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Insiders #2
Outside In
Me?
A leader?
Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew.
That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion—between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again—while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside.
And something from Outside wants In.
A leader?
Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew.
That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion—between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again—while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside.
And something from Outside wants In.
328 pages, Paperback
First published January 3, 2011
About the author
Maria V. Snyder
79 books16.9k followersWhen Maria V. Snyder was younger, she aspired to be a storm chaser in the American Midwest so she attended Pennsylvania State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology. Much to her chagrin, forecasting the weather wasn’t in her skill set so she spent a number of years as an environmental meteorologist, which is not exciting...at all. Bored at work and needing a creative outlet, she started writing fantasy and science fiction stories. Over twenty novels and numerous short stories later, Maria’s learned a thing or three about writing. She’s been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a dozen awards, and has earned her Masters of Arts degree in Writing from Seton Hill University, where she is now a faculty member. Her favorite color is red. She loves dogs, but is allergic, instead she has a big black tom cat named…Kitty (apparently naming cats isn’t in her skill set either). Maria also has a husband and two children who are an inspiration for her writing when they aren't being a distraction. Note: She mentions her cat before her family.
When she's not writing she's either playing volleyball, traveling, or taking pictures. Being a writer, though is a ton of fun. Where else can you take fencing lessons, learn how to ride a horse, study marital arts, learn how to pick a lock, take glass blowing classes and attend Astronomy Camp and call it research? Maria will be the first one to tell you it's not working as a meteorologist.
Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule at http://www.MariaVSnyder.com.
When she's not writing she's either playing volleyball, traveling, or taking pictures. Being a writer, though is a ton of fun. Where else can you take fencing lessons, learn how to ride a horse, study marital arts, learn how to pick a lock, take glass blowing classes and attend Astronomy Camp and call it research? Maria will be the first one to tell you it's not working as a meteorologist.
Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule at http://www.MariaVSnyder.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 996 reviews
August 11, 2010
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 :)
October 3, 2011
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.
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.
July 17, 2011
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.
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.
August 17, 2021
***Possible spoiler alert concerning Inside Out***
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 indicative of Chicken-with-its-head-cut-off Syndrome (yes, I did just make that up), so there was way too much confusion and running around, and I wanted it to slow. The. Heck. Down. This led to my confusion of what in the world was going on, because I couldn't visualize much at all. The more hectic the story became, the more sketchy the details were. Not a good thing to do as an author. Since there was a lot more action than interaction this installment, the characters suffered and I found I didn't care for anyone at all or what happened to them, even Trella. While this book started off well enough, it quickly became more of a chore than a joy to read, and unfortunately, there was more tell than show in the writing. A very weak ending to what was a fun and exciting story arc. As I'm sure there isn't going to be another book in this series, there are many questions left dangling that should have been answered. Like who are the "Insiders" really, where are they from, what are they, who are the "Outsiders," etc., etc. I wasted time reading two books and am left without a real ending explaining most everything, if not all. One of the worst aspects about this sequel was the missed potential. It was already there but it was left ignored. The author would have done better to have created a slow, tension-filled build-up than the fast-paced mess of running around here, there, and everywhere, that ultimately was a big let-down and a disservice to the plot and characters.
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 indicative of Chicken-with-its-head-cut-off Syndrome (yes, I did just make that up), so there was way too much confusion and running around, and I wanted it to slow. The. Heck. Down. This led to my confusion of what in the world was going on, because I couldn't visualize much at all. The more hectic the story became, the more sketchy the details were. Not a good thing to do as an author. Since there was a lot more action than interaction this installment, the characters suffered and I found I didn't care for anyone at all or what happened to them, even Trella. While this book started off well enough, it quickly became more of a chore than a joy to read, and unfortunately, there was more tell than show in the writing. A very weak ending to what was a fun and exciting story arc. As I'm sure there isn't going to be another book in this series, there are many questions left dangling that should have been answered. Like who are the "Insiders" really, where are they from, what are they, who are the "Outsiders," etc., etc. I wasted time reading two books and am left without a real ending explaining most everything, if not all. One of the worst aspects about this sequel was the missed potential. It was already there but it was left ignored. The author would have done better to have created a slow, tension-filled build-up than the fast-paced mess of running around here, there, and everywhere, that ultimately was a big let-down and a disservice to the plot and characters.
January 4, 2013
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 epilogue showing the descendants stepping off ship during the millionth week. Everything is just left in the air as to where the ship is headed, why it's going there, where it came from, and if it landed safely.
The Outsiders/Controllers were a total letdown too. I was hoping that Inside would be revealed to be a tiny component of a larger ship, or perhaps a fleet of ships, and the Outsiders oversaw the fleet as they travelled to godknowswhere. I was so bummed out to learn that they're just a bunch of sterile Russians (at least it seemed like Ponife was Eastern European from his sentence structure...), who are holding a grudge over the punishment for their ancestors' transgressions. The author could've done so much with them, and yet she couldn't even be arsed to tell us what they'd been exiled for!
Whatever the reasoning might be, their exile and return doesn't make sense when you think about it. If you're going to banish your enemies to a ship and leave it behind, surely you'd do something to put a good amount of space between you and them. You'd rig their ship to fly in the opposite direction, or conduct some form of sabotage that would ensure their ship couldn't move forward for a good year or so. You wouldn't just dump them on a ship with a few hours head start and hope everything would be all well and good. And yet, if I remember correctly, that's exactly what happened! The Outsiders were able to catch up with Inside when the transmission was out for a couple of weeks.
