The Darkness Outside Us

So, originally this book was a DNF for me. But I kept seeing it everywhere, recommended for like THE queer sci-fi. Because of this, it kept poking at my mind and, finally, I decided to try it again.

Ultimately, that was a choice I made. Look, I don't even really know what I want to rate the book, much less how I felt towards it as a whole. There was a pretty interesting plot - but to reach it, I had to slog through almost two hundred pages of typical teen book romance (tm). There were tiny moments of brilliance, but on the other hand, I don't know that I actually liked these guys by the end.

For me, there was at least an equal number of things that didn't work for me as that did.

I'm not going to actually go into any part of the story because I think this book is only effective if you don't know anything about it. Kind of like how I went into it.

(Also, I think I'm being very generous with my rating, but I don't regret reading it, and I would be willing to read more from the author, so I don't think it actually deserves a lower rating.)


Original DNF Review
DNF - PG 25

Why?

I'll admit that this is mostly my own fault. Look, I was so excited for the book, even more so with some of the glowing reviews that claimed it was much more an adult sci-fi than a YA sci-fi. So I didn't check a preview to see if I liked the beginning and, primarily, make sure the writing style didn't make my eyes bleed. (Yeah, this is that sort of ‘review'.)

I was maybe managing a couple pages at a time before the writing style annoyed me so much that it completely pulled me out of the story. The biggest offender was this paragraph - that I, honestly, never recovered from:

‘My eyes zoom out of focus and then narrow in on a hand. It's my hand, but I watch it like it's someone else's as it knocks into the polycarb tray beside me. I like my hand, my blipping brain decides. It's a beautiful hand. A cup of water is there, far and then suddenly too close. I miss my mouth, water pouring down my cheek. My arm muscles knot tight as the cup drops and rolls away. I manage a word in the midst of the pain. That word is “ow.”

If you either like this paragraph or find nothing wrong with it, congratulations, you might be able to make more than the twenty-five pages I did. If you are like me, however, and prefer the writing style to be understated and unremarkable, instead of a character and personality all it's own, you might be better off passing on this book - instead of spending the better part of three weeks thinking ‘I'm totally going to get moving on this. I promise.'

Not a YA book.

so cute.

I think this will be one of my favorite books this Year. I went in dark to the plot the cover looked intriguing and it was available to borrow. I usually don't enjoy space sci-fi books but this was a very interesting introspection on what it me to be alive and the thriller elements kept the story tense and moving. For a ya book it went quite deep and dark at times but it was balanced well

Although it was a bit hard to get into the book, parts 1, 2, and 6 were great. Parts 3-5 felt too rushed and were very difficult to keep up with while listening to it. Those parts felt like so much context was missing and kind of just felt like glimpses into what was happening (it works in movies and shows, I don’t think it works here). I almost stopped reading it altogether during part 3, but I stuck through it because I hoped it would get better. And it did… until I hit part 6. I don’t think I can give it 5 stars, but maybe I can give it 4 stars if I go back and read it instead of listening to it. I don’t think I’m as excited to read the sequel, but based on how this ended, I think (hope) the sequel will be a better read.

3.5 stars

this book and storyline was much deeper and meaningful then I originally thought. very epic. i like

Utterly incredible. An endless tragedy that the characters themselves can't even comprehend, but which leaves the reader devastated. I will admit, the ending fell a little bit flat for me but I think it would've been difficult to have concluded this book in a way that matched the intensity of the rest of the novel, and still managed not to be a tragedy. So, I can't really fault it.
What an incredible book. I'm not amazing at reviewing books but I have to get across just how incredible this was. I'm so glad to have read it.

4.5

[4.4~4.5] this is another one of those marketed-as-YA books that go beyond the category's standard boundaries and mark their own frontier to deliver straight punches to the gut. i was skeptical at first with Ambrose's privileged background coming across too spoiled for my liking, but my love for Kodiak, his galactic counterpart, kept me going. when i tell you the tears that welled in part two didn't let up for a good while

2.5

Okay it mostly won me over in the end because the main trope is a favorite of mine. I have complaints about the main character and writing, but it was good overall.

edited for reread: this book is just as, if not more amazing than i remember it being. so glad i chose to read it again

original review:

i need to write this before i start getting emotional from how GOOD this book is.

by the halfway point, i realized just how INSANE this book is. so much happens that i was just in shock for most of the time - literally from 50% onwards i was either in shock or tearing up the whole time.

Wow this was absolutely not what I expected! Honestly I couldn't let go of this book and went through it in two days as I couldn't bear to wait before knowing what would happen to Ambrose and Kodiak. I truly loved this book from start to finish and it was able to surprise me a lot while bringing tears to my eyes. Thanks for this great story!

I didn't expect a book like this from the description. Not at all.

I can't say much but I really recommend reading it.

It's also in the wrong category like other reviews already state. The only YA part is that they are 17, everything else is a lot heavier than you think.

This was awesome and it gets 5 stars for the amazing story and the plot twists.

Stop comparing this book to ‘the loneliest girl in the universe' which was such a mess. I hated that book more and more with each page but this one I fell in love with deeper.

Audiobook narration was great. Everyone sounded different and had different accents so it was fun.

—minor spoilers—

No one updated their BIOS while the damn spaceship was running

This book is not what you think it is and part of me absolutely loved it and part of me never wants to read a scifi book ever again

but also this book also had an almost identical plotline to another 2021 YA release I've read this year *cough* [b:The Ones We're Meant to Find|44084665|The Ones We're Meant to Find|Joan He|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600354595l/44084665._SY75_.jpg|68554141], if you really wanted to know honestly that is kind of unfortunate for both books but at least this one was lgbtq+

That was wild

What did I just read?

I don't know how to review this book except to say that it is so much more complicated than “queer teenagers in space.” It will blow your mind and break your heart but leave you with hope. I'm not sure that it fully works as a romance, but that's almost besides the point. I don't think I'll be re-reading it (it's the opposite of a comfort read) but I won't forget it.