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Me?
A leader?
Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew.
That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion—between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again—while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside.
And something from Outside wants In.
My fingers ached as my leg muscles trembled.
Beads of sweat snaked down the skin on my back, leaving an itchy trail. I clung to the almost sheer metal wall and breathed in deep. When my heart slowed to a more normal rhythm, I relaxed my right hand's grip and stretched for the next hand hold—a short piece of pipe. Then I repeated the motion with my left, climbing another meter higher.
Far below, spots of daylight illuminated the half completed construction on level ten. Distant voices floated on the stale dusty air. I had passed the last of the bluelights. Nothing but blackness remained above me.
I cocked my head, sweeping the flashlight's beam across the wall in search of another pipe to grab. Logan had designed a special helmet equipped with a light to keep my hands free.
"Trella?" Riley's voice startled me.
I lost my grip. Falling, I cursed my own stupidity for not switching my earring/receiver off.
"I know you can hear me," he said with an annoyed tone. "Where are you?"
Getting one hell of a rope burn, I grabbed my safety line and squeezed to slow my fall. After what felt like a thousand weeks, I reached the end of the rope and jerked hard, biting my tongue. I swung, tasting blood and lamenting the slip. That had been the highest point I or anyone else had attained. Ever.
Riley grunted in frustration. "Trella, you can go exploring later. You're late for the Committee meeting. They're waiting for you."
He wasn't the only one frustrated. For the last twelve weeks, I'd been promised time to go exploring the Expanse. All my previous forays had lasted about an hour before I'd been summoned to another important meeting. This time, I had been determined to ignore everyone, only to forget about the receiver.
I had hoped to reach the ceiling of the Expanse, but the effort needed to re-scale the wall would be too much for my tired muscles. Resigning myself to yet another delay, I stopped my swing by dragging my hand along the wall.
The construction workers wanted to build a ladder up the side of the Expanse, install daylights and find the ceiling. But the Committee insisted they first finish the six new levels for the citizens of Inside to spread out. I agreed, yet my curiosity would not be satisfied until I knew the height of the Expanse.
Pressing the top button on my shirt, I said to Riley, "Tell the Committee I'll be there in an hour. They can start without me. They don't need me there to quibble over every minor detail."
"You're right," Riley said. "They need you when they quibble over the insignificant details, the worthless details and the waste-of-everyone's time details."
While understandable, his sarcasm was too harsh for someone as even-tempered as Riley. "What happened?"
"I can't get a work crew to fix the faulty wiring in level five. It's a mess, but they're too busy with level six. We've lived in those four levels for the last one hundred and forty-seven thousand plus weeks, it won't kill us to wait a few more."
Overcrowding in the bottom two levels had been insufferable, but now that the uppers and lowers were united, there should be more room. Except the uppers wouldn't consider any plans for the scrubs to move into their levels. They insisted it would be a wasted effort since the new levels would be ready soon.
"I'll see what I can do," I said. I transferred my weight back onto the wall and unclipped the rope from my safety harness. Climbing down two meters to the roof of level ten, I glanced up. Next time, I would need a longer rope.
By then, level six would probably be finished. I walked over to the access stairs. It was so nice not to squeeze between levels. But before I reached them, the construction foreman called my name.
I waited for him to join me and smiled in recognition of the burly man. "Hi Hank, how's it going?"
"Lousy," Hank said. He had buzzed his gray hair to a stubble on his head. Holding a wipe board in one hand, he tapped the board with a marker. "I've a list of repairs for levels one to four, but no one will do them. And I'm losing construction people every hour."
"Losing how?"
"They take a break and never come back." My alarm must have shown on my face, because Hank rushed to assure me. "It's not like that. They're angry the uppers aren't doing any of the work. My crews are being difficult, showing up late, leaving early or not coming at all."
A passive resistance. Wonderful. "Why won't anyone fix the repairs?"
"Same reason. The uppers aren't doing their share."
I suppressed a sigh. The Pop Cops had threatened the uppers with exile in the lower levels in order to scare them into cooperating. They had thought life below would be nothing but hard physical labor. Since they had run all the systems in Inside, their jobs involved sitting in front of a computer, and telling the scrubs what to do. Changing their perception of the scrubs was still ongoing, and I believed would be one of the hardest tasks. But not impossible.
