There are many words I could use to describe this book.....touching and confusing spring to mind but harrowing is the main one. It's the story of a young girl, Ele, imprisoned for so long that she isn't even sure there's anything other than her cell. The outside world is almost a fairy story. But there's clues for her there inside that there is more, and she's determined to get Outside.

So it isn't much of a spoiler (more of a warning) to say this story involves sexual abuse. Thankfully there isn't any real details on this but the writer refers to it in a powerful and sensitive manner. Ele is a character of adult and  childlike whose metamorphosis from scared girl to determined woman is a revelation to read. My main criticism is that the initial chapters are confusing. Whilst more becomes clear as the book progresses its so disjointed to begin with that I almost stopped reading. But I'm glad I stuck with it.

I liked this - I like Ele and all of the world Inside the Tower. I liked how we understood that He abused her but it wasn't graphic. I was dying for her to escape and was really glad that she found Willow and Ezra on the Outside. I would've liked more resolution at the end but I did like the book.

A haunting book. One that touches on lots of different subjects from abuse to being held in captivity. It reminded me of Room by Emma Donoghue. But I also found it hard to wrap my head around what Ele could and couldn't understand which left me slightly confused at times.

OMG! I thought I knew what to expect when I started to read this book.  I was mistaken.  This is a very graphic novel featuring gross abuse and neglect of the worst kind.

It's also a novel that shows not only the worst of human behaviour but also the very best of human behaviour.  Kindness without question. Patience and freedom to be who you are.

A great book, it did remind me of 'Room' but went off in a different direction. A very satisfying page turner.

What a great book. If you can cope with the strange descriptive writing. I really enjoyed it. Quick read and amazing ending.

A curious and unsettling mystery that slowly unravels piece by piece to reveal a shocking truth as the main character Ele goes on a quest to find Proof of the Outside. Although, I had mostly guessed the outcome, the book was gripping and cowed the true horror of reality through the interesting use of fairy tales and monsters.

The subject matter may be too much for some but the author did a good job of not going over the top with details.  It kept me intrigued by giving me just enough to keep going.  You want to figure out why Ele is where she is and who is keeping her there.  Really enjoyed the ending.

I struggled with the writing which made it slow to read, however the story was worth keeping with it and there was definitely a payoff at the end.

I loved Room so I was really looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately, I found it incredibly difficult to follow, particularly surprising because it's meant to be written for a younger audience, and it was only at the end that everything became clear.

On the upside, it's quite short so it didn't take long to read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

*** ARC provided by Netgalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ***

Outside is reminiscent of ‘Room’ by Emma Donaghue. It’s a young adult version of events. Ele lives in the tower with the others and her aim is to find proofs of the outside. Throughout the book it is difficult to discern what is within Ele’s mind and what is factual.

I think this is a great debut by Juckes, it is heart warming and I loved the family she was able to find herself. Ezra-dad was certainly my favourite character and was well written. I’d certainly recommend and will be watching out for others by Juckes.

I wasn’t sure when I first started this book but am so glad I continued reading. A disturbing story very close to some real life instances. Also profoundly moving with an important twist at the end. Highly recommended.

An interesting premise, but overall I was annoyed with the main character. I also felt like the Others were badly developed and were an overall let down.

An excellent read for fans of psychological thrillers or crime books - a gripping story, engaging characters and it was well-written. I would highly recommend!

This one wasn’t for me, unfortunately. There’s nothing wrong with the writing the story just wasn’t my cup of tea. 

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this E-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Let me take a second to say WOW !!! what a book. When I started this book I found it a bit slow and I was unsure if I was going to finish it, But I am so glad I kept at it It really kept me guessing right to the very end.

I was really captured towards the end and really wanted to know what happened Inside and the mystery of the others. 

I really don't want to say too much because it really is a book you must read and enjoy the complex emotional world of Ele's heartbreaking story of reality and fantasy which Sarah Ann Juckes the author really managed to capture in one of the most amazing books I have read this year!

I will continue to think about this book for a while after and can't wait to see what the author might release next.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Outside was such a great book! It definitely reminded me of some other books that I read last year (or so), like Room. Haven't seen the movie yet but if it's like the book, then I'm sure I will love it.

