This is the story of Ele who is held captive  on the ‘inside’ with the others who are not like her , she dreams of the outside just like in her books and is always looking for proofs it exists , when she escapes and truly discovers the outside , she meets dad and willow who help her on the outside and we learn her story . This book is both harrowing and courageous and is well written, I did find Ele’s narrative was not the easiest to read and it took me a while to get used to it but understood why she spoke like that as she didn’t  have all the words and had a limited volcabulary, I liked the twists and turns and had to keep reading to get answers, I am glad I tried something different to my usual reads

Ele and the Others have been trapped inside by Him for as long as she can remember. Ele knows there is a world Outside, but can she ever get there?

This book was a quick read for me. I found that after a very slow start, the story began to pick up about a third of the way in, and by then I definitely wanted to know what had happened to Ele. The language used took a little getting used to, but it was understandable when you consider Ele and the Others had no other frames of reference apart from some children's books. I rate this one a solid 3.5 stars.

TW: some descriptions of child abuse, thankfully not too graphic. 

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Penguin Random House UK Children's, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

I was initially intrigued by the premise of this book an really wanted to enjoy it, however, this one wasn't quite for me. I really struggled with the way in which the story was told. While I understand that Ele isn't meant to be able to convey what is going on with her speech, I found this really difficult. For the most part I struggled to understand what was going on and as a result struggled to connect with the story. 

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for this opportunity.

I loved this book a lot, however i found the beginning a bit suspenseful for my anxiety. After about 1/3 of the book i was ok and really enjoyed the bravery of Ele and her personality evoloving.

Totally different concept . Why has Ele and her companions never been outside? 
Who is "Him" why does he keep them all here ? 
Who taught Ele to read ? 
So many questions? I needed answering that kept me hooked on this book .
Different but worth a read

# 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.

Ele has spent her life trapped. She knows there's Outside. But she's never seen it.

The only life around her are the Others. And, of course, there's Him. And He has not been good to her.

Outside is a very peculiar story. Narrated by Ele herself, it starts in a very vague manner, with the girl trying to explain her situation. Although the whole concept sounded very promising, the story's narration, as well as the writing style, made this very difficult o read. The flow was hindered by the way the main character is supposed to talk, and the information about Ele's whole situation is given in so slow a pace, that it takes a very long time to understand what is actually going on.

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.

Ele has been trapped Inside for as long as she can remember. With only the Others for company, and weekly visits from Him, she dreams of getting Outside where she can live a life like she’s seen in her fairytale books.

I found this book very confusing and difficult to follow. I understand that the idea is that Ele doesn’t have the language to describe everything around her, but this made me feel very disconnected from her story, increasingly frustrated, and disinterested in what was happening.

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.

The synopsis for Outside greatly intrigued me as it reminded me of the book Room by Emma Donoghue, which I read and quite enjoyed. As well as the protagonist being held captive, like in Room, Outside is also told in a very unique point of view, as Ele has had no real form of education and this is reflected in her limited knowledge of what things are around her and how she actually words things, “Here’s the thing about being inside. Ain’t no one believes that they are”, “the dark don’t help none”. This took some getting used to, but I think that it made Ele seem more real and innocent, inevitably making her situation feel even more dire. I’m not entirely sure how old Ele is because I can’t recall it being explicitly mentioned, however, I believe that she is a teenager. Despite her lack of education, Ele is shrewd and very determined to change her circumstances, “I don’t belong here – not one bit. I got to get back to that Outside or I’ll die”, even if she has to constantly remind herself to be brave.

What is interesting is that although Ele is held captive by this man, he doesn’t really make that many appearances in the book, we are mostly told about him through Ele’s memories. In a way I was grateful for this because it was hard to read about when he was mentioned. Ele constantly refers to the man as ‘Him’ which beautifully helped create the idea that he is indeed this monster, as he doesn’t even have a name. There aren’t any really graphic scenes of what Ele suffers at his hands, but he is violent towards her and I believe that he sexually abuses her as well. Ele is kept naked in this little room, and all she can do is wait for him to turn the lights on and for the ‘feed’ to come down the pipes so that she can eat. He seems to actually come into the room about once a week, “I suppose you’re wondering what happened when He came in this time…there won’t be no once upon a time’ neither, ’cause it ain’t just once. It’s every seven days.” Ele can never guess what his temperament will be, “He came in pretending to be harmless and all. Making nice to the princess…he had her caught between his legs, one hooked over her like a bar…He was all fingers poking them inside her mouth”. Even these bits are hard to read, and it could just be because she’s telling it in story mode, but the fact that she is referring to herself in third person, just shows how much she’s suffering and trying to detach herself from the situation, it’s heartbreaking.