"Okay, Hank. I'll tell the Committee."
He looked doubtful. "That Committee can only agree on one thing."
"What's that?"
"To disagree."
I laughed, but Hank didn't. "Oh, come on. It's not that bad. We don't have Pop Cops anymore."
"Maybe we should."
Hank's words followed me as I descended to level three. He had to be joking. No one…well, no scrub—and Hank had been one for maintenance—would ever wish for the return of the Pop Cops. I dismissed his comment as being melodramatic and hurried to my room.
Since it had only been twelve weeks since the rebellion, I still slept in the extra room in the infirmary in Sector B3. It had been designated for the Doctor's intern, but, so far, no one could handle the job. I wouldn't mind—a place of my own was a luxury I've never had—except I shared the suite's washroom and kitchen with Doctor Lamont. Also known as Kiana Garrard. Or as I liked to call her, the Traitor.
Unfortunately, I remained in the minority. The Committee had reviewed her actions during the rebellion. They decided she had been duped by Lieutenant Commander Karla Trava and her betrayal had minor consequences. Of course, the two infirmaries full of wounded from the revolt had nothing to do with their ruling. And the limited number of doctors hadn't been a consideration, either. Yeah, right and I was Queen of Inside.
The Traitor tended to a few patients in the main room of the infirmary. Which consisted of two rows of beds lined up along each side. Curtains hung from U-shaped tracks in the ceiling for privacy and a narrow path cut through the middle. A high counter full of medical supplies covered half the back wall. Next to the counter was another door that led to the Traitor's office, the exam room and the surgery. Beyond them was the apartment.
Without looking at her, I hurried past the beds, aiming for the far door.
"Trella," she called.
I paused, but kept my back to her.
"I have a surgery scheduled for hour sixty. I'll need your assistance."
"What happened to Catie?"
"She passed out when one of the construction crew came in with a bloody gash on his forehead that exposed the bone."
Closing my eyes, I suppressed the accusation that she purposely tried to gross out the people I found to help her. Yet another item for my long to-do list—find the Traitor an intern. "I'm busy. You'll have to find someone else to help." I glanced at the clock. Hour fifty-five.
"I can't train them in five hours, Trella. You have experience and an iron stomach. PlusÂ…"
I waited.
In a softer voice she said, "Plus you're good. You have a natural talent that shouldn't be wasted. You must have inherited that from me."
Whirling around, I confronted her. "Now you decide Karla wasn't lying. Does thinking I'm your daughter help you with the guilt over betraying us? Am I supposed to feel special that you risked all we had worked for and died for because of motherly love?"
She stepped back in surprise, clutching a tray to her chest as if it were a shield. Her long hair—the same color as mine— had been braided into a single plait that hung to her waist.
I hadn't meant to be so nasty, but since the rebellion, she had never once acknowledged the possibility of our relationship, insisting it had been another one of Karla's twisted tricks. I agreed. Riley, though, had speculated that if she believed I was her offspring, then the enormity of what she had done would have overwhelmed her. He had tried to explain it, to help me see it from her point of view.
But a traitor was a traitor in my mind. No need to waste time justifying her actions. I had enough to do.
Despite my personal feelings, we did need her doctoring skills. "What about Doctor Sanchia?"
"Busy with his own patients and the scrubÂ…the caretakers in the lower levels." She hesitated.
A ripple of unease lapped against my stomach. "They refused?"
She met my gaze. "Not in so many words. They just won't answer my requests, and when I go down there, they ignore me or give me the runaround until I give up and leave."
Dark circles, new wrinkles and streaks of white hair aged her. She appeared older—closer to fifty centiweeks than forty.
"How critical is the surgery at hour sixty? Can it be delayed?" I asked.
"It's Emek's appendix. If I don't remove it soon, it will burst and kill him."
"All right, I'll help you. For Emek's sake." I headed to my room. My thoughts returned to the Committee. They would need to investigate why the lower care workers were ignoring requests for help.
My palms stung as I washed up. I had forgotten about the rope burns. Grabbing a tube of antiseptic, I rubbed it on the abrasions. Abrasions? I needed to find another place to sleep before I started spouting medical lingo like a pro.
