A pretty good YA novel and a refreshing change from the glut of Hunger Games and Divergent type stories. Quite intriguing as we’re not sure just how Ele came to be on the ‘inside’ and why she’s never been outside. I agree with others who say that you have to get used to Ele’s speech and I found some of the other characters a little two dimensional and their descriptions confusing, Willow is apparently brown but goes red a heck of a lot! I also wondered why there weren’t any trees. All in all a good read that I’m sure both teenagers and the young at heart will enjoy. My thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank You Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is told mainly from the point of view of a girl called Ele who has been held captive for a long time possibly forever. She is unsure if there is an outside and constantly looks for proof with any tiny glimpses she gets. She lives in a tiny room with the "Others" and her brother. After her brothers failed attempt to escape (she even assumed he had died in the struggle) Ele decides she has to escape and she manages it. After the escape she traps her captor and runs. When she finds a place to hide she is discovered by a boy called Willow who with his dad's help look after Ele.

The book was very easy to read and you just had to reach the end to see what happens so I finished very quickly. The only downside is I felt the end was a little rushed and some questions were left unanswered but all in all I really enjoyed the book.

Ele has always lived Inside in the Tower. She and Zeb used to look for evidence of the Outside, but since Zeb went down the drain the Others don’t like her to speak about it. Until one day, when they tell her that she needs to forget about them and run, run, run. And so the next time He visits, Ele runs. And she finds the Outside. And it’s brighter and louder and scarier and so much more amazing than she and Zeb ever thought it would be. But she can’t forget about the Others or how she abandoned them, and so - with the help of her new family - she must go back Inside one final time...

Ele’s naive point of view and limited vocabulary - the result of her narrow understanding of the world before she escapes to Outside - mean that we can thankfully only imagine the true horror of her captivity. Her new family - Willow and Ezra - are patient, kind and thoughtful and are the perfect antidote to Ele’s life Inside. This is a powerful story about the will to survive and about the kindness of strangers.

This book was amazing! I stayed up late at night as I couldn't put it down, Ele is a girl kept in a small room by "Him". We don't know who he is or how she got to be there but clues are given throughout the book. I totally was gripped from page one and loved the book. It is a heart-wrenching read but also full of hope and sad and funny in parts, I cannot wait to read more from this author!

This was a slow start but it developed well. With a very different and interesting dialogue. The story is mainly about Eli and I found it fascinating the way that her comprehension of the normal English language really made me think. It is a lovely story of love, friendship and above all survival.

This is being pitched as the YA answer to ROOM by Emma Donoghue, and after reading this novel, I feel like this is a pretty apt comparison – though there’s still plenty to surprise you about OUTSIDE if you’ve read ROOM already.

Ele, our protagonist and narrator, is held inside a single room – and her captor is known only as “Him”. She shares this space with the Others, who are not quite like her. Her brother, Zeb, used to be held here too – until he made a mistake that meant that Ele never saw him again. She passes her time by reading storybooks and tapping out a secret code to Jack, a boy who may or may not be on the other side of the wall. She is sure that an Outside exists – and she wants to prove it to herself.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this book – Ele escapes (I don’t count that as a spoiler seeing as it’s literally in the blurb) and finds herself having to face the Outside alone, away from Him and the Others and Jack. Her backstory of how she ended up in the Inside with Him and the Others is slowly revealed as she gets to grips with living on the Outside, and it managed to surprise me constantly.

Ele’s narration took a little getting used to – her learning has been limited to what she hears from Him and her books, so she often uses the wrong words for things (for example, calling a car a “dragon”), and her sentences tend to be quite blunt and simplistic. I was a bit confused at first because her narration made me think she was from a certain place (which only led to more confusion when it was revealed where the book is actually set) – but this is actually a rather clever plot point which makes sense towards the end of the book.

Despite the very dark subject matter (with Ele being a victim of abuse and kidnapping by Him), there’s a lot of warmth in this story, with lovely elements of found family and discovery and freedom. The relationships between the characters were well-drawn and realistic, and I closed the book feeling hopeful for Ele and her future.

I haven’t read many YA books, and at first I wasn’t sure about this, but within a few pages I was utterly hooked.

Ele is held captive in a room by a man who she only knows as ‘Him’. When Ele discovers a hole in the wall, the truth of ‘outside’ comes pouring in.

