Review : Inside Out
Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
Pages : 315
Genre : YA, Science-Fiction, Dystopia
Series : Insider, Book 1
My Rating : 
What it’s about :
Living in a restricted world divided in lower and Upper levels, Trella is a Scrub. With this unglamorous job and the strict schedule that is imposed on her, Trella has little time for herself.
And yet, Trella knows more hiding spots among the pipes than anyone else, the pipes she explores and sleep in whenever she gets the chance. When she accidentally starts a rebellion among her people, Trella’s hiding skills are put through the ultimate test.
My Thoughts :
Inside Out was almost more sci-fi than dystopia, really : Snyder reorganized everything, from the space where the characters lived, which presented itself like a complicated cube, to the way time is divided. It definitely took me a moment to get used to these ideas, but the author takes the time to explain it well in the beginning. It was a bit too much “tell” and not enough “show” for my taste, but it worked nonetheless.
I found Trella to be an intriguing character. Not exactly likable at first, she definitely had her own mind and I enjoyed discovering her world through her eyes. I appreciated her more and more through the pages though, and when I closed the book I felt like I knew her enough to actually like her. For me, it’s really through her interactions with her allies that she revealed her character, especially with Riley. They have a cute chemistry, and while it isn’t a flamboyant romance, I definitely felt they had something strong going on.
However, I did felt that, except Trella, the characters needed to be fleshed out a little more. I didn’t feel like I really got to know them pass the surface, at least not as much as I would have liked to. Maybe this is something left for the next book? It didn’t keep me from enjoying the story, but it might have kept me from loving it instead of liking it.
As for the ultimate mystery, I’m not sure what to say about it… It’s a good one, certainly, but one that felt extremely predictable for me. I’m guessing it’s because I have some familiarity with the sci-fi world, but I could tell very early in the beginnings what was going on. And while Inside Out does present a mostly original plot in the big world of YA dystopias and sci-fi novels, I think readers more used to the genre might not find it extremely surprising. Again, this didn’t keep me from enjoying the story : Snyder’s writing, her intricate world and her wonderful character of Trella were more than enough for me to carry on!
Series reading order :
- Inside Out
- Outside In
I’m not much for sci-fi, so I probably won’t seek this book out. I’ll keep it mind to recommend to those who do enjoy the genre.
I won the second book, but still need to pick this one up! Lol!
I’ve read mixed reviews about this so I think I’ll probably skip it but I really enjoyed your review. 🙂
I have heard very little about this book, but it’s cross-genre aspects and the fact that others have enjoyed it have gotten me intrigued. I am glad that you enjoyed it and will be putting it on my list. Fantastic review!
Kathy : Yes, I think it can be a good introduction to the genre 🙂 But if you’re not really into sci-fi this might not be a good fit for you.
The Bookish Brunette : Oh yes, reading the first one is really necessary in that case lol!
Ceri : Thank you; I just finished reading the second book and I was mostly disappointed, so you see, I have mixed opinions on the series too!
Zibilee : Thanks! I quite enjoyed how the different aspects came together in this book. It was a fun read.