# Outside# Netgalley
This is a rare read, and so different to any other book I have read. It’s a book from Elle’s point of view, her friends are very very different from the fairytale books she’s read of the outside. I didn’t find it strange at all the way Ellie spoke not having been taught properly. However she’s determined to escape to see if the outside really exists and to see if it’s like her fairytale. When will came along and although he really could not fully understand Elle’s wonderments and feats he does try to help her. It’s a dark read but one worthy of reading. I would recommend it, you just have to understand Elle’s speech is different, don’t let this put you off such a interesting and in places heartbreaking book, definitely worth reading

#ProofOfTheOutside is all that Ele wants. She has lived Inside forever, with automatic lights, dry feed, a tap and the Others, creatures who don’t believe the Outside exists, who don’t look like Ele. Oh and Him, the jailer, the one who hurts Ele and has killed her friend Zeb. Ele is determined to escape to the Outside, a world which she imagines to be like in the one she has read in her book of fairytales.

You are taken along on the journey through the viewpoint of Ele, who doesn’t have a good vocabulary which can be a little distracting, but I quickly got used to it. I didn’t expect the reveals at the end, and most things are wrapped up well. This isn’t the story that I thought I was reading! I would recommend it.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for my free advance copy in return for an unbiased review.

Outside is such. a. CAPTIVATING. read. I honestly couldn't put it down once I met Ele and all of the quirks she's developed as someone on the Inside.

Ele lives on the Inside with the Others, her only friends and companions. They pass each day together, but Ele always has a longing to be on the Outside. She reads about the Outside in her fairytales and hopes that one day she, too, will live on the Outside and get to see everything that is so wonderful about the Outside.

As heartbreaking as her story was at times, Ele is brave, and Sarah Ann Juckes did a wonderful job of reminding readers of that throughout the book. I absolutely adored Ele and Willow and Ezra-Dad and thoroughly enjoyed riding along with Ele as she discovered her world. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say this: Read. This. Book.

This is quite a complex book in many ways. There is Inside and the Outside, if it exists. Ele is not sure if the Outside exists and her friends Inside are very different from her. It is only when she escapes from the hard life which is all she has ever known that her experiences of all that is so new on the Outside are described so cleverly in these new conditions. She is helped by a young boy, Willow, who befriends her and wants to help her although he does not really understand her lack of experience. and where she comes from.
This book has been compared to Room by Emma Donoghue but I think the approach by this author is very different. All is not as it seems and there are more issues to be considered than first observed.
The descriptions are very clever and this YA novel would make an excellent book for class discussion.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Sarah Ann Juckes and Penguin Random House UK Children's for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a difficult book to read- at least to start with. It took a long while to get into the style of writing & the strange story. However before long I realised that this was a book where I really wanted to find out what it was all about.

I have never read 'Room' but from reviews I gather the premise is similar so I did not have any preconceived expectations. Normally I give a short precis of the plot but with this one I suggest you read it for yourself. I'm glad I did as it will be a while before I forget this one.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read this unusual book.

I intended to pick this book up and read a couple of pages. 2.5 hours later I have finished it.
What started out as morbid fascination turned out to be a beautiful wholesome (kind of) tale;
Of Ele, in the worst imaginable situation, growing and escaping through shear determination.
This was a brilliant brilliant read.

My dear goodness. 5:23 am and I’m booing like a banshee after racing through this read..
I don’t quite have all the words for this story - original, harrowing, heartbreaking, amazing, very dark, but with a second half that leaves you hopeful.
It’s being compared to The Room, but I found this very different and better in many ways, as we get to see more of the ‘after’.
I don’t want to put any spoilers, but as it’s batched as YA, I’d just say it’s not for the faint hearted!

I am so glad I didn't read much about this book before I read it because knowing more would have ruined it for me so I shall keep this review spoiler free.

***

Ele lives Inside a Tower with the Others but she dreams of one day being an Outside person.

***

At first, I found Ele hard to connect with. Her voice seemed so disorientating and it took me a while to get used to the writing style but I am so glad I persisted because I grew to love and adore Ele.

Ele is the kind of person who is impossible to dislike! Her spirit is uplifting and inspiring. Despite all of the hardships she has faced, she remains so bright and positive. Her childish spirit and love of reading resonated with me. The way she describes seemingly mundane sensations made me reevaluate how I view the world. Ele brought magic into even the simplest of activities and I am tempted to reread this book just to experience the world through Ele all over again.