A unique and thought provoking read, well written with great characters.

I thought Ele was a great character. I loved her narrative voice and the way her language adjusted as her world expanded. The supporting characters are also engaging and help to nudge the story along. However, I always felt I knew where the story was going, so there weren't any surprises. I also felt that aspects of the plot relied on people doing things that they really would do, like informing the police.

It's a lot like Room by Emma Donoghue.

This is an interesting book. I'm sure some people will love it. For me, I couldn't get into the style of writing, the way the characters 'spoke' and the use of vocab. As I say, not for me, but I'm sure others will enjoy.

A tautly written, emotionally charged & thought-provoking read that will draw comparisons with the adult novel 'Room'. Subject matter won't suit everyone but overall this harrowing & arresting debut is well worth having & it ends on a hopeful note.

Separating reality from fantasy took time with this heartbreaking story of abuse. For a youngster to have the fortitude to cope mentally and physically with the isolation and fear yet still plan an escape demonstrated the resilience of the human spirit. How the character made sense of a world which was totally alien to her was well illustrated , and her rescuers overcame their reticence to save the other captive.
I enjoyed this book with its satisfactory outcome.

I really enjoyed this one and so will be recommending it very highly on my YouTube channel Drinking By My Shelf!

An interesting, if strange, read. Ele is trapped inside with the Others. She's never been Outside; she's not even really sure Outside exists. But she's determined to find out for herself. Ele is a strong character and she never gives up on what she wants. I'd advise anyone who's not sure about this book to give it a chance and push through the confusing start.

Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.

This was really questionable to me as to whether I was going to like it. I spent the first part of the book thinking it was a load of nonsense yet couldn't stop reading it. By the time I was half way through, I was totally hooked and think it was a fantastic piece of writing which really pushed the boundaries

I picked up this story and starting flicking through to immediately be adsorbed in Ele's voice. Her voice is compelling and intense with a really real and original feel. This book had me guessing until the end and I really could not put it down. If you want a powerful read please read this. I will be recommended to all my family and friends.

“Truths are like people, see. They don’t like being shut up tight. They shrivel slowly, and they rot with lies, creating something mighty ugly.”

Wow! What can I say about this book?! Like Emma Donoghue’s Room it is both disturbing and redeeming at the same time. Ele’s language and immature outlook on life gives us an indication on her age, but also demonstrates just how long she has been held captive. It makes for difficult reading at the beginning, but I got the hang of it after a few chapters. It’s a quick read, but by no stretch of the imagination is it easy.

It is actually quite sickening to go through this with a character - especially knowing that this very thing happens in real life. This book gives us a stark reminder of all the Ele’s out there who have not yet escaped, and I could not put it down.

Many thanks to Sarah Ann Juckes, Penguin Random House UK Children’s and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a bit of time to understand what was happening in this book, it was intruiging enough that I wanted to carry on with it, but it's a story that opens up throughout the book. I read it in a single sitting I was so interested in seeing where it was going. The characters of Cow, Queenie and Bee are amazing and probably saved Ele's sanity.

3.5 stars
I have to say I wasn't too sure about this book at the start as I found the writing style difficult to get to grips with. However, I stuck with it and after a short while I got totally drawn into the story and the innocent narration from Ele. Would recommend.
It will definitely appeal to people who have previously read 'The Room'.

It seems inevitable that this novel will draw comparisons with Room. A girl named Ele who is a teenager appears to have been kept confined in a room with other children for a long time. Ele is fierce and determined and she plans to overpower her captor and escape to the Outside one day. There were a couple of things that I found unclear about the book. The children have access to three books, one of which is a fairytale and Ele bases her knowledge of the Outside on this. I'm not sure how she taught herself to read and how she can relate to any of the books when she has literally no concept of the world. When she escapes there doesn't seem to be any kind of sensory issues or effects on her despite the fact she's unlikely to have any kind of immune system. She adjusts remarkably well to speaking to strangers and surviving in the Outside which seems unrealistic.

Oh this book gave me so many feelings. It was very intense and i felt so much for Ele. There was so many amazing aspects to this book and sometimes was so unsettling i wondered if there was a supernatural element to it. I was completely invested in what happened to Ele and rooted for her like she was a dear friend. I recommend this book 100%!