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A review by ashcrash
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
(libby audiobook, recommended by theo)
this book commits many cardinal sins for me but i am invested enough in getting some answers that i will be reading the second so i guess that’s some kind of success.
the bits of world building we get are fascinating and the twists are WILD. this was recommended to me explicitly for the plot and i’m very glad my expectations were set for that because the romance is where everything falls short, and for some reason it’s where the author seems to want to spend the most time. the entire book suffers for it.
there is barely any buildup to the romance and it feels incredibly rushed, not to mention a little desperate. being the literal last two humans in the galaxy leaves room for a lot of tension and it is absolutely never capitalized on. since ambrose and kodiak are smashed together like two barbie dolls with so little preamble, we don’t get any deeper insights into who they are as individuals. you would think that would mean more focus on who they are as a couple at least, but there’s not really any of that either.
i was so excited about the cold war set up. even and especially once shit starts getting real, they have SO much reason to be suspicious of each other. instead, there’s barely any conflict between them. the relationship feels incredibly unearned and shallow as a result. ambrose constantly remarks on kodiak’s “backwards” culture and upbringing with very little pushback and no actual venom, completely defanging any actual conflict around their very different lives, goals, and values. it almost seems like the reader is meant to agree with ambrose, which is wild considering what we’re told about his childhood and the fact that the guy he keeps calling homophobic is literally dating him.
since the book thinks that this “destined lovers” set up is good and profound, it rambles on about it at every possible moment. leaving a message for the next clone so he doesn’t die? talk about kodiak. realizing that your sister, the only person who ever truly loved you, has been dead for centuries? talk about kodiak. becoming the father of a new civilization at the ripe old age of 17? talk about kodiak. it’s so frustrating and turns a character that we’re expected to believe is the hope of his nation into a codependent sap. i get it, that’s being 17, but jfc. i don’t mind YA and i love romance, but this books combines the worst extremes of both.
there are good things here: the central plot is compelling and unique, OS is genuinely terrifying, and the ending was intriguing enough to hook me for the sequel. i wish it had gone through some more edits, had the romance moved to the back burner, and had an entirely different pacing structure. i really wanted to love this and am hoping that the next one is better, though i’m not holding my breath.
this book commits many cardinal sins for me but i am invested enough in getting some answers that i will be reading the second so i guess that’s some kind of success.
the bits of world building we get are fascinating and the twists are WILD. this was recommended to me explicitly for the plot and i’m very glad my expectations were set for that because the romance is where everything falls short, and for some reason it’s where the author seems to want to spend the most time. the entire book suffers for it.
i was so excited about the cold war set up. even and especially once shit starts getting real, they have SO much reason to be suspicious of each other. instead, there’s barely any conflict between them. the relationship feels incredibly unearned and shallow as a result. ambrose constantly remarks on kodiak’s “backwards” culture and upbringing with very little pushback and no actual venom, completely defanging any actual conflict around their very different lives, goals, and values. it almost seems like the reader is meant to agree with ambrose, which is wild considering what we’re told about his childhood and the fact that the guy he keeps calling homophobic is literally dating him.
since the book thinks that this “destined lovers” set up is good and profound, it rambles on about it at every possible moment. leaving a message for the next clone so he doesn’t die? talk about kodiak. realizing that your sister, the only person who ever truly loved you, has been dead for centuries? talk about kodiak. becoming the father of a new civilization at the ripe old age of 17? talk about kodiak. it’s so frustrating and turns a character that we’re expected to believe is the hope of his nation into a codependent sap. i get it, that’s being 17, but jfc. i don’t mind YA and i love romance, but this books combines the worst extremes of both.
there are good things here: the central plot is compelling and unique,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Blood, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War