This is a beautiful book, with childlike innocence and hope at the core of what is a very dark story. Ele is a wonderful character, and the literal way that she sees and describes the world was a delight to read. She has built her reference points around the illustrated book of fairy stories that she read every day she was held in the barn but unlike a traditional fairy story, Ele's sheer bravery makes her the heroine of her own destiny.
It's a book that made me laugh, take hope that there is good in the world, but also cry. I hope that this book becomes the success that it so deserves when it is released in January.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Ele has a very distinctive manner of speaking which makes it necessary to acclimatise to the language and style of writing. I found that this happened quickly and I became absorbed in Ele’s world. Her descriptions are extremely evocative and inventive. The plot is unusual and original and makes for an excellent debut from Sarah Ann Juckes. There have been comparisons made with Emma Donoghue’s “Room” but I think that “Outside” stands up very well in its own right. It’s one of those novels you wish you had the imagination, talent and skill to write yourself.

Outside by Sarah Ann Juckes a five-star read that will give you thought. This is one of those reads that you won’t be able to put down, it will compel you to read until the last page. I don’t know what to say without giving the plot or a twist away. its one I don’t want to spoil for any reader, I know it’s a YA genre but I really hope that it gets read by more than just that genre as it had a great cross over, once you get used to the language and the phrasing used you will get sucked in and start to understand the world you are reading.

Ele lives Inside. All she knows is an automated existence where ‘sun bars’ light her living space and feed comes down a chute daily, and then once every few days ‘He’ appears, someone who is terrifying in his smell and behaviour and who she recalls previously shot and killed Zeb. She will not give up, though, on the belief that there is an Outside, where there are trees and rivers … and where trolls and dragons and princes and the likes of Rapunzel live, as the few items she has ever owned and cherished are books of fairy stories.

Told in a childish voice, Ele’s daily life and thoughts become captivating as we watch her journey and determination to prove the Outside really exists and to try to make it out there. We long to understand what is going on, why she is Inside, whether she will make it Outside and, if and when she does, what will happen.

I don’t want to give too much away here, but I would highly recommend this unusual and riveting story. Utterly compelling.

One of those books that makes you go 'wow' and leaves you speechless. For a very long time I did think the Others were chickens and that Ele was being kept in a chicken pen - this was due to the clicking noises that they make to communicate. When she made it into the outside I was selfishly worrying that they were going to starve to death while she was away, but they aren't chickens and actually were not quite what I expected. Really connected with Willow and his dad (the people who find Ele); they both have such a tenderness about them and I think the reason they clash is because they're just so similar. Such beautiful moments between them and Ele such as Ele and Willow sleeping under a tree together and Ele getting piggybacks off the dad because she has no shoes. The ending had a surprise twist that I wasn't expecting, but it was a very, very good twist!

I stuck with this book but unfortunately I didn't really like it. It was well written but really didn't grab me.

Thanks to NetGalley for my free copy.

A powerful and highly memorable read. The subject matter is heart-breaking but the character's voice shines with strength. This is a book about hope and courage, and the human need to connect - with story; with people.

Oh my goodness this book. I loved it so much. I read it in a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon as I just couldn’t stop reading.
It’s not quite like anything I have read before and it was just beautiful. I won’t go into the story too much as I don’t want to spoil anything but it took me a while to figure out what genre it was going to be. It could have gone anywhere and it still managed to surprise me. I cried a lot but it was amazing.
Thank you for the advance copy. I will be buying it for all of my friends.

Similar idea to Room which is what got my attention
An easy read as you want to know Ele's story and how she ended up Inside, with a great twist at the end. A young girls imagination and fascination to learn kept her going and ultimately saved her

I didn't know what to make of this when I started it - I wasn't actually hugely keen but it was worth persevering! Ele lives with the Others in a room, with sun bars and regular feeding. Him visits regularly. She communicates with Jack in the next room by tapping, and dreams of escape to the Outside, until one day she manages it. After that is the story of how she learns about the Outside and the rules of being an Outside Person, and gradually the story of how she came to be inside, who Him is, and Jack's identity, are revealed.

It's a clever idea, the things that Ele has no idea about - clothes, hot water, what Dad or Mum mean - are all things we would take for granted. All she knows are some fairytales, which form the basis of how she learns to deal with the Outside. As readers, we piece together the story a bit faster than Ele reveals it and have suspicions confirmed slowly. I would definitely say it was worth getting used to the narrative style (a little bit of a struggle) and carrying on through.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I wasn’t sure about this book for the first few chapters. I found the language difficult to navigate and I didn’t know what I’d let myself in for. However, I stuck with it and eventually got swept up in Ele’s unique childish vernacular.