And hey - while I think of it, how did that ship even manage to sustain itself? It sounded as if their ship had been out there for at least 25 years/centiweeks, judging by the sterility issue and the continued referrals to their 'ancestors'. The author tried to placate us with an implication that the food and water rationing killed off the weak ones, but that doesn't explain everything. Each ship was only designed to hold 1000 people for short trips between a planet and Inside, which I'm assuming would only take a couple of hours at most. Therefore, the ship likely wasn't outfitted with complex water and waste management systems, not to mention hydroponics. How did they manage to survive?!
This book was just a mess in general. The action scenes felt really rushed; I had no idea what was going on during the final showdown. I didn't understand where anyone was going or what was happening in Inside, and I still don't understand how they managed to take back control of the Outsider ships. Even small things like Trella traversing the pipes was messy. Sometimes the author made it seem as if it took 5 minutes to get to Logan's room, but then at other times Trella would be like 'Oh whoops, took like 5hrs to get here lolol'.
The convenience of technology in this book bugged the hell out of me. I noticed it a bit in the previous novel, but the author took it to extremes here. Everytime Trella needed a lockpicker, a stun-gun deactivator, a diamond saw or any other type of contraption to overcome an obstacle, turns out Logan magically has one lying around or has added it to Zippy already. We know the Tech Nos are good, but surely they're not that good.
I was also irritated as hell by the Sheepy babble. I rolled my eyes and dismissed it in the previous book, because the storyline itself was so gripping. But everytime they brought up Sheepy in this book I just wanted to throw my Kindle at the wall. These are 17 year olds, not 5 year olds. I guess the author was trying to create a running gag, but instead she succeeded at making Trella and Riley seem as if they're developmentally disabled. And that just made it even more jarring when Trella and Riley showered together, and Trella talked about grabbing his arse.
Overall: What an utterly awful end to what was such a promising series. Don't even bother reading it, pick up James Dashner's
The Maze Runner or Beth Revis' Across the Universe series instead. The sequels in those series decline a little in quality from the opening books, but not to such a shocking extent as Outside In. It feels as if there's another book coming out that will give us all the answers and show us what the 'Outside' is really like, but there's not. There's just an author who couldn't be bothered to tie up loose ends, and sent this half-arsed job out into the world. :( *sigh*
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 epilogue showing the descendants stepping off ship during the millionth week. Everything is just left in the air as to where the ship is headed, why it's going there, where it came from, and if it landed safely.
The Outsiders/Controllers were a total letdown too. I was hoping that Inside would be revealed to be a tiny component of a larger ship, or perhaps a fleet of ships, and the Outsiders oversaw the fleet as they travelled to godknowswhere. I was so bummed out to learn that they're just a bunch of sterile Russians (at least it seemed like Ponife was Eastern European from his sentence structure...), who are holding a grudge over the punishment for their ancestors' transgressions. The author could've done so much with them, and yet she couldn't even be arsed to tell us what they'd been exiled for!
Whatever the reasoning might be, their exile and return doesn't make sense when you think about it. If you're going to banish your enemies to a ship and leave it behind, surely you'd do something to put a good amount of space between you and them. You'd rig their ship to fly in the opposite direction, or conduct some form of sabotage that would ensure their ship couldn't move forward for a good year or so. You wouldn't just dump them on a ship with a few hours head start and hope everything would be all well and good. And yet, if I remember correctly, that's exactly what happened! The Outsiders were able to catch up with Inside when the transmission was out for a couple of weeks.
And hey - while I think of it, how did that ship even manage to sustain itself? It sounded as if their ship had been out there for at least 25 years/centiweeks, judging by the sterility issue and the continued referrals to their 'ancestors'. The author tried to placate us with an implication that the food and water rationing killed off the weak ones, but that doesn't explain everything. Each ship was only designed to hold 1000 people for short trips between a planet and Inside, which I'm assuming would only take a couple of hours at most. Therefore, the ship likely wasn't outfitted with complex water and waste management systems, not to mention hydroponics. How did they manage to survive?!
This book was just a mess in general. The action scenes felt really rushed; I had no idea what was going on during the final showdown. I didn't understand where anyone was going or what was happening in Inside, and I still don't understand how they managed to take back control of the Outsider ships. Even small things like Trella traversing the pipes was messy. Sometimes the author made it seem as if it took 5 minutes to get to Logan's room, but then at other times Trella would be like 'Oh whoops, took like 5hrs to get here lolol'.
The convenience of technology in this book bugged the hell out of me. I noticed it a bit in the previous novel, but the author took it to extremes here. Everytime Trella needed a lockpicker, a stun-gun deactivator, a diamond saw or any other type of contraption to overcome an obstacle, turns out Logan magically has one lying around or has added it to Zippy already. We know the Tech Nos are good, but surely they're not that good.
I was also irritated as hell by the Sheepy babble. I rolled my eyes and dismissed it in the previous book, because the storyline itself was so gripping. But everytime they brought up Sheepy in this book I just wanted to throw my Kindle at the wall. These are 17 year olds, not 5 year olds. I guess the author was trying to create a running gag, but instead she succeeded at making Trella and Riley seem as if they're developmentally disabled. And that just made it even more jarring when Trella and Riley showered together, and Trella talked about grabbing his arse.
Overall: What an utterly awful end to what was such a promising series. Don't even bother reading it, pick up James Dashner's
The Maze Runner or Beth Revis' Across the Universe series instead. The sequels in those series decline a little in quality from the opening books, but not to such a shocking extent as Outside In. It feels as if there's another book coming out that will give us all the answers and show us what the 'Outside' is really like, but there's not. There's just an author who couldn't be bothered to tie up loose ends, and sent this half-arsed job out into the world. :( *sigh*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2016
Such a fun duology! I love the Study series a lot more, but the characters were still great, I just thought the story felt a bit too rushed.
