This book starts exactly where the first one left off. This book has just as much action as the first one, but in a different way. I literally read this book in a 24hr period.

I enjoyed the character development of Riley. She seems more mature in this book. I liked the return of characters from the first book. This story was told in 2 different POVs, with one that gives answers to their past and brings it to the present.

Thank you to Netgalley, Shalini Boland, and the publishers for this free ebook. This review is 100% my own and honest opinion.

This was the second book in a series and it nicely connected to the first one.

It continued to follow the dystopian fantasy theme that is so popular right now and although isn’t my own personal cup of tea, it is favoured by my students.

This book was well written and imaginative but I struggled to connect with it. Having said that, I will be purchasing it for our Library as I think it will prove popular and enjoyable for the students.

Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Shalini Boland

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

This book wasn’t for me. I prefer Shalini’s psychological thrillers. It was well written, in her usual, excellent style, just the subject matter didn’t interest me.

The Clearing by Shalini Boland is the second book. It seemed to flow well while incorporating some of the first book into it. This is a book series that my students would be intrigued with.

The whole premise of the book is a little forced with the main character deliberately disobeying her family and travelling through the dangerous world outside their compound.
Great in places but the ending of the book didn't really work.

"The Clearing (Outside Book 2)" by Shalini Boland is a captivating dystopian science fiction story about inexplicable kid disappearances. A determined seventeen-year-old attempts to halt the abductions in a walled hamlet shielded from the outdoors.

The story becomes suspenseful and urgent when the disappearances are confirmed. Shalini Boland expertly depicts a world plagued by a dark entity commanded by James Grey, who is gathering an army of stolen children. The heroine and her conflicted buddy Luc must face this terrible entity and halt the mayhem.

With the right mix of suspense, mystery, and action, Boland's writing is captivating. Character interactions, notably the protagonist's connection with Luc, complicate the story. The emotional stakes rise when people compromise their freedom for the greater good.

Very interesting read and I think that Shalini is such an underrated author. Her characters pop. Book was great

The Clearing was a brilliant sequel and a fantastic second book in this series. The characters were brilliant, and, again, the world building is fantastic. Would definitely recommend.

This is book 2 of 3 in Shalini Boland's Outside series. You definitely want to start with the first book; although, I think you could really get through this okay if you only have the second one.

The tension heats up in this one when the community the main characters live in appears to be coming under attack. Since I've come to like the people in this book, I very much want to see everyone come through this okay.

So far, I think this is a very good series.

This is a good second book in the series. I liked how seemlessly the recap comes into the book. Flowing really well. I liked the fact that it was focused on the missing person. It was also focussed on james and his twisted world and religion. Including his evil sidekicks.

Oh my word this was an amazing follow up! The recap from book one blends really well with enough information if you’d not read it but not too much that you feel it repeats. I loved the focus for this one with the side story being the missing children. I wish there was more of this element as would have liked to have learnt more about this however it was focussed on James Grey and his twisted new world religion and escaped prisoners Liss and Annabelle.

The Clearing by Shalini Boland is the second in the Outside series and it was a fascinating read of the future when Riley and Luc have to assist to stop Grey and his men take over.
Lissie and Annabelle are trying to leave the compound but it is now years that they have been in Salisbury. Will they ever return home?
An interesting read and highly recommended.
Will be reading the last in the series next, The Perimeter.

after reading book one i couldn’t wait to follow the story of Riley who faces so much in her young life. it’s doesn’t disappoint and it’s a rollercoaster of a read.
looking forward to the conclusion to book 3!

I tried so hard with these books I usually love those author but i could not keep my mind on these books. It took me so long to complete them I wasn't sure I would make it through. Thos just was not the series for me.

I loved The Clearing just as much as I loved the first book Outside. This picks up soon after the first book, with events just briefly touched on in Outside coming full circle. The first book hints that some iffy bloke called James Grey is kidnapping kids and brainwashing them. The Clearing focuses on James Grey’s dangerous insanity and the mania of his obsessive ‘followers’ who are becoming an increasing threat. Like the first book, one of the best things about The Clearing which makes it stand out from other dystopian fiction is that the events which ended the world are just a backdrop, as are how the survivors survive or not. The Clearing takes events that could happen anywhere but uses a dystopian world as the backdrop for extra craziness. I look forward to the final book in the trilogy, The Perimeter.

This is a fast paced dystopian YA. Being the second book this has new characters and a fresh perspective, it didn’t feel like a middle book at all.
Some characters from book one return and we get another POV that opens our eyes into life under Greys regime.
The romance continues with yearning and miscommunication, I’m hoping book three gives us some resolution!
There is a sad death of a character, this was well written.
The plot is great and continues to keep me invested in this series, especially with that ending.
A great YA for fans of the divergent and maze runner series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

This is book 2 of 3 and I was given a free copy from Netgalley.

Like the 1st book this is told in Dual POV's. From Riley and Liss. Riley from the first book is on the lookout for the murderer of her younger sister Skye is the first POV we hear from. Liss is the second POV and is a child that was kidnapped when she was young with her brother FJ and follows Liss's POV from the exact day she was kidnapped till present day. If you read the first book then you would know Liss is a character that was mentioned in the first book from her mother Jessie and her father Fred. They come back into this book and have Riley help get back their daughter and son from James Grey who kidnapped them 9 years previous. James Grey is the person who started a new religion (knock off version of christianity in his view) (also Religious Cult) and he's the reason kids are going missing up and down the country. He is taking them and brainwashing them for his own benefits.

Loved the book without going into any more detail of the book. Don't want to spoil it but loved this just as much as the first book.

This book has so much action, and such complexity in the plotline, that it is hard to sum up - so I am not even going to try! But let me say at the outset that Boland has written a worthy follow-up to her first novel in this series.

The Clearing avoids many of the pitfalls of second books, with the action taking place very soon after the first story ends. And it features dual timelines.

While Riley is slowly becoming aware of the nature of her feelings for Luc, the events transpiring don't leave her much time for introspection on that point. Their way of life is facing an immediate threat to their security.

The brainwashed followers of Grey are poised to take over the perimeters. Some have already fallen, and their home is under threat.

Ensuring their safety may involve risking even more danger. Riley is ready to do whatever is necessary, but having lost one daughter and barely regained the second one, her father is less happy about that prospect.

The second timeline in this story, which is fascinating, is focused around a young girl named Liss and her experience of being kidnapped by a cult. I don't want to give away too much on that front, but it really adds a whole other dimension to the storytelling.

This is a gripping sequel to The Outside, and well worth a read. I give it 3.5 stars.

honestly, this one was better than the first one!
i think for me, i was more interested in the storyline with fred and jessie’s kids since we knew about them from the previous book.

the dual pov was really cool to see liss’ pov in the close as a prisoner and then seeing how riley is trying to make her way to find them. i was shocked at the reaction received from FJ though like seriously i never imagined him being the way he was. i’m hoping the next one will elaborate more on it??

i was pretty annoyed with riley in this one though, simply because she automatically assumed luc didn’t want to be anything more than friends WITHOUT even letting him talk like girl you can’t speak his feelings for him… hoping that in the next one things will be sorted out between them!

i think this book left off in a really good spot in order to build the next one, and it had good suspense which i enjoyed.

going to try and read the last one if i can get it!