The perspective from which this extraordinary story is told is what makes this book so unique. Ele knows nothing about the outside world. Her only guide to the world beyond the sheltered ‘Inside’ are the few fairy tale stories which keep her company. Literature, therefore, is her only point of reference as to how the world works. She truly believes she’s trapped in a tower, and like Rapunzel, a Prince will come to rescue her. However, eventually, she begins writing her own story, using what she’s learned as a guide and writes her own rules on how to navigate herself in the outside world.

Ele is fierce, determined, and her fascination with the mundane was nothing but entertaining to read. From brewing tea to experiencing the sensation of stepping into a warm bath for the very first time, Juckes has created an unforgettable character.

Overall, outside is nothing like I’ve ever read before. I swallowed this book whole and I didn’t want to put it down until I found out the truth behind Ele’s tragic upbringing. The ending was incredible with an unexpectant plot twist which left me wanting more from the curious character. This was a heart-breaking journey which I’m so happy to have been a part of.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for providing me with an eArc version of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Geez what a book and a half this was!

I seriously stayed up all 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, Ele narrated it amazingly well and I really took to her character, she was adorable. Is a heartwrenching read but one full of hope too, sad and funny in parts, I cannot wait to read more from this author it was a riveting read and one I will not forget in a hurry.

5 stars!!!

This was one of the best books I've read this year. Written with such warmth, grit and style, the character of Ele is fierce, brave, and determined, leaps off the page. I loved her instantly, I think she is the kind of character that stays with you for ages afterwards. I loved her rules, I loved the moments of unexpected humour, like flashes of sunlight through the cloud. Her sass. Her courage and self-talk. Gripping, emotional, poignant and completely unforgettable. While comparable to the genius that was Room, it exists completely as its own masterwork, and feels utterly original too. What a debut!

I received an ARC copy but all views are entirely my own.

I thought the premise of this sounded really interesting, but I couldn't get into the story at all. I see a lot of comparisons with Room, and it does share similarities, but where Jack had Ma to explain things to him, Ele seems to have become well versed in Outside without any help at all. I'm sure others will like it, but it wasn't for me, sadly. DNF at 15%.


I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This story is so real and heartfelt that I wondered if this was someone talking from experience. This book stayed with me long after I had finished it.

A most unusal but exciting read, this book is quite unique in anything I have read. Once you get into the mindset and language of Ele, the whole thing falls into place. Hugely readable, interesting and exciting.

Ele, a girl of unspecified age, lives on the inside with the Others, Bee, Cow and Jack. They have been imprisoned by Him, a fearsome figure who has already killed the only person who was like Ele, Zeb. Ele's understanding of the world is very limited, down to three books. She sees the world through the lens of fairy tales. When she eventually escapes, she meets Willow, a boy of her own age who lives with his father Ezra in an isolated part of Scotland. After some adjustment to the outside world she persuades him to go back with her to rescue the Others.

There is much to admire in this book which will inevitably be compared with Room. The voice of Ele is unique and the use of fairy tales is compelling. It is very well written. However, I have reservations about it, mainly to do with Ele's use of language. There is so much she knows and I had to keep asking myself 'how would she know this?' My other reservation is that it is a well worn story and at times I was a little bored, I can see young adults loving it though. I think I am the wrong audience as I've read so much in this area including true versions of similar stories. I would like to thank Net Galley and the publishers for the ARC.

What a beautifully written book! I started reading it and couldn't put it down till I finished. You are invested in the story straight from the beginning when you meet Ele, locked Inside. The descriptions keep you guessing till the end of the book, I was trying to figure out what exactly she meant with her limited vocabulary and limited knowledge of the outside world. Thank you Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book!

I don’t quite know how to write this review of Outside as I’ve never read anything quite like it before. I knew this was young adult fiction before I started reading it and after the first few chapters, was ready to give up. But I’m so glad I stuck with it. Like many other reviewers have said, I wanted to fly through the pages to see where the story went. Ele’s horrific experience is conveyed without being too graphic and the unique way Sarah Ann Juckes creates Ele’s view of the world, both inside and out, is captivating.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and thank you Sarah Ann Juckes for writing a story that will stay with me forever.

The Outside by Sarah Ann Juckes was meant to be my 24th book of the year. I started this book earlier this week, I have struggled to a fifth of the way through the book and I am totally underwhelmed and confused. This is the first book I have given up on in some time, but I just hadn’t seen any signs of it improving or developing into a story of any sort.

The story is about Ele who is I think being held captive by “him” in a dungeon / room with “others”, dreaming of the outside. And this is my issue, this far into the book and I am no clearer than where I started as to what is going on.

I know it is being written through the voice of Ele who is a teenager maybe? But I think my 10 year old would write a better story. What I couldn’t escape was that if Ele has been stuck down there all her life how did she know of all that she talks about. She has books but how does she know how to read. I guess if I completed this I may get some answers to these queries, but I couldn’t put myself through the possibility of it not improving and not getting that time back, so I am sorry this is a DID NOT FINISH.

Thanks all the same to Netgalley for the free copy. I do not think I can give an official review rating, but of what I read I give this zero out of five!