February 24, 2011
The Queen of the Pipes has returned!
Me reading Outside In: What? What?? WHAT??? WHAT????
(In a totally good way--this book is full of intrigue, deceit, and stratagem. I did not see half of these twists coming!)
This is what Across the Universe should have been. Dare I say it? This is what Mockingjay should have been.
Outside In explores the question so often overlooked amidst the cheers at the end of these dystopian books once the crazy regime has been overthrown. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE REVOLUTION? Yes, the tyrant is gone...now what?
What a thrill ride! I was getting mental whiplash from all of the twists and turns of this plot. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, BAM!--I'd get hit from behind with another crazy twist that was absolutely nowhere on my radar. Don't you just love reading a book where you're so immersed the pages just melt away and all of a sudden you look up and you've read 100 pages without even noticing? That is Outside In for me.
I heart Trella. She's a little rough around the edges at times, but talk about a plucky, spirited heroine with mad skills, crazy courage, and loads of determination and loyalty. Sure, she's a little reckless at times, but when she risks her life, it's for a reason. (Take notice, Nora Gray.) And it's a good reason. Trella puts herself in danger's path for the cause she so passionately believes in and to save those she fiercely loves. NOT BECAUSE SHE'S STUPID. (That's directed at 2/3 of YA heroines these days.) Yeah, she needs to add a pinch of "verbally expressing tender emotion" capabilities to her skill set during parts of this book, but she shows her love through her actions. THIS GIRL HAS GUTS!
And one of the best parts? Seeing Trella's growth in this book. Yes, she's just as resourceful and tenacious as in Inside Out, but she faces her fear of making mistakes, of being responsible for others, of doing the "clean up" after rushing in to save the day. I loved seeing Trella tentatively test and then embrace her ability to love, forgive, and accept, especially when it came to her mother, and to see her acknowledge and accept that she loves Riley.
Yes, there's the obligatory YA Book 2 break up, but while this one did further the plot, it didn't scream LAME PLOT DEVICE. It felt very in-character for Riley and Trella. Trella was still coming to terms with loving and caring for another on a deeply personal level, and it hurt Riley too much to have Trella keep pushing him away.
And while it's probably not realistic for a 17-year-old to lead this massive ship, I'm willing to suspend reality because I LOVE THIS SERIES AND THESE CHARACTERS. After initially faltering and cringing away from being a part of the leadership of the new world, Trella steps up (almost too late) and embraces her role as a unifier and leader, and for the rest of the book, she shows why she's the Queen of the Pipes. There is no curling up on drugs in a hospital wing *coughs, Katniss* for our heroine.
I don't know if this is the end of our adventures with Trella and Riley, but WOW what a ride it's been.
Content: Unlike Inside Out, a couple of scenes in Outside In are on the more mature side, so I wouldn't recommend it for younger teens. These scenes weren't really necessary, so you could easily skip them if they bothered you.
Me reading Outside In: What? What?? WHAT??? WHAT????
(In a totally good way--this book is full of intrigue, deceit, and stratagem. I did not see half of these twists coming!)
This is what Across the Universe should have been. Dare I say it? This is what Mockingjay should have been.
Outside In explores the question so often overlooked amidst the cheers at the end of these dystopian books once the crazy regime has been overthrown. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE REVOLUTION? Yes, the tyrant is gone...now what?
What a thrill ride! I was getting mental whiplash from all of the twists and turns of this plot. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, BAM!--I'd get hit from behind with another crazy twist that was absolutely nowhere on my radar. Don't you just love reading a book where you're so immersed the pages just melt away and all of a sudden you look up and you've read 100 pages without even noticing? That is Outside In for me.
I heart Trella. She's a little rough around the edges at times, but talk about a plucky, spirited heroine with mad skills, crazy courage, and loads of determination and loyalty. Sure, she's a little reckless at times, but when she risks her life, it's for a reason. (Take notice, Nora Gray.) And it's a good reason. Trella puts herself in danger's path for the cause she so passionately believes in and to save those she fiercely loves. NOT BECAUSE SHE'S STUPID. (That's directed at 2/3 of YA heroines these days.) Yeah, she needs to add a pinch of "verbally expressing tender emotion" capabilities to her skill set during parts of this book, but she shows her love through her actions. THIS GIRL HAS GUTS!
And one of the best parts? Seeing Trella's growth in this book. Yes, she's just as resourceful and tenacious as in Inside Out, but she faces her fear of making mistakes, of being responsible for others, of doing the "clean up" after rushing in to save the day. I loved seeing Trella tentatively test and then embrace her ability to love, forgive, and accept, especially when it came to her mother, and to see her acknowledge and accept that she loves Riley.
Yes, there's the obligatory YA Book 2 break up, but while this one did further the plot, it didn't scream LAME PLOT DEVICE. It felt very in-character for Riley and Trella. Trella was still coming to terms with loving and caring for another on a deeply personal level, and it hurt Riley too much to have Trella keep pushing him away.
And while it's probably not realistic for a 17-year-old to lead this massive ship, I'm willing to suspend reality because I LOVE THIS SERIES AND THESE CHARACTERS. After initially faltering and cringing away from being a part of the leadership of the new world, Trella steps up (almost too late) and embraces her role as a unifier and leader, and for the rest of the book, she shows why she's the Queen of the Pipes. There is no curling up on drugs in a hospital wing *coughs, Katniss* for our heroine.
