character Romy on her daily routine and to see her just trying to have a good life on this ship while being all alone.
The concept around this is so intriguing and has so much packed into it, you cannot even guess. This book will catch you off guard for sure. And while it has this romantic aspect, it is definitely just a small chunk of the book. Really, I would say this is more like a Science Fiction Thriller. What we find out about Romy's life on the ship so far and what she still has to deal with is super scary and definitely nothing compare to a cutesy romance book.
My favourite aspect of this novel, that Lauren James managed to pull off so well, is the way she makes Romy a relatable character while being in an experience none of us could even imagine. We follow her life and it's so interesting to see her daily routine and find out so much about her mission, but at the same time, she has mental health issues that so many readers will be able to relate to. The ways she deals with her anxiety, some more healthy than others, really make you feel so close to her and help you understand her as a character.
This is one of the few YA books I have read that feature female masturbation and it made so happy. It is done in a way that's obviously totally YA appropriate but just features it as a thing that you don't have to be ashamed of if you do it and felt very natural for the character in these situations.
This is all I wanna say about this book because I genuinely think that this is one of those books you should know as little as possible about. I'd recommend it, even if you don't read much Sci-Fi or Space books. It is absolutely worth stepping out of your comfort zone!
♦ Booktube Channel ♦ Twitter ♦ Instagram ♦
I received an ARC of this through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is a book that will blow your mind for sure, even if you think you know what you're getting yourself into.
I loved following our main character Romy on her daily routine and to see her just trying to have a good life on this ship while being all alone.
The concept around this is so intriguing and has so much packed into it, you cannot even guess. This book will catch you off guard for sure. And while it has this romantic aspect, it is definitely just a small chunk of the book. Really, I would say this is more like a Science Fiction Thriller. What we find out about Romy's life on the ship so far and what she still has to deal with is super scary and definitely nothing compare to a cutesy romance book.
My favourite aspect of this novel, that Lauren James managed to pull off so well, is the way she makes Romy a relatable character while being in an experience none of us could even imagine. We follow her life and it's so interesting to see her daily routine and find out so much about her mission, but at the same time, she has mental health issues that so many readers will be able to relate to. The ways she deals with her anxiety, some more healthy than others, really make you feel so close to her and help you understand her as a character.
This is one of the few YA books I have read that feature female masturbation and it made so happy. It is done in a way that's obviously totally YA appropriate but just features it as a thing that you don't have to be ashamed of if you do it and felt very natural for the character in these situations.
This is all I wanna say about this book because I genuinely think that this is one of those books you should know as little as possible about. I'd recommend it, even if you don't read much Sci-Fi or Space books. It is absolutely worth stepping out of your comfort zone!
♦ Booktube Channel ♦ Twitter ♦ Instagram ♦
I received an ARC of this through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
February 18, 2019
"It's hard to focus on the future when the past is so distracting.”
Unlike most of the other readers i enjoyed the first half more; i just loved reading about Romy
watching tv shows and doing absolutely nothing 🤷🏻 The ending was predictable, i personally wouldn't call it twisting. But overall, it was really beautiful and clever.
Unlike most of the other readers i enjoyed the first half more; i just loved reading about Romy
watching tv shows and doing absolutely nothing 🤷🏻 The ending was predictable, i personally wouldn't call it twisting. But overall, it was really beautiful and clever.
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