In this, you will meet Ele. Now she was an interesting character to meet. She was different and unique.. but giving her circumstance - it's something that one would expect as well. Again, she was intriguing and definitely held my interest. The only thing I didn't like was how immature she was or at least her views on things. It kind of made me do some eye rolls and other stuff but then again, I still liked this book.

Now I love a good dark book every now and then - and this book definitely delivered. It's not only an eye opener for what Ele went through.. but it definitely shows what happens to people who go through this. Heck, are going through this. This book gave me some cringe-worthy moments. Good cringe-worthy moments because I was hooked for the entire book.

Overall, I'm glad that I got this ARC and took a chance on it. I enjoyed it immensely and will definitely look forward to dive into another book by this author.

Synopsis was interesting and caught my attention. At first the story was confusing. I was trying to understand what was going. It was a slow read for me. Very dark and scary at some part. A lot of sensitive issues not for everyone. But it was a different read. Thanks for the early copy.

Outside, the debut novel from author and Content Creator, Sarah Ann Juckes, is the story of Ele, a teenage girl who has been kidnapped and held captive in a single room by Him. Already being touted as the YA version of Emma Donoghue's Room, this book is a harrowing look at life in bleak and filthy captivity for a young girl who understands there is more to her tiny reality.

The comparisons are justified: Outside has a similar story and plot, and the play on language is familiar (capitalisation of certain nouns, identification of objects etc.). While it even addresses the same issues of abduction, sexual abuse and consent, it does so in a sensitive manner that allows this book to be suitable for younger readers.

I liked how this book presented Ele's small world; the descriptions of it were well evoked and her resilience and curiosity despite her circumstances were admirable. The story is gently gripping, in that there isn't a heavy use of shock factor but you are eager to learn of Ele's fate. When Ele escapes (this isn't a spoiler, as it pretty much says so in the blurb), the story to shifts to how she adapts outside and tries to make sense of the world around her. While in Room there was a focus on emotional distress and mental health following the protagonist's escape, here the emphasis is more on Ele's eagerness to learn and ache for human contact. Through meeting Willow and his Dad, the theme of found family and human connection emerges.

Despite an unexpected and upsetting conclusion, the ultimate feeling that emerges here is hope. Ele is a warm and brave character and we completely get behind her. There were a few minor issues with the consistency of the story: How does Ele know what a gingerbread house and a bears' house is, yet fails to identify 'a concrete square with an entrance'? Ele reads a lot so I understand that she is familiar with fairy tales, but surely the tendency for a bright girl to connect things in her head would be strong? Throughout the story there are times where you will find yourself thinking: "Surely if she knows what X is, she should know what Y is?". The novel also got off to a slower start than I would have liked but I was willing to get over this to discover what was in store for Ele.

Overall, Outside is an impressive debut and a poignant and engaging read that will appeal to a large YA audience.

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.

If you like your books dark and deep then Outside is most definitely for you.

In Outside we meet Ele. Ele has never been Outside. She has an idea of what it is like in her head for her books have told her all about it. Things like rain, the sun and moon, the dragons and princesses. But really all her world is in one room where she has spent her whole life. There are the Others in there with her and she used to have her brother but he's no longer there. And then there's Him. He comes to visit. But when he does its never a good day for He does things that hurt.

Ele knows there's and outside and her books are proof of this. Ele is determined to get Outside and escape Him. No matter what the cost...

I was absolutely hooked on this book. For a YA book it's very dark and although the description of abuse isn't explicitly stated, the undertones cannot be missed. Putting it bluntly, this is the story of how a child is locked in a room and has no grasp of 'Outside' language so whilst she can understand it a little (because He speaks Outside), she has her own language and terminology for things (for example, Ele calls light bulbs Sun Bars).

As the language is very stylised it took me a little while to read it easily (I kept having to think about what certain words may mean), but once I did oh boy was it a belter.

I became very invested in Ele. After her escape she literally had no clue about how to act or even how to wear clothes as she was never given any. My heart broke for her. But she had a spirit that couldn't be broken and was feisty enough to fight for herself when others didn't. Although the Outside was so scary for her she pushed through her fear and comfort zone and was a little powerhouse of a young girl.

For a debut novel, Juckes is most definitely one to watch out for. I can't wait for her next offering.

A 5 star read for me.

I would like to thank Penguin and Netgalley for a copy of this book on exchange for a review.