I don't know if this is the end of our adventures with Trella and Riley, but WOW what a ride it's been.
Content: Unlike Inside Out, a couple of scenes in Outside In are on the more mature side, so I wouldn't recommend it for younger teens. These scenes weren't really necessary, so you could easily skip them if they bothered you.
March 20, 2011
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
*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
August 23, 2012
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.
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.
January 4, 2011
After a brilliant and very useful recap of Inside Out, this only got better. It found it's footing immediately and ran like the wind to the closing lines.
It was so jam-packed with action, betrayals and trickery I was exhausted just reading it. It wasn't simple either. I'm impressed Snyder could fit so much in (including technical detail) and I could still follow her throughout. Something I couldn't do with the first book.
I never knew who to trust. That seems to be a real theme that Snyder just loves to play with. I don't know how Trella managed what with getting injured, drugged or knocked out every five minutes and having to deal with the difficult relationships with her mother and her boyfriend. Time was a real factor, she never had enough of it but she somehow triumphed more often than not.
There was very little skimming this time around. Snyder was economical with words yet she still managed to fill many, many pages, more than I expected and I never got bored. Unusual for me with YA. The only real downside was no sexually explicit content even when it would've made sense with what should've been a very steamy shower scene, dammit! F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-N-G.
Talking of frustration, Trella's stubborn reluctance in taking on the responsibility of leadership and leaving it to others -ugh! I was so desperate to reach into the book and throttle her and take the reins myself. Everything was falling apart and she was doing NOTHING! It was all her fault. Maybe not but she could've prevented some things or at least coordinated responses to them more efficiently. I'm so glad she learned from her mistakes.
Anyway, things were all nicely wrapped up. Perhaps a little too quickly (I wanted to know what crimes the Outsiders committed to be kicked out of Inside) but by then I was tired and just wanted to put the book down to catch my breath so I didn't care too much. I'm guessing this is a duology, I could be wrong but it ended perfectly so I'm not expecting another instalment. Oh, and I'm assuming Trella got the top spot at the end, in more ways than one. Wink, wink.
It was so jam-packed with action, betrayals and trickery I was exhausted just reading it. It wasn't simple either. I'm impressed Snyder could fit so much in (including technical detail) and I could still follow her throughout. Something I couldn't do with the first book.
I never knew who to trust. That seems to be a real theme that Snyder just loves to play with. I don't know how Trella managed what with getting injured, drugged or knocked out every five minutes and having to deal with the difficult relationships with her mother and her boyfriend. Time was a real factor, she never had enough of it but she somehow triumphed more often than not.
There was very little skimming this time around. Snyder was economical with words yet she still managed to fill many, many pages, more than I expected and I never got bored. Unusual for me with YA. The only real downside was no sexually explicit content even when it would've made sense with what should've been a very steamy shower scene, dammit! F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-N-G.
Talking of frustration, Trella's stubborn reluctance in taking on the responsibility of leadership and leaving it to others -ugh! I was so desperate to reach into the book and throttle her and take the reins myself. Everything was falling apart and she was doing NOTHING! It was all her fault. Maybe not but she could've prevented some things or at least coordinated responses to them more efficiently. I'm so glad she learned from her mistakes.
Anyway, things were all nicely wrapped up. Perhaps a little too quickly (I wanted to know what crimes the Outsiders committed to be kicked out of Inside) but by then I was tired and just wanted to put the book down to catch my breath so I didn't care too much. I'm guessing this is a duology, I could be wrong but it ended perfectly so I'm not expecting another instalment. Oh, and I'm assuming Trella got the top spot at the end, in more ways than one. Wink, wink.
March 10, 2011
4.5 stars (= not as wonderful as Inside Out). Some things were pretty illogical, some things were hard to imagine and Snyder has this tendency to turn characters from good to bad to good and bad again during the course of a book. That was slightly unnerving.
But in spite of that I enjoyed myself immensely. This is when I know why I like reading best: When turning pages feels more exhiliarating that inhaling a spoon of vanilla ice-cream lathered with strawberry-sauce: I really like Trella and her world. And half a star less is tremendously positive for a Snyder sequel: I loved both Poison Study and Storm Glass, but was severely disappointed by their respective second and third volumes.
But in spite of that I enjoyed myself immensely. This is when I know why I like reading best: When turning pages feels more exhiliarating that inhaling a spoon of vanilla ice-cream lathered with strawberry-sauce: I really like Trella and her world. And half a star less is tremendously positive for a Snyder sequel: I loved both Poison Study and Storm Glass, but was severely disappointed by their respective second and third volumes.
April 6, 2011
At the end of Inside Out things seem to be working out for everyone and especially our heroine Trella. She has a boyfriend she likes, people in the Inside have found extra space where they can expand from their crowded space and the cruel Travas have lost their power. So, it is with surprise that the reader realizes at the beginning of Outside In that things are looking less than rosy for everyone after the rebellion's success. The Comittee in charge of Inside can't seem to agree on anything, scrubs refuse to work when the uppers seem to have a much easier work to do, Trella has little free time to do anything she really wants like exploring or meeting with her boyfriend, Riley, and soon it becomes obvious that the new security force -ISF- are just as hated by the citizens of Inside as the old Pop Cops and not half as productive. To make matters even worse, it soons becomes apparent that someone is trying to sabotage the new status quo and the Insiders have to deal with this new threat.