In the beginning, I was unsure as I found the writing difficult to get into but I'm so glad I continued to read because once I got to know Ele I flew through the book. The plot is unique and thrilling, especially the ending.
If you'd like to read a book with a determined, creative and entertaining character then Outside is the book for you.

I'd like to thank Netgalley for giving me an eArc of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Captive's point of view, emotional and harrowing Room-esque narrator and story.

I immediately felt 'Room' was a fair comparison with Outside. Ele lives in a room with the Others, and until recently with Zeb. They are kept there by 'Him', who sends food and water in and regularly visits the teenage Ele.

Ele knows there is more to the world than Inside though. She's grown up reading a book of fairy tales that shows her a world of princesses, witches, ogres and princes on horseback ready to rescue. This is how she sees her world:
"But the Princess had no way down, for the door to the Tower was locked and graded by a fierce Witch."

We have to piece together an understanding of who these people are, how they got there. When the chance to escape rears its head, Ele will find that Outside is nothing like she expected.

I found the Inside chapters quite confusing, as I think we are meant to - Ele's perspective is disorderly and disorientating. It becomes hardly less as Ele enters Outside and sees it through her own fairy tale lens. Seeing Ele gradually begin to merge her understanding with real life also reminded me of Room, though Ele is much older than that young narrator.

Willow, the boy Ele meets who allows her to slowly become accustomed to Outside, seems too good to be true - a gentle soul, kind and patient, a musician with a father willing to allow a stranger into his home. This seemed very coincidental to me, but as I wanted to know the truth about Ele, I didn't really question it.

The story gives scope for closure and for everything to be made clear. There are revelations, a few twists and it's quite a harrowing journey with Ele.

With thanks to Netgalley for the sample reading copy.

The blurb intrigued me, and the book continues the intrigue.  The reader is continually trying to work out what is going on, who the other people are, where Ele is.  Eventually her location came as a surprise to me.  Then the type of establishment sent changing ideas through my brain.  The answer was very different from the thoughts I'd had.

The book is a conundrum, wrapped in a riddle.  The outcome is an enigma in many ways.  The power of the author's voice keeps you turning the pages, full of hope for Ele, but full of dread that things could get worse. Even worse. 

The writing is so strong, you are wrapped in Ele's thoughts and world, and following her growing understanding of the Rules of Outside, just as you struggled to interpret her life through her Rules of Inside. The people she meets are so well characterised it is really hard to tell whether they are true hearted or not.  Ele herself vacillates. The author has achieved a masterpiece to make us see the world through such eyes, and give voice to others who might find themselves in a similar situation.

Similar situation?  Yes.  The author's voluntary work with the NSPCC gives the only clue.  For the rest, you'll have to read the book yourself.

Ele and the Others live in the Inside, a locked room where they are being held captive by Him. She is determined to find proof that an Outside exists in the hope that one day she will escape her constraints and discover the world.

Outside is a beautiful, poetic story which is complemented by the compelling and unique voice of Ele, a young girl who does not remember a life outside her locked room. The room is her world and so everything most people take for granted in everyday life such as trees, seas, fire and castles Ele considers part of the fairy tale make-believe narrative of the "outside".

It goes without saying that it is incredibly reminiscent of the bestseller Room by Emma Donaghue. I must admit that at first I was a bit wary that Outside would feel derivative, as both novels have a very similar premise told from the perspective of a child who has no memories or experience of the world outside of captivity. However, Outside has really distinguished itself as a compelling character study of an abused child. Despite an arguably sensationalist plot, Juckes has instead delivered a quiet explorative novel with a strong writing voice. I was quickly swept away by the incredible writing; Ele's perspective is extremely compelling as her worldview is seen through the prism of the book of fairy tales she keeps with her in the room. Adults become giants, bin lids become shields... it is very endearing and keeps the mood light despite the darp content. Still, the novel remains realistic and does not shy away from depicting the very real struggles of Ele, whilst retaining the innocence of the character who remains relatively unaware of the peril she has found herself in.