Riley's father had offered to move from their apartment, but it was too soon for us to go that next step. Since the rebellion, Riley and I had little to no time to get to know each other better. I touched my silver sheep pendant—a gift from Riley. Perhaps I could live in our storeroom and spend more alone time with Riley. Only a few members of the Force of Sheep knew of its existence. Which made staying there even more appealing.
The Committee met in the large conference room next to Inside's main Control Room, both within Quadrant G4. I had argued for the new levels to be built in a different configuration than the existing levels without success.
With so many changes happening so fast, the Committee thought a new design would just confuse everyone. So level five resembled levels one through four—a three by three grid, like a Tic Tac Toe board. The four corners were labeled Quadrants and the middle sections were Sectors. Starting from the top row on the left, the first Quadrant was A, then Sector B and Quadrant C. The middle was Sectors D, E and F and the last row had Quadrant G, Sector H and Quadrant I. Just add the level number and any idiot could find a location.
I arrived at the meeting two hours late. Slipping into an empty seat beside Jacy, I glanced around the long oval table. The Committee had been comprised of one representative from each of the nine upper families and one leader from each scrub area like hydroponics and waste-water. Eighteen in all. Since an even number could cause problems when members voted, a nineteenth spokesperson had been added.
Despite repeated requests that I become the nineteenth member, I refused, preferring to be a part of the Committee as a consultant only. Less responsibility. Riley had been asked next, but he'd quipped that the Committee didn't need both him and his father and he'd claimed that he would be more useful as support personnel.
They finally elected Jacy.
After my initial surprise at his appointment, and, when I thought it through, it made sense. He had taken over the organization and leadership of the rebellion when I had been captured by the Pop Cops. Plus he was well connected through his network of people in the lower levels.
I leaned close to him. "What did I miss?"
"They're trying to decide which group can move into level five."
"Group?" That was new.
"Once all six new levels are completed, the Committee thinks the nine families can share five levels and the scrubs, broken into groups by areas, can live in the other five."
"That won't work."
"I know and you know, but try and explain it to those eighteen." He swept his hand out. "They're still thinking in terms of uppers and lowers."
Which reminded me. "Are you aware of the labor strike?"
Jacy stared at me with a guarded expression. "Yep."
"How do we get the workers back?"
"By having the uppers get their hands dirty for once."
And Jacy just proved he also thought in terms of uppers and lowers. If I was being honest, I did as well. That was the problem. But I couldn't figure out a solution.
Why should I? I'd done my part and found Gateway, led the rebellion and discovered the Expanse. The multiple scars on my arms, legs and torso from Pop Cop Commander Vinco's knife proved I had sacrificed for the citizens of Inside.
I had also lost my closest friend, Cogon. He had acted more like a brother, and I missed him so much my insides felt rusted and brittle. Cog would have loved organizing the construction crews. He'd have insisted on perfection before moving on to another level.
Slouching in my chair, I let the Committee's voices roll over me. They didn't need me. The Committee would take us to the next stage.
After listening to the sixth scrub area representative list the reasons they should be the first to move into level five, I willed the clock to move faster. These meetings were a waste of my time. I could be spending these hours with Riley. The session went on and on. Assisting the Traitor with surgery grew more appealing with each minute. I lasted until hour fifty-nine.
"I'm outta here. I'm helping theÂ…Doctor Lamont," I whispered to Jacy.
"Will you be back before the vote?" he asked.
"Why? Nothing I say changes their minds." Frustration and weariness welled, but I swallowed them down.
"You've given up, Trell. That's not like you."
"Sitting in endless meetings for twelve weeks isn't like me either. I'm a big picture girl." I tried a smile, but Jacy kept his frown. I made a sudden liberating decision. "Tell the Committee I'm resigning as a consultant and going back to what I do best."
Shock, anger and censure warred on Jacy's face. His lips moved for a moment before he spoke. "And what do you do best?"
cubicleblindnessKM
Posted December 29, 2010
So this book brings in constant danger and war-like behavior. We find Trella is physically hurt in almost every chapter of this very fast paced action packed novel. Although there is rebellion and fighting in the first novel, this second novel takes on a whole new level. It becomes war. We see bombs, tremors, physical fighting, amazing technological torture scenes and some unbelievable surgery work from the Doctor.