As was the case with the first book, the action and suspense start early on and never let go until the last page. This is not a book that will get you bored or that you may put aside easily when the time comes to go to sleep. The writing is excellent as usual and Snyder's descriptions made me actually see the inside of the Inside. New characters were introduced, some good and some evil, alliances are tested, dynamics change and Trella grows up at last. I must admit that I had a problem with her for the first 1/3 of the book; she was selfish, immature and irresponsible. I was very frustrated with her, even though I understood that she had a lot of things going on and she's still a teenager after all. Luckily for her and for us, through error and trial -and a good dressing down from Riley- she eventually realized her mistakes and at last she became a heroine I could cheer and care for. I still wish though that Snyder wrote stronger male heroes; Just like Valek, Riley has so much potential but he ends up like a minor moon orbiting around the heroine's bright sun. I'd like to see him more fleshed out in the next books (which I definitely plan to read).
As was the case with the first book, the action and suspense start early on and never let go until the last page. This is not a book that will get you bored or that you may put aside easily when the time comes to go to sleep. The writing is excellent as usual and Snyder's descriptions made me actually see the inside of the Inside. New characters were introduced, some good and some evil, alliances are tested, dynamics change and Trella grows up at last. I must admit that I had a problem with her for the first 1/3 of the book; she was selfish, immature and irresponsible. I was very frustrated with her, even though I understood that she had a lot of things going on and she's still a teenager after all. Luckily for her and for us, through error and trial -and a good dressing down from Riley- she eventually realized her mistakes and at last she became a heroine I could cheer and care for. I still wish though that Snyder wrote stronger male heroes; Just like Valek, Riley has so much potential but he ends up like a minor moon orbiting around the heroine's bright sun. I'd like to see him more fleshed out in the next books (which I definitely plan to read).
December 20, 2010
I loved Poison Study and the entire Study series. When Inside Out was set to be released, I pre-ordered it without knowing what it was about. I loved Inside Out and was super happy to hear that Outside In was coming out.
Outside In is just as good as Inside Out and maybe even better. First, if you haven't read Inside Out,(I keep linking the titles since when I first wrote this review, I typed "Upside Down" as the book title- oops). I highly recommend reading book 1 before tackling this book. So much of this book depends on your knowledge of book 1.
I usually don't do reviews for series books beyond the first book. Why? (I know you are curious) The reason is, you either loved book 1 and will read this book, or you didn't like book 1 and nothing I say will change your mind. Soooooo...
I'll just say this book has all your favorite characters from book 1 (that is of course, the ones that survived to the end of book 1) and the story inOutside Inmanaged to keep me entertained and surprised. I was worried that the big secret of book 1 could not be topped in this book. I was wrong.
Slighty vague review... I know. But it is hard to review this book without spoiling it. So, just trust me, it was good!
Outside In is just as good as Inside Out and maybe even better. First, if you haven't read Inside Out,(I keep linking the titles since when I first wrote this review, I typed "Upside Down" as the book title- oops). I highly recommend reading book 1 before tackling this book. So much of this book depends on your knowledge of book 1.
I usually don't do reviews for series books beyond the first book. Why? (I know you are curious) The reason is, you either loved book 1 and will read this book, or you didn't like book 1 and nothing I say will change your mind. Soooooo...
I'll just say this book has all your favorite characters from book 1 (that is of course, the ones that survived to the end of book 1) and the story inOutside Inmanaged to keep me entertained and surprised. I was worried that the big secret of book 1 could not be topped in this book. I was wrong.
Slighty vague review... I know. But it is hard to review this book without spoiling it. So, just trust me, it was good!
February 21, 2017
Deel 2 was zoveel spannender dan deel 1. Ik twijfelde nog of ik dit deel ook wel moest lezen omdat ik het grootste gedeelte van deel 1 zo saai vond. Ik ben blij dat ik het toch heb gedaan, want het maakt een hoop goed.
Dit deel zit voel met actie, verraad en wendingen. Je weet gewoon niet wie nou bij de goede en wie bij de slechte hoort.
Dit deel zit voel met actie, verraad en wendingen. Je weet gewoon niet wie nou bij de goede en wie bij de slechte hoort.
August 11, 2011
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 over much like the rest of the story. The Riley/Trella relationship faded into nothing and Trella became the selfish little thing she was in the first book. Three quarters of the book were spent giving excuses as to why she wasn't taking any action. I wish Snyder would have gotten her act together and spent more time on the later events of the story instead of wasting time on Trella doing nothing.
Then there was the constant back and forth with who could be trusted, who couldn't be trusted, trying to find out who did this. It was just all over the place.
The resolution with the Outsiders happened in less than a page. After building up for an epic fight, it was a huge anticlimax. I should have expected it since I could see only a handful of pages remained by this point. Then the ending was so abrupt that I started reading what I thought was the next chapter only to realize I was reading the acknowledgments.
This story had so much promise, but it just fell flat. I hate giving it 2 stars because I liked the characters and the ideas (even though neither was well-developed), but the execution just wasn't there.
None of that happened. Okay, for the first few pages, she pretended to cover the first two, but it was just glossed over much like the rest of the story. The Riley/Trella relationship faded into nothing and Trella became the selfish little thing she was in the first book. Three quarters of the book were spent giving excuses as to why she wasn't taking any action. I wish Snyder would have gotten her act together and spent more time on the later events of the story instead of wasting time on Trella doing nothing.
Then there was the constant back and forth with who could be trusted, who couldn't be trusted, trying to find out who did this. It was just all over the place.
The resolution with the Outsiders happened in less than a page. After building up for an epic fight, it was a huge anticlimax. I should have expected it since I could see only a handful of pages remained by this point. Then the ending was so abrupt that I started reading what I thought was the next chapter only to realize I was reading the acknowledgments.
