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mikeelik's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
abookishpenguin's review against another edition
4.0
Ambrose and Kodiak are alone on a joint space-faring mission, run jointly between the last countries on Earth. Neither can remember the launch, only their mission: to reach Titan and rescue Ambrose's sister. The more they learn about the ship and the future, the more dangerous their situation becomes.
It's going to be hard to write a review without giving away spoilers. This book was great.
On the surface, it looked like this would be a cute teen romance set in space. It certainly was a teen romance in space, but it was so much more than that. It was a story of survival against all odds, of hope and of love.
I struggled to get into it at first. It was narrated in the first person by Ambrose, who knew very little about the situation. The reader learned as Ambrose did to start with, and that made the start feel a bit slow to me. But once the twist hit, and this turned into more of a thriller, I was hooked.
This book has really only got two characters and an AI, and it needed these characters to be well developed and interesting. They were - they both grew as the story progressed, and had a lot of depth.
This was a great, cross genre adventure, blending sci-fi, romance and thriller into one really good read.
It's going to be hard to write a review without giving away spoilers. This book was great.
On the surface, it looked like this would be a cute teen romance set in space. It certainly was a teen romance in space, but it was so much more than that. It was a story of survival against all odds, of hope and of love.
I struggled to get into it at first. It was narrated in the first person by Ambrose, who knew very little about the situation. The reader learned as Ambrose did to start with, and that made the start feel a bit slow to me. But once the twist hit, and this turned into more of a thriller, I was hooked.
This book has really only got two characters and an AI, and it needed these characters to be well developed and interesting. They were - they both grew as the story progressed, and had a lot of depth.
This was a great, cross genre adventure, blending sci-fi, romance and thriller into one really good read.
koramay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mecireads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Wow! This story was absolutely incredible. Going in, I expected a sci-fi enemies-to-lovers romance set in space, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Rather than enemies-to-lovers, the dynamic leans more toward strangers-to-lovers, with the romance serving as a compelling subplot rather than the main focus. What truly took me by surprise was the dark and unexpected direction the story took.
Eliot’s writing is phenomenal—his storytelling kept me on the edge of my seat, and the plot twists were masterfully executed. I never could have predicted the turns this book would take. It’s a haunting yet beautiful story, one that left me deeply moved. I can't wait to read the second book and see how this duology concludes.
dkreading's review against another edition
5.0
*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review*
The Darkness Outside Us is my favorite young adult book of 2021, so far, and now one of my all time faves! It made me sob at 3 in the morning, gave me tender feels, and left me absolutely blown away. The book hangover today is intense.
This is a mind-bending sci-fi story about two teen boys foisted together on a high-stakes rescue mission and it delivers heart-pounding action, heartbreaking feels, and an underlying mystery that will blow your mind. I'm not a STEM person but I love sci-fi and was able to follow along with the story despite not really understanding the science. The relationship between Ambrose and Kodiak, the two spacefarers from enemy countries, is at the heart of the story. I loved that they don't have an instant connection and that they have to work to overcome their differences (both personality-wise and ideologically). Ambrose was genetically engineered to be the best of the best (literally: his male genetic donor is Alexander the Great) and has lived a life of wealth and privilege; Kodiak grew up an orphan and was subjected to brutal training with very little nurturing. They struggle to communicate, work together, and trust, but when they do they form an intense and unshakeable bond. As for the plot, it's one of the best I've read and I can't say more because of spoilers but trust me, it's incredible!
The Darkness Outside Us, while steeped in sci-fi conventions, is ultimately a story about human nature and relationships, and it's rich and powerful. I can't wait to read it again!
The Darkness Outside Us is my favorite young adult book of 2021, so far, and now one of my all time faves! It made me sob at 3 in the morning, gave me tender feels, and left me absolutely blown away. The book hangover today is intense.
This is a mind-bending sci-fi story about two teen boys foisted together on a high-stakes rescue mission and it delivers heart-pounding action, heartbreaking feels, and an underlying mystery that will blow your mind. I'm not a STEM person but I love sci-fi and was able to follow along with the story despite not really understanding the science. The relationship between Ambrose and Kodiak, the two spacefarers from enemy countries, is at the heart of the story. I loved that they don't have an instant connection and that they have to work to overcome their differences (both personality-wise and ideologically). Ambrose was genetically engineered to be the best of the best (literally: his male genetic donor is Alexander the Great) and has lived a life of wealth and privilege; Kodiak grew up an orphan and was subjected to brutal training with very little nurturing. They struggle to communicate, work together, and trust, but when they do they form an intense and unshakeable bond. As for the plot, it's one of the best I've read and I can't say more because of spoilers but trust me, it's incredible!
The Darkness Outside Us, while steeped in sci-fi conventions, is ultimately a story about human nature and relationships, and it's rich and powerful. I can't wait to read it again!
heymante's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
bookbecca18's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
apurplelife's review against another edition
5.0
WARNING: I loved this book, but it was one of the darkest and most horrifying things I’ve ever read. Don’t let that cute cover fool you and prepare yourself accordingly.