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nomoneyallcowboy'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? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Confinement, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Cancer, and Vomit
Minor: War and Suicide
northseawitch's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Death
rickyogix's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I went into this book expecting a y/a-ey space romance - that is not what I received. I 100% recommend going in blind, it felt like I was going through all the same confusion and emotions as Ambrose and Kodiak.
The main reason I went with four stars is the pacing, after the first chunk of the book it just seemed off. The final part and ending also were also off to me -I sort of expected something more interesting to happen since Kodiak and Ambrose decided to kill the remaining clones (how could the ship survive for the rest of mission without the expected clones for maintenance?? I get that they crashed and had the oxygen issues but I feel like this was just dropped for some reason). I was definitely rooting for a happy ending but this one just seemed bland to me. I wish we would’ve at least gotten a bit more domestic stuff between the two (Ambrose learning Dimokratia or something), this might also just be because I don’t like babies enough to be invested in their Endeavor baby.
The main reason I went with four stars is the pacing, after the first chunk of the book it just seemed off. The final part and ending also were also off to me -
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Suicide, Sexual content, and Cancer
racheloddment's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Blood, Medical content, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Minor: Suicide, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
leleleo912's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Cancer, Abandonment, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content, Suicide, Gaslighting, Murder, Medical content, and War
mswarning's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Violence, and Mental illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Homophobia, Suicide, Sexual content, Sexism, Cancer, Vomit, Grief, and Misogyny
Minor: War, Confinement, and Death of parent
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
4.0
THE DARKNESS OUTSIDE US features two older teens on a space mission to rescue Ambrose's sister. When little things stop adding up, the more Ambrose and Kodiak try to find out what's happening, the more the A.I. gets in their way.
The plot takes a while to get going, the beginning is a lot of worldbuilding which is usually smoothly conveyed, but occasionally veers into thinly veiled infodumps. Once things get going (somewhere between a third and halfway in) they pick up quickly and the story becomes very engaging. It has much of what I love most about time loop stories without technically being one. I was initially hesitant about the relationship between Ambrose and Kodiak, their chemistry grew slowly and I'm a bit too demi to buy into a romance driven by being the only two people they can interact with, but once I accepted that they clearly like each other I was able to settle in and enjoy the story.
They're from two different countries (apparently the only two countries on Earth at the time of their ship's launch), which are implied to be Russia and an Anglophone country (I'm pretty sure this is supported by the actual text, the audiobook narrator used a Russian accent for Kodiak and a British one for Ambrose which may have affected how I interpreted the story. They make reference to a cold war, so I'm pretty sure that's what was happening. This felt a bit off to me from a worldbuilding angle because there are other large countries who could just as easily have been used as the starting point for the two remaining world powers, but I think the choice ends up working. With that small caveat, I love the second half of the book, I had an excellent time and didn't want it to end.
I would highly recommend this, except for my uneasiness about the country choices and the fact that in the first quarter I almost didn't finish it because of the slow pacing and how I wasn't getting into the romance at first. If you want a groundhog day story about gay love in space, with a possibly hostile A.I., try this.
The plot takes a while to get going, the beginning is a lot of worldbuilding which is usually smoothly conveyed, but occasionally veers into thinly veiled infodumps. Once things get going (somewhere between a third and halfway in) they pick up quickly and the story becomes very engaging. It has much of what I love most about time loop stories without technically being one. I was initially hesitant about the relationship between Ambrose and Kodiak, their chemistry grew slowly and I'm a bit too demi to buy into a romance driven by being the only two people they can interact with, but once I accepted that they clearly like each other I was able to settle in and enjoy the story.
They're from two different countries (apparently the only two countries on Earth at the time of their ship's launch), which are implied to be Russia and an Anglophone country (I'm pretty sure this is supported by the actual text, the audiobook narrator used a Russian accent for Kodiak and a British one for Ambrose which may have affected how I interpreted the story. They make reference to a cold war, so I'm pretty sure that's what was happening. This felt a bit off to me from a worldbuilding angle because there are other large countries who could just as easily have been used as the starting point for the two remaining world powers, but I think the choice ends up working. With that small caveat, I love the second half of the book, I had an excellent time and didn't want it to end.
I would highly recommend this, except for my uneasiness about the country choices and the fact that in the first quarter I almost didn't finish it because of the slow pacing and how I wasn't getting into the romance at first. If you want a groundhog day story about gay love in space, with a possibly hostile A.I., try this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Cursing, Excrement, Medical content, Sexual content, Cancer, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Violence
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
ricardo_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, and Cancer
Minor: Xenophobia, War, and Injury/Injury detail
inkdrinkers's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
How do you describe a book that you know will inevitably become a classic?
This is a true science fiction masterpiece. The ending gives the same rush of emotion as classics like "The Lottery" or "The Most Dangerous Game." The plot and execution was lofty, but it absolutely nailed it. Everyone should read this, digest it, and then go for a walk outside and take in the sheer magnitude of what this story accomplished.
I loved this. I loved the characters. The formatting was a little difficult to get used to, but it pays off tenfold in the end and is the only way this story could be told. Please go into this blind, don't look up a single thing if you can.
This is a truly magnificent book.
This is a true science fiction masterpiece. The ending gives the same rush of emotion as classics like "The Lottery" or "The Most Dangerous Game." The plot and execution was lofty, but it absolutely nailed it. Everyone should read this, digest it, and then go for a walk outside and take in the sheer magnitude of what this story accomplished.
I loved this. I loved the characters. The formatting was a little difficult to get used to, but it pays off tenfold in the end and is the only way this story could be told. Please go into this blind, don't look up a single thing if you can.
This is a truly magnificent book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Vomit, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Death, Medical content, Death of parent, Grief, Blood, and Chronic illness
Gore content is less than a horror movie, on par with a thriller. Contains mentions of bodies and death. Vomit is described. Sexual content is steamy and fade to black but discussion is had about it. Violence might be scary and was akin to assault. Moderate triggers: Abandonment is a huge plot point. Blood and chronic illness are mentioned throughout as byproducts of being in space and exposed to radiation. Death is both seen on page and mentioned off. Death of a parent is off page but discussed. Gaslighting is done by a side character and is a catalyst for the plot. Grief is openly discussed and worked through. Medical content is included throughout as the characters become ill and need aid.miaaaahh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I literally have no words other than it was an emotional rollercoaster. Just read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Cancer, Abandonment, Gaslighting, and Medical content
Minor: Suicide