This story had so much promise, but it just fell flat. I hate giving it 2 stars because I liked the characters and the ideas (even though neither was well-developed), but the execution just wasn't there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2014
Wow. I really enjoyed this book, as much as or more so than the first one. I really looked forward to Outside In and was excited when I received a copy to review. I really loved Trella, she is a great heroine and was fun to read. The story sucks you in and even though I had a million other things to do, I kept reading and would squeeze in reading time whenever I could. I’m definitely on Team Riley, he is a great leading man and thought he and Trella had great chemistry together. I really enjoyed the story and was kept on the edge of my seat. I don’t know if there will be another book, but I sure hope so!!!
I had to drop a star because of a couple “love” scenes between Trella and Riley. They weren’t too descriptive, but went a little too far for my taste. I guess to me it made their relationship seem more like “lust” then “love”, but at the same time I did feel like they loved each other and I was rooting for them the whole time. Anyway, take those out and this would have been a very clean read.
I had to drop a star because of a couple “love” scenes between Trella and Riley. They weren’t too descriptive, but went a little too far for my taste. I guess to me it made their relationship seem more like “lust” then “love”, but at the same time I did feel like they loved each other and I was rooting for them the whole time. Anyway, take those out and this would have been a very clean read.
August 27, 2016
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 always thinking about it, anyway, and it all combined to make sure that there was never more than two pages in between references about the dang thing! (And who decided that "The Force of Sheep" was a good name for a rebellion, anyway?)
November 27, 2020
+ A cool second part
+ An amusing read
+ A love story not too soggy
- Hero complex
- Lots of places remain unexplored
- Missed the mystery of the first part
- Literally nothing was done with the cause WHY it was there
- No dragons
+ An amusing read
+ A love story not too soggy
- Hero complex
- Lots of places remain unexplored
- Missed the mystery of the first part
- Literally nothing was done with the cause WHY it was there
- No dragons
May 12, 2016
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
May 16, 2021
Great story, I’m hoping for a third, felt unfinished to me
April 14, 2015
Read My Review for Outside In here: Review: Outside In By Maria V. Snyder
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)
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)
January 30, 2011
Me? A Leader? Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew. That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion - between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again - while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside. And something from Outside wants In. Excerpt from Goodreads.
Jaime's review....
First I want to say that I love the worlds Maria creates wether it's Sitia and Ixia or Inside. You can close your eyes and actually see, feel, taste, smell, and hear these living breathing beautiful places.
On to the review. Maria has delivered another amazing book! Trella thinks that Inside is done with her and she can go about her life what she doesn't expect is treachery, sabotage, and more violence at every turn. People she thought she could trust end up dissappionting her and she finds allies in places she thought she never would. The story in the begining is a bit slow as we're catching up with everything that happened after the fall of the Trava's but builds with such intensity by the middle of the story I literally could not put my kindle down.
Trella's romance with Riley is so endearing he loves her completely and she has commitment issues so its cool to see how their story unfolds. There is kissing and shower scenes and more sheepy. Her relationship with Dr. Lamont progresses nicely through the story it's a rocky one but well worth the outcome. There is plenty of hijinks with Logan, Anne-Jade, and Zippy. There are also new characters introduced who make the story progress nicely.
The villians in this book are a mix we finally get to meet the Outsiders and they are pretty evil. Theres a twist there so I won't say more as to put any spoilers out there.
I loved this book so if you're a fan of Maria's books I definitely suggest going out to your local bookstore and picking it up. Outside In hits stores Feb 15th.
Thanks to netgalley and Harlequin for the galley!
Jaime's review of Outside In- 4 out of 5 stars
Jaime's review....
First I want to say that I love the worlds Maria creates wether it's Sitia and Ixia or Inside. You can close your eyes and actually see, feel, taste, smell, and hear these living breathing beautiful places.
On to the review. Maria has delivered another amazing book! Trella thinks that Inside is done with her and she can go about her life what she doesn't expect is treachery, sabotage, and more violence at every turn. People she thought she could trust end up dissappionting her and she finds allies in places she thought she never would. The story in the begining is a bit slow as we're catching up with everything that happened after the fall of the Trava's but builds with such intensity by the middle of the story I literally could not put my kindle down.
Trella's romance with Riley is so endearing he loves her completely and she has commitment issues so its cool to see how their story unfolds. There is kissing and shower scenes and more sheepy. Her relationship with Dr. Lamont progresses nicely through the story it's a rocky one but well worth the outcome. There is plenty of hijinks with Logan, Anne-Jade, and Zippy. There are also new characters introduced who make the story progress nicely.
The villians in this book are a mix we finally get to meet the Outsiders and they are pretty evil. Theres a twist there so I won't say more as to put any spoilers out there.
I loved this book so if you're a fan of Maria's books I definitely suggest going out to your local bookstore and picking it up. Outside In hits stores Feb 15th.
Thanks to netgalley and Harlequin for the galley!
Jaime's review of Outside In- 4 out of 5 stars
February 26, 2011
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
There is a crucial element that I need in dystopian fiction: outrage. I want to be livid over social injustices, incensed over a suppressed people group, and furious over the futility of ever bringing about change. In INSIDE OUT, I felt all of those emotions reading about how the Uppers enslaved the Lowers and treated them like cattle. I fed on that despair and that’s what made the ending oh so good.