With all that being said, Outside is, at points, a bit too whimsical for my tastes. A lot of time is spent in Ele's fantasies and dreams; while undoubtedly a child who is stuck in a room for years will retreat into their own mind and imagination, it does sometimes feel a bit saccharine. At one point, I was rather irritated as all the characters appear to suffer from narcolepsy with Ele continually falling asleep or passing out, especially in high pressure moments such as during her escape attempt, when she meets her first Outsider, in the aftermath of a particularly violent encounter... (the list goes on!). This felt a bit much (and very convenient) when Ele opens up to her new friend about how she has been locked in a barn for years and how she has been treated in those years .... and he falls asleep. I do not know about you but it did strike me as a bit odd that a young boy would be able to drop off into sleep when a bedraggled girl turns up and tells him about her years in captivity where she witnesses a brutal murder and endures sexual abuse.

Nevertheless, Outside has gone down as one of my top reads of 2018 and I am so appreciative to have been offered the opportunity to read an advance copy. I thoroughly recommend for all to pick up if only for the unique perspective written so beautifully. I only wish I had written this!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with a copy for review.

Outside is a very well written book about Ele and her life inside with Zeb, Bee, Queenie and Cow.
The main character Ele tells the story of Outside, what is real and what is make believe? The book and the character develops as she experiences more and more things. This book starts with Ele’s limited vocabulary but as she experiences more and more outside her vocabulary and character develop.

I would recommend this book and would like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book early.

This is a story where the less you know before you read it the better so while I’d usually provide content warnings before my review they’ll be at the end of this one, so it’s up to you if you want to read them or not.

Ele lives Inside a Tower with the Others and collects Proofs of the Outside. She dreams of being an Outside Person instead of an Other but knows there are Dragons, Giants and Ogres Outside. Inside is anything but a fairytale because of Him but Inside is all she knows.

Ele is one of those girls whose story and spirit will super glue themselves inside your mind. Her resilience and spunk under unimaginable circumstances inspire me to want to be as brave and capable of facing my fears as she did hers. Her love of reading endeared her to me and, like ‘Matilda’ before her, she reinforced my belief that with books and your imagination you can endure and ultimately overcome any adversity.

Her voice, which I originally found disconcerting and disorienting, became easier to read the more I got to know her. Having only known Inside she doesn’t speak like any other character I’ve read. I loved her descriptions of objects that you and I take for granted and sometimes it took me a while to figure out what it was that she was experiencing.

Maybe it’s because I’ve read so much fiction and nonfiction with similar themes or because I try to focus on all of the details in books I plan on reviewing but I picked up on clues of some potential surprises early on. I was disappointed that there were no big revelations for me but from what I can tell based on early reviews I’m an anomaly. I did keep waiting for [SPOILER - the police (or anyone in authority, really) to show up and I found it somewhat suspicious that it took so long but also acknowledge that for the story to unfold the way it did they couldn’t get involved too early - SPOILER].

Free Bonus Short Story! If you sign up to join Sarah’s Reader’s Club at her https://www.sarahannjuckes.com/readers-club you’ll be emailed ‘Inside’. It’s available in MOBI, ePub and PDF formats. It accompanies ‘Outside’ and is really, really good, but I cannot stress this enough - please read ‘Outside’ first or you’ll be in Spoiler World before you know it. I’m not sure if there’s an expiry date on this offer but the link worked at the time I posted this review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Children’s UK for the opportunity to read this book.

Content warnings include [SPOILER - physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual assault, neglect, isolation, grief, suicide, dissociation (which was described brilliantly), physical and mental illness, and living in captivity - SPOILER].

