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INSIDE OUT
Maria V Snyder
ISBN: 978-0-373-21006-0 (Trade Paperback)
B0037NB5YW (Kindle eBook)
March 30, 2010
Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd/Harlequin TEEN
Young Adult Fiction/Sci Fi
Young Adult Fiction/Fantasy
Trade Paperback

Courtesy of Net Galley 

Trella is one of the scrubs, considered good for nothing more than cleaning Inside for the Uppers, upper level, high class citizens. Trella’s job is cleaning the pipes and ducts, a world she escapes to when she needs get away from the severe overcrowding of the scrubs living levels. She only has one friend and her number one priority is avoiding the notice of the Pop Cops who police their world. If a scrub gets out of hand, they are fed to the Chomper to become fertilizer. 

Then the day comes when her destiny is changed in one random moment. Now she is the reluctant leader of an uprising. Suddenly, everyone is turning to her for help, keeping her secrets, and… Trella is developing a personal bond with one of the Uppers? Little does she know her world is about to be turned upside down and Inside Out when shocking revelations are discovered. What’s a scrub to do?

Maria V. Snyder has written a winner with Inside Out! I was fascinated by the world of Inside and all its secrets. While this book is completely different from her fantasy novels, with a science fiction feel to it, everything I have come to expect from Maria V. Snyder is present in Inside Out. I also enjoyed the fact that she doesn’t “dumb down” this novel to gear it more at young adult readers. The plot here is every bit as complex as in her adult novels, with plenty of suspense, a lot of twists, tons of adventure, a little bit of romance, and most importantly, hours of enjoyment.

All of the characters drew me into their stories though I have to say Cog, Trella’s only friend for much of the story, stole a little bit of my heart. He is such a faithful soul in a world where there isn’t much hope beyond a life of drudgery taking care of the upper level dwellers. You can’t help but feel good after spending time with him. I loved Trella/Ella (you’ll understand the two names when you read) and was rooting for her from the very beginning. Of course, no discussion about the characters of Inside Out can be complete without mentioning Sheepy. Who is Sheepy? Well you’ll have to read to find out but trust me, you’ll love him every bit as much as I do.

Inside Out is a fascinating story that I couldn’t put down! How in the world I will wait for the release of Outside In, I have no idea. I know it will be amazing as well. Maria, you can’t write fast enough for this rabid fan! Inside Out will easily rank in my top 5 books of the entire year when December rolls around.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, April 2010. All rights reserved.

Reviewed By:

I have been reviewing since 2001 and got started on it completely by accident. That accident turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I discovered a hobby I thoroughly enjoy and an outlet for my opinions about the books I love... or love to hate. Now I don't think I'll ever stop! I live in the DFW area with my three "children" of the four-footed and furry variety, Sheba, Aker, and Amun, affectionately known as cats. I work as an environmental contractor for the Army Reserves, a job I've had since 1997 in which there is never a dull moment and no two days are the same.

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