Trella has started the rebellion and now she's ready to relax and enjoy the "new life" with Riley and just explore and enjoy what she can. But the people of inside (especially the scrubs) see her as a leader. Trella is fighting with the need to not want to be a leader and the desire of wanting a fair say for both upper and lower levels in this new community. We see a little bit of a more mature romance between Trella and Riley so unlike the first novel this one should be approached by more mature teens, not only for the romance, but some of the descriptions of the fighting gets a little nasty.
In my mind Maria V Snyder is just as much of a genius as Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games Trilogy) and deserves just as much attention and love. I highly recommend her novels for any fan of Dystopian stories. I will read her books over and over again.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Elderone
Posted June 14, 2012
I love stories where girls kick butt! Looking forward to the next installment. A good read for any age.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 4, 2011
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Trella led the Scrubs revolt that turned her world upside down as she and her rebels defeated the Uppers who previously ruled the world. After the victory, she and others learn of the existence of the Outside world.
Excited Trella plans to go back to being a quiet citizen living with her Upper, Riley. However, winning at war is not governance as those now in charge learn. Additionally something from Outside wants to enter; forcing Trella out of her short lived teenage retirement to unite her friends to prevent whatever from outer Outside achieving In.
The sequel to Inside Out targets older middle and younger high school students with an intriguing complex story line as the heroine learns what relativity means as Outside meant outside her cube, but now knows there is outside the outside. There is less action than in the previous revolt against the dystopian society, but teen readers still will enjoy this exciting science fiction tale as Maria V. Snyder once again avoids dumbing down her complex premise treating young readers with respect as the author further complicates Trella's run.
Harriet Klausner
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 3, 2012
This book had the PERFECT ending. All I could say was "awwe :)" but the whole book kept me on edge wondering what would happen next. It has a lot of twists and surprises. It was a really good book!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.An intense, fast-paced stunner! Literally. I absolutely adored the first book Inside Out and the second did not disappoint me at all! The second picks up right where we left off from Inside Out. The uppers and lowers still struggling to get along and Trella seems to be in the middle
Of the tangle yet again. When a new issue presents itself will Trella step up again and save the day?
I adored this book! I love love love dysotopian/scifi ish books like this and it was awesome! Trella is one strong, small chick and I love her for it! I found myself really liking Lamont in this one! Surprising huh? Yeah. Anywho.. A new character I really liked was Bubba Boom. He played a vital role in Outside In and I really liked him. And of course there's the oldies - Logan is awesome :) and Riley. Oh Riley <3 I love you. How can you not?!
Overall I loved the second in this series! It was fabulous and I really hope there's a third :)
PS. two words: SHOWER SCENE <3 ;)
She's successfully done it. I've read everything written by Maria Snyder and everything has earned a 4 star or higher. I will read anything she writes until she proves me wrong!
I loved this sequel to Inside Out! The story manages to have something new while remaining true to the characters introduced in book 1. Since the characters live in a box in the middle of nothing, I was really curious were this story could possibly go. I was surprised and what the new thing was that was threatening to destroy Inside!
I really liked how Trella progresses in the story. She didn't mean to start the revolution and she definitely wasn't looking to be it's face. Why in the world would she want to be it's leader now. I really wanted to shake and make her see how much good she could do for Inside as a whole. But, she a teenager. What teen really wants that much responsibility at such a young age.
I was surprised at how many twists and turns the story takes. For the longest time I had no idea who to trust. Trella makes some tough choices that really alienate her from the people who helped in the first book. I wasn't surprised that so many people could turn on her. I was glad to see her finally step up the plate and fight for the people of Inside and for herself!