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Outside is a very dark, harrowing tale of a girl, Ele, searching for proof of a life outside of the four walls she's kept in. With only three other people for company, she must obtain proof of outside and survive the visits of the man she only calls Him. Grieving for the loss of her friend Zeb, who was killed for trying to escape, Ele must be careful as she plots to go from Inside to Outside.
I really did enjoy this book. I was gripped, and intrigued, and constantly guessing about Ele, and Him, and what answers would come out at the end, It was very similar to Room by Emma Donoghue, in the sense that Ele only knows one of everything. There's Door, Wall - only ever one of everything, and of course she doesn't know the real names for things. Lights are sun bars, clothes are extra skins, and a lot of what she does know about the outside world is from the three solitary books she owns.
However, the thing I loved most about Room is the emotion in it. It is heartbreaking at every turn, as you would suspect from a story about this topic, and even when it was happy, it was heartbreakingly happy. Outside, on the other hand, has very little emotion to is. I found it very hard to connect with Ele, and this was made even harder by the language it was written in - this made it authentic, of course someone locked away from the real world isn't going to speak the Queen's English, and I appreciated the book being written in this voice, but I still found it hard to feel anything emotional towards the story. Some of the big emotional parts are swept over quite quickly, not giving you time to comprehend, some are just handled the wrong way, and I feel this really let the book down.
I also found it very hard to follow, quite a lot throughout the book actually. Of course Ele was confused and disoriented at times, and when she encounters new things she describes them with the limited knowledge of the world that she has. But I was lost so many times because I couldn't follow these descriptions, and I think if you're going to write things this way, you need to be very clear, even in a voice like Ele's, you need to make sure the reader is following your train of thought, without you actually saying the words to describe it properly. Again, this withdrew me from the plot and from Ele's character quite a bit, because I was so confused and lost in the story.
Despite these two points, I still thing it's a reasonably good book, and I would be interested to see what else Sarah Ann Jukes writes in the future.

Ele has been kept in the tower by Him for as long as she can remember, she knows there is an outside, but she for not know what the outside look like. Eventually Ele escapes and goes Outside but where are the gingerbread houses and the Dragons and giants.

A well written book that I thoroughly enjoyed,

Thank you to Penguin Random House UK Children’s, Netgalley and Sarah Ann Jukes for the chance to read and review this novel.

This book was a dark, twisted, heartbreaking story of abuse, yet also one of strength, resilience and triumph. The story is told by Ele, a young girl who remembers no other life than the single room she shares with her friends, the Others, who aren’t quite like her and talk in their own language. They’re all held captive by a frightening man known only as Him who sends their food down a pipe and visits once a week. She did have a brother, Zeb, but he is gone now, taken away by Him, and Ele knows she must escape before she meets the same fate. But before she can she must prove to the Others that Outside does exist and isn’t just pictures in her books so that they will go with her.

I found it a little confusing to understand what was going on at first but soon things became clearer, although like Ele we don’t get to see the full picture until the end. The language in this story is very simplistic, like a young child would speak even, which feels authentic when the narrator is someone who has always lived in isolation and never attended school. She also has a juvenille and often innocent way of seeing the world that is telling of her captivity, like how she thinks Outside will be full of things such as dragons and other creatures from the fairytales that helped her survive.

I enjoyed this book as soon as I started reading but part 2 was when I found Ele’s story even more compelling. I felt protective of her as she was so vulnerable, alone and confused. When Willow and Ezra were introduced I was glad the author chose to write these two particular characters for the unique qualities they each offered Ele. This part was also where the book became more uplifting and was a very transformative time for Ele as she learned even more truths and opened up about what she’d gone through. Though the subject matter was at times difficult, it was written in such a way that it never felt too heavy and I would say this was more a tale of courage, hope and kindness. It was a quick read for me both because of the way it was written and because I couldn’t put it down. A perfect read for anyone who enjoys Young Adult Fiction or who enjoyed the book Room.

This is a heartbreaking tale that, after getting used to the style of writing, turned out to be a brilliant page-turner.

This novel kept me guessing from start to finish, I was permanently on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t stop reading. Juckes has created a true work of art, a hard hitting thriller that I will never forget. This novel was truly unique, it is a testament to the power of imagination, and it’s ability to help you survive even the hardest situations.

Immediately I felt protective of Ele, although not entirely understanding her situation I could feel the impact it had on her, and imagine the horror of being trapped inside. Despite everything she was strong, her determination to escape was powerful in itself, and that after everything she didn’t lose hope.

Overall this was one of the best books I have read this year, it was a truly tragic tale that Juckes captured perfectly. There is so much more I could say but I don’t want to give anything away, I will be keeping an eye out for other titles by this author. If you are a fan of YA thriller novels definitely give this one a look.

Obvious similarities to Room, but written in a completely different style, and from a fascinatingly fairy-tale perspective, an interesting take on this subject.

A compelling page turning read. Ele is so well-drawn I felt immediately desperate for her in her terrible situation. I read it very quickly and can't fault it, despite it's gloomy subject matter.