Ele’s only comforts in her captivity are ‘The Others’, the few books she’s read, The Outside she has created in her head and Jack who she supposedly communicates with by knocking on the wall. ‘The Others’ are beings that Ele mentions are in this room with her, I say beings because it is clear that they aren’t human, in the way that they are described as behaving and mostly, because they look nothing like Ele, “I could see their thoughts. Looking at my lips. Looking at His lips. Feeling at their own lipless mouth holes.” I found ‘The Others’ so confusing because I couldn’t understand what they were and I was sure that this wasn’t a fantasy book, so to be honest that was my main incentive for reading on, to find out who and what they were. However, we didn’t find out what they were until much later in the book, and although it was a twist, it was a bit underwhelming and, even disappointing if I’m honest. There were three ‘Others’ in total – Cow, Bee and Queenie, sometimes they offered Ele comfort, but Queenie usually gave her a hard time, because they aren’t keen on the idea of The Outside, “They say Outside is all lies. And they won’t have me thinking of Zeb neither ’cause to them, as soon as something ain’t inside no more it ain’t real. If it was up to them, we’d all still be rolling around like little ‘uns, living in our lies”.  Zeb was Ele’s brother who used to live in the room, until he tried to get them to escape one day and the man hit him in the head with his gun and all that remains of him is a bloodstain in the room that Ele insists hasn’t washed out.

Ele constantly escapes into her own mind, where she has conjured up her version of Outside. However, Ele’s idea of Outside is merely based on what she has read in books, “I know that I might see some bad stuff out there, like dragons and Ogres and Giants, but I’m brave. I can beat all of them. I’m an Outside person.” I found this so adorable and humorous at times that she thought everything in these fairytales was awaiting her outside, but the truth of why she thought like this quickly soured these emotions and made me just feel so sorry for her. I felt that Ele creating this world inside her head clearly displayed how fragile her mental state is and just how much trauma she’s been through. But like I said, she’s determined on getting out and essentially finish what Zeb had started, “won’t be long until my arms are as thick as a Giant’s and can break through walls. Here’s hoping”. It was interesting to see how differently Zeb and Ele reacted to their captivity, Ele retreated into her head to make things not seem quite so bad, “But Zeb lived in the truth of it all for so long. He soaked it up for the both of us, while I lived dry in lies.” Ele was only able to escape mentally because her books allowed her to dream up this Outside and offer her this much needed escape from her reality, “Books are my windows. They show me everything I need to be an Outside person, from killing Dragons to growing beanstalks. It’d be awful dark Inside without no books”.

I don’t want to get into spoiler territory here, but I just wanted to mention something that I found really confusing in this. There was a character who was mixed race, I believe, and Ele reacts to this when she sees him, “he’s got skin so dark he could be one of those clouds whispering to the moon last night”. And yet, in the rest of the book he’s constantly said to be blushing, “Even in the dark, I can see his face is red”, “his face starts turning red. ‘Um’, he says, moving back. ‘Ok. This is going to sound pure weird”, I found this all so odd, given that initial description of him. I’m not a huge fan of how his ‘differences’ were described in the book to be honest anyway, so yh…I get that Ele has been held captive and has access to only three books but, it just seemed unnecessary to me, “his head hair ain’t like no truths in no books. it’s all together and bouncy”, “I launch myself at him, snatching it out of his hands and not even thinking about how his skin feels like mine even though it’s all dark”. I already get that she’s been held captive and so I’m not sure why this needed to be done.

Overall this was an easy read, although not in terms of subject matter. It was a unique story with an equally unique protagonist, but given everything she’d been through I didn’t become as attached to her as I expected to. Apart from the continuity issues and just the race thing in general, the writing was good, especially in carving out an authentic voice for Ele. There were many twists and turns in this, but none of them fully blew me away. I did however get answers to all the questions I had throughout the book, there were definitely things that I didn’t like that much, but I wouldn’t say not to read it, as there was a relationship that developed between three characters that I thought was really sweet, but alas, spoilers prevent me from getting into that.

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.

Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this book; the writing style initially just didn’t work for me. Thank you for providing a review copy nevertheless.