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justinkhchen's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
Offering just the bare minimum to entertain, with its setup of a group of friends being isolated at a remote location overnight, one would hope the author is mapping out rich backstories and unexpected reveals to this familiar, but always enticing premise. But Outside is so brief (the 350+ pages count is grossly misleading, since the auidiobook is only a little over 5 hours), it barely has time to develop any tension or complexity before signing off with an abrupt end.
'Basic' is the first word coming to mind; Outside doesn't do anything offensive, but every aspect is shallow and generic, Cliffs Notes style without any nuance or literary flourish (What made this character an alcoholic? Not provided. What caused the rift in their friendship? Not addressed). Part of me suspect this started out as an outline to a potential film script, which might explains its action-oriented nature, and focuses so much on of-the-moment scenes without any supplementary context from a past timeline.
An action-focused thriller can work (No Exit by Taylor Adams comes to mind), but the main obstacle in Outside is straight up goofy; the scenario is definitely a strange one to encounter, but no matter how I interpret it, I couldn't visualize it in a way that would justify the intense stress it has caused on the characters. Once the ending arrives, not only is the reveal massively disappointing (the intent is not proportionate to the elaborate scheme), it really feels like the author just put his pen down without writing a proper closure to the story.
Not the worst, but definitely the most disposable 'time filler' book I've read this year—a perfect 'airport read' that you can finish on a trip (and then leave the book on the plane), or like what I did, it kept my mind occupied for a few days while doing my house chores.
Offering just the bare minimum to entertain, with its setup of a group of friends being isolated at a remote location overnight, one would hope the author is mapping out rich backstories and unexpected reveals to this familiar, but always enticing premise. But Outside is so brief (the 350+ pages count is grossly misleading, since the auidiobook is only a little over 5 hours), it barely has time to develop any tension or complexity before signing off with an abrupt end.
'Basic' is the first word coming to mind; Outside doesn't do anything offensive, but every aspect is shallow and generic, Cliffs Notes style without any nuance or literary flourish (What made this character an alcoholic? Not provided. What caused the rift in their friendship? Not addressed). Part of me suspect this started out as an outline to a potential film script, which might explains its action-oriented nature, and focuses so much on of-the-moment scenes without any supplementary context from a past timeline.
An action-focused thriller can work (No Exit by Taylor Adams comes to mind), but the main obstacle in Outside is straight up goofy; the scenario is definitely a strange one to encounter, but no matter how I interpret it, I couldn't visualize it in a way that would justify the intense stress it has caused on the characters. Once the ending arrives, not only is the reveal massively disappointing (the intent is not proportionate to the elaborate scheme), it really feels like the author just put his pen down without writing a proper closure to the story.
Not the worst, but definitely the most disposable 'time filler' book I've read this year—a perfect 'airport read' that you can finish on a trip (and then leave the book on the plane), or like what I did, it kept my mind occupied for a few days while doing my house chores.
calamitykatie's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
rai's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
alineh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
2.0
I love Ragnar Jónasson, but this brief book left me wanting more.
adrianaremondes's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
mjporterauthor's review against another edition
4.0
Outside is a quick read, and one that draws the reader into the lives of the characters during one particularly life-changing weekend,
For all it's called Outside, it's quite a claustrophobic read as the characters past mistakes slowly come to light. There are a few 'big reveal' moments and I enjoyed the way the author drew the reader in, making them root for one character and then another, (and vice versa) and then revealing something that made them unpleasant/likeable..
My biggest problem with the book was the very abrupt ending, which I felt left too many questions. But until then, I'd really enjoyed the story.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.
For all it's called Outside, it's quite a claustrophobic read as the characters past mistakes slowly come to light. There are a few 'big reveal' moments and I enjoyed the way the author drew the reader in, making them root for one character and then another, (and vice versa) and then revealing something that made them unpleasant/likeable..
My biggest problem with the book was the very abrupt ending, which I felt left too many questions. But until then, I'd really enjoyed the story.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.
namirsolo's review against another edition
One of the "friends" is a known rapist and they take him on this trip? These are the stupidest people who ever lived.
aimeebrand's review against another edition
3.0
I read this for the Missoula 2023 book challenge. Topic: Weather. Did not love it. The premise was intriguing but fell flat at the end. Not a fan of the writing style-each chapter switches to a different character. I’d be willing to try another by this author but this one was just meh.
otter_oddity's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25