In OUTSIDE IN, my outrage had been downgraded to indignation, but considering how mad I was in INSIDE OUT, that might not be a bad thing. Since bringing about the revolt in the last book, Trella is less concerned with being recycled if she gets caught sneaking out of the Lower levels. The ‘wall’ has been torn down and the new problems involve breaking down the prejudices between the Uppers and the Lowers. It’s a headache, but it’s not lethal.
The real danger presents itself in the form of factions trying to overthrow the tenuous new government, a new potentially explosive revelation about the history of Inside, and a discovery almost as unbelievable as Gateway. A different kind of danger involves a significant step up in the romance department and the introduction of a romantic rival for Riley. The Sheepy baby talk still grated, but with that one exception, I can’t think of a better group of people to be trapped Inside with.
Overall, OUTSIDE IN feels very much like the middle of the story, the book that really sets things up for a powerhouse conclusion. I can only hope that’s the case as details are scare about a third book. I’d read a third, a forth, and as many as Ms. Snyder can write, because this series is dystopian fiction done right.
Sexual Content:
A couple scenes of sensuality
There is a crucial element that I need in dystopian fiction: outrage. I want to be livid over social injustices, incensed over a suppressed people group, and furious over the futility of ever bringing about change. In INSIDE OUT, I felt all of those emotions reading about how the Uppers enslaved the Lowers and treated them like cattle. I fed on that despair and that’s what made the ending oh so good.
In OUTSIDE IN, my outrage had been downgraded to indignation, but considering how mad I was in INSIDE OUT, that might not be a bad thing. Since bringing about the revolt in the last book, Trella is less concerned with being recycled if she gets caught sneaking out of the Lower levels. The ‘wall’ has been torn down and the new problems involve breaking down the prejudices between the Uppers and the Lowers. It’s a headache, but it’s not lethal.
The real danger presents itself in the form of factions trying to overthrow the tenuous new government, a new potentially explosive revelation about the history of Inside, and a discovery almost as unbelievable as Gateway. A different kind of danger involves a significant step up in the romance department and the introduction of a romantic rival for Riley. The Sheepy baby talk still grated, but with that one exception, I can’t think of a better group of people to be trapped Inside with.
Overall, OUTSIDE IN feels very much like the middle of the story, the book that really sets things up for a powerhouse conclusion. I can only hope that’s the case as details are scare about a third book. I’d read a third, a forth, and as many as Ms. Snyder can write, because this series is dystopian fiction done right.
Sexual Content:
A couple scenes of sensuality
October 16, 2012
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 ran around the ducts for the first book. No leadership potential evident. In fact, people kept telling her how little she cared for people. And yet somehow she is supposed to be the leader (figurehead?) of the new government and Riley is pissed off she’s not trying to live up to her role. At least Trella knows how miserable she is in running anything. She has no governing sense at all.
The thing with this book is that the plot suggests lots of clever political maneuvering as well as dealing with the sabotage and sudden arrival of the Outsiders (sadly not aliens, but a group inexplicably banished a generation ago — I was annoyed it was never revealed exactly what got them banished). But, frankly, Snyder is no Isaac Asimov. No one was really clever enough. Trella mostly reacted to things and had some decent very short-term plans. But the overall Building a New Society subplot was a bust.
Riley was also more annoying — why was he so forgiving of people who did not deserve it?? Whose betrayals nearly killed others? He was also unnecessarily demanding. “Be a leader! Forgive ” He was more a conscience than a boyfriend. And then they broke up and everyone was too busy to care and then they got back together. I liked Riley 1.0 better.
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 ran around the ducts for the first book. No leadership potential evident. In fact, people kept telling her how little she cared for people. And yet somehow she is supposed to be the leader (figurehead?) of the new government and Riley is pissed off she’s not trying to live up to her role. At least Trella knows how miserable she is in running anything. She has no governing sense at all.
The thing with this book is that the plot suggests lots of clever political maneuvering as well as dealing with the sabotage and sudden arrival of the Outsiders (sadly not aliens, but a group inexplicably banished a generation ago — I was annoyed it was never revealed exactly what got them banished). But, frankly, Snyder is no Isaac Asimov. No one was really clever enough. Trella mostly reacted to things and had some decent very short-term plans. But the overall Building a New Society subplot was a bust.
Riley was also more annoying — why was he so forgiving of people who did not deserve it?? Whose betrayals nearly killed others? He was also unnecessarily demanding. “Be a leader! Forgive ” He was more a conscience than a boyfriend. And then they broke up and everyone was too busy to care and then they got back together. I liked Riley 1.0 better.
December 29, 2010
So this book brings in constant danger and war-like behavior. We find Trella is physically hurt in almost every chapter of this very fast paced action packed novel. Although there is rebellion and fighting in the first novel, this second novel takes on a whole new level. It becomes war. We see bombs, tremors, physical fighting, amazing technological torture scenes and some unbelievable surgery work from the Doctor.
Trella has started the rebellion and now she's ready to relax and enjoy the "new life" with Riley and just explore and enjoy what she can. But the people of inside (especially the scrubs) see her as a leader. Trella is fighting with the need to not want to be a leader and the desire of wanting a fair say for both upper and lower levels in this new community. We see a little bit of a more mature romance between Trella and Riley so unlike the first novel this one should be approached by more mature teens, not only for the romance, but some of the descriptions of the fighting gets a little nasty.
In my mind Maria V Snyder is just as much of a genius as Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games Trilogy) and deserves just as much attention and love. I highly recommend her novels for any fan of Dystopian stories. I will read her books over and over again.
