A review by downtown_kb
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

“It's a programming affectation I've always disliked, when a computer program says it's "glad." Here, isolated in space, it's especially unnerving. This operating system, which has no limbic system and therefore no emotions, and which has my life in its hands, can lie.”

 
Earth is in its death throes, space travel is a reality, and Ambrose is on a mission to one of Jupiter’s moons to try and rescue his sister after her distress beacon goes off. He assumes his mission is solo but he soon finds out there is another spacefarer on his ship.

This is a hard review to write because it’s one of those books that makes you question things and have deep thoughts and if I could verbalize such thoughts they probably wouldn’t affect me so much.
This is an epic space adventure with nail biting suspense that will keep you guessing and on your toes. Then once you figure out what’s going on things don’t let up: those deep thoughts start to come. 
I loved Ambrose as a narrator. He’s kind, sarcastic, and a bit reckless. I liked his cavalier attitude and yet he is very self-aware. There is definitely a strong romance subplot that is very sweet at times. This helps to balance some of the existential dread! I found the plot clever and fascinating and great for sci-fi space lovers. This is YA strictly because the characters are 17 years old and the it doesn't get too in-depth. 

I highly recommend this book and it is one of my favorite reads this year! I will be thinking about it for a while to come.

 
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