Reviews - Steph's Outcast | The StoryGraph

291 reviews for:

Steph's Outcast

Ruby Dixon

3.96 AVERAGE

caughtbetweenpages's review against another edition

3.0

lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

For all that she was a little meddle-y, I really liked Steph as a protagonist. Her determination to care for Juth and Pak and understand where they're coming from was quite sweet, and I loved her fierce protectiveness over them when the Island Clan boys got discriminatory. I'm always a fan when Ruby Dixon makes it clear that the relationships between her aliens and humans is an equivalent exchange, that they're partners who take care of each others' needs rather than the care being one-sided.

TW for discussion of body image under the spoiler cut: I could've done with less

"oh, my body is inadequate" talk on Steph's part; I don't know where the ideas came from that 1) mid- to plus-sized women must all necessarily want to be thin (especially outside of the context of our fatphobic society) and 2) all men must also necessarily want a partner to be thin (again, esp. without our societal context), but they're a bummer to read about. Focus on your actual flaws, girl! Consider why you're always looking to solve other people's emotional problems or why you never think of yourself first instead of contemplating how living on a primitive beach has(n't) impacted your waistline.

I don't know, maybe it's meant to be body positive? It's hard to imagine, though, given the casually disparaging comments. I suppose I'm not the audience for which Steph's acceptance of her body was written. I can't imagine it's more empowering than having a bigger female lead who's happy with her body from the start, or *gasp* one who doesn't consider her body in her day to day at all (the way a lot, if not all, of the thin women in the Ice Planet books don't).

I digress. Juth and Steph's relationship was lovely. I liked the return to form of the language barrier and having to learn to communicate and care for one another despite it. And I especially loved the adoption and wholehearted love of Pak being built in from the start. Juth had a lot of unlearning to do about self-isolation, and Steph was exactly the right person to help on that front. And the arrival of

the creatures from the sea destroying the settlement

was a plot twist I hadn't expected. I'm interested to see how it and its repercussions will play out in the rest of this series, and in the upcoming Ice Planet Clones spin-off.

ivana_brito's review against another edition

3.0

Plot or Character Driven: Character

angelicasreads's review against another edition

4.0

The way that Ruby Dixon has me in a chokehold. This all started as a joke and now I can't stop

nicolewhopickedthisbook's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

This series will continue to be a favorite. Such a great palette cleanser when books I’m reading just don’t hit, I know I can go to this series and just get a great romance.

kay_slayerofbooks's review against another edition

5.0

I've been waiting for this story . . .

I'm glad I finally got it. The connection to O'jek makes sense and I'm glad it came with a full explanation. Pak is absolutely the CUTEST!!! And I'm glad Juth and Steph finally resonated. They're perfect for each other.

4.5 stars