Trella has started the rebellion and now she's ready to relax and enjoy the "new life" with Riley and just explore and enjoy what she can. But the people of inside (especially the scrubs) see her as a leader. Trella is fighting with the need to not want to be a leader and the desire of wanting a fair say for both upper and lower levels in this new community. We see a little bit of a more mature romance between Trella and Riley so unlike the first novel this one should be approached by more mature teens, not only for the romance, but some of the descriptions of the fighting gets a little nasty.
In my mind Maria V Snyder is just as much of a genius as Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games Trilogy) and deserves just as much attention and love. I highly recommend her novels for any fan of Dystopian stories. I will read her books over and over again.
January 28, 2012
I wouldn't go so far as to say I was disappointed with this sequel because I did like it. I just didn't love it like I hoped I would. Being such a fan of Maria's Study Series I had high expectations for this book and this sequel didn't quite live up to those high expectations.
Outside In was full of action and adventure and plot twists. There was a lot going on in this story but I finished the book not really understanding exactly how everything had played out. It seemed like there could have been a little less going on and little more detail and back story filled in. The first book Inside Out was a clean read while Outside In had content I wish wasn't included.
I did like watching Trella grow and change especially in her relationship with her mother and Riley. She makes some stupid decisions at times but learns from her mistakes. I did like this book and don't regret reading it.
I'm going to start on Maria's Glass & Healer series soon to see if they better capture the magic I felt while reading the Study Series.
Rating: 3.5 Stars - Good Book
Content: Some language and sexual content, no sex scene but clothes were off
Source: Download from Audible.com
Outside In was full of action and adventure and plot twists. There was a lot going on in this story but I finished the book not really understanding exactly how everything had played out. It seemed like there could have been a little less going on and little more detail and back story filled in. The first book Inside Out was a clean read while Outside In had content I wish wasn't included.
I did like watching Trella grow and change especially in her relationship with her mother and Riley. She makes some stupid decisions at times but learns from her mistakes. I did like this book and don't regret reading it.
I'm going to start on Maria's Glass & Healer series soon to see if they better capture the magic I felt while reading the Study Series.
Rating: 3.5 Stars - Good Book
Content: Some language and sexual content, no sex scene but clothes were off
Source: Download from Audible.com
December 8, 2010
I loved this book. Maybe because the first book was a lot of set up, and now that we are all on the same page this book felt like the adventure really began. I read this in one night! It's so action packed, I could not stop reading. I feel like Trella really grew up in this story. I only hope there is more.
I think the character I have most grown to love is Dr. Lamont. I loved her, hated her, despised her, and then loved her again. I felt Trella's pain on that end.
This book is a little, er, sexier than the last (there is alway sex in the Poison Study books and the Opal stories and I know older teens read them). I was just kind of surprised to see it here. There is some heavy petting and then some more briefly in the end. Was it necessary? It really never is, in my book. I get that the characters love each other without going in that direction, but that is me.
Overall, a great read, and I hope there will at least be one more! But what on Earth would it be called? We had Inside Out, Outside In....how about Upside Down or Around and Around?
May 12, 2015
What a disappointment! Well, the first book was also terrible, but it was stupid, cliched, entertaining terrible. You can't go tooo far wrong with obnoxious teen girl leads rebellion against corrupt government. This one was stupid, cliched, BORING terrible. The plot is paper thin, with gaping holes ripped in it. The main characters are incredibly dull (and going on and on about a stuffed animal named Sheepy sure didn't help their romantic scenes). The themes were also terrible. The only thing that unites "Insiders" is the threat of "Outsiders". Give me a break. Comments on their accents and making them all totes down with genocide didn't help make this concept not disgusting. Besides, Outsiders that are literally no threat at all because they are outnumbered 100 to 1 (at least), and a couple inexplicably advanced weapons aren't changing that.
None of the interesting questions (where did they come from? Why did they leave? Where are they going? How did the entire society forget everything about their past because some people deleted the computer files???) were answered.
None of the interesting questions (where did they come from? Why did they leave? Where are they going? How did the entire society forget everything about their past because some people deleted the computer files???) were answered.
January 2, 2011
The book started with a great recap of the previous book. It served as a refresher, since it had been a while since I read the first book. Even with the intro though, I would not recommend jumping straight into book two. You'd be missing a lot of character and story development that is essential to appreciating everything that is to come.
Just like the first book, I am highly intrigued by the storyline, and still have no idea what to expect. Maria V Snyder has, once again, done an excellent job creating a new world where no other author has ventured before.
It does not happen very often that a book is completely surprising. Throughout the entire book, there were endless twists and turns, causing me to actually have to sit back and wait to see what happened. Snyder is not afraid to kill off characters, making it so you have no since of security with the plot. This book will literally have you on the edge of your seat.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone!
Just like the first book, I am highly intrigued by the storyline, and still have no idea what to expect. Maria V Snyder has, once again, done an excellent job creating a new world where no other author has ventured before.
It does not happen very often that a book is completely surprising. Throughout the entire book, there were endless twists and turns, causing me to actually have to sit back and wait to see what happened. Snyder is not afraid to kill off characters, making it so you have no since of security with the plot. This book will literally have you on the edge of your seat.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone!
June 21, 2012
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 the story could continue with the same characters, because the ship was scheduled to land like 100 years after Trella dies. I guess I should just learn my lesson, never doubt the creativity of an author to come up with a story and a fantastic follow-up.
Read the rest of my review 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 the story could continue with the same characters, because the ship was scheduled to land like 100 years after Trella dies. I guess I should just learn my lesson, never doubt the creativity of an author to come up with a story and a fantastic follow-up.
Read the rest of my review here
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