I've been sitting here for over an hour trying to think of the absolute perfect thing to say about this book. Amazing! Incredible! Shockingly Brilliant!!! So many words come to mind! But none seem deserving enough. I LOVED THIS BOOK! The mystery had me guessing..the suspense made my heart race...twist after clever twist had me gasping for breath! Oh the betrayals!!!! Who to believe!! I was guessing till the very end! You know a book just has to be good when you catch yourself yelling at the pages "HOW COULD YOU!!!!" I fell for the romance and ached at the tragedy. Break my heart why don't you!! I just couldn't put the book down! I literally put my entire life on hold, a slave to the pages! If I put the book down at all, it was only to catch my breath! This series has earned a place forever in my heart and has jumped to the very top of my favorites list! I'd been dieing to read a book like this for so long and nothing ever made it that high. This book hit the mark and beyond! I finished it in a day!!! That alone is saying something! I'm still trying to contain the excitement this book has caused in me, but from the looks of all the exclamation marks in this review.. the excitement continues! Honestly this book had it all...mystery..suspense..betrayals...utter heartbreak! What more could anyone ask for? This series deserves to be read by the world! I'll be recommending it to everyone! Thats for sure!!! Props to you Maria V. Snyder!! Thankyou for creating this amazing world, these beautiful characters, this truly unforgettable book...I along with many readers to come are forever greatful! : )
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I didn't realize Outside In was a sequel until after reading the opening paragraph, but I will have to say that it was that opening paragraph alone - not to mention, the sheep! - that got me wanting to get the first book ASAP and I'm totally glad that I finally finally read one of Maria V. Snyder's series. I'm not entirely certain that Outside In has the same page-turning effect that its predecessor had, but I still enjoyed it for the most part. Trella is the same girl that you meet in Inside Out, yet it quickly becomes obvious that being the same is not necessarily a good thing. Gone are the days that she can hide among the pipes and stay solitary - instead, Trella gets surrounded by more responsibility than she had expected and oftentimes feels overwhelmed by everyone's expectations of her. I can understand Trella's instinctive want to not take charge and let the adults handle matters. I mean, how often have we taken on something far bigger than ourselves? How often is it easier to let the "adults" or "professionals" take over? The power struggle between the uppers and scrubs might have been addressed in Inside Out, but it still runs rampant in Outside In as everyone tries to figure out how to harmonize and treat each other fairly. The stereotypes of both parties remain part of the problem - and this struggle leaves everyone disgruntled, angry, and totally unprepared when bombs and other strange events start to happen. I liked how Ms. Snyder didn't provide a happily-ever-after with Outside In - it was interesting to see how things unfolded and watch Trella realize that she can't fall back into the shadows anymore, not when lives depended on her. While I did not love it as much as Inside Out, I still think readers will find this sequel quite the satisfaction for their curiosity!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 14, 2011
I read the first book, it was great. So I bought the second one and 2 or 3 chapters in her boyfriend takes her shirt off. Ewwww...
0 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ParaBooks
Posted February 26, 2011
Outside In is the second book in the Inside Out series. I have to admit that I didn't realize this until I began reading. However, it's not an issue. Snyder addresses all the major happenings that took place in the first story, so I was easily able to follow along in Trella's new adventure aboard the Colony spaceship. In the first book, Trella helped launch a rebellion, overthrowing the governing Trava family, and the segregation of the Uppers and Lowers. In this new book, Trella is reluctant to take on the leading role that has been appointed to her-wanting nothing more than to explore the colony ship's upper, previously undiscovered, compartments and bask in some down time with her boyfriend Riley. But no such luck, there are bombs going off and something, or someone, is taking over the Transmission-the mainframe that controls the ship. During this, the Trava family is being held prisoner, while the rebels that took control now run things. Trella finds herself, once again, having to step in and bridge the gap between the Uppers and Lowers. Trella has an estranged relationship with her new-found mother, and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow over the story. I really liked Trella's character. Although she doesn't want to take on responsibility, battling within herself just what part she should to play, she eventually understands that she must trust her instincts-though at times she fumbles-and become the leader others view her as. Riley was a fantastic character as well. I like that his relationship with Trella was real. They argued and disagreed on many issues, but he supported her, wanting her to become the leader he saw in her. There was some pretty gruesome fight scenes and drama through and through, but lovers of the Hunger Games would find nothing in here too disturbing. I think this is a wonderful addition to the YA Dystopian/Science Fiction market.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.kittydanza
Posted February 25, 2011
OUTSIDE IN, by Maria V. Snyder, is the equally amazing sequel in the Inside Out series. We pick up right after the rebellion when a new Committee is established and the recently discovered empty levels are being prepared for Insiders to live in.
Trella initially shrugs off any leader duties, feeling her work has been done. She starts off on the Committee as a consultant but eventually drops out in the hopes of going back to exploring and spending time with Riley. Things all seem well and good until Insiders are being accused of destroying important mechanical systems. Trella is once again thrown into the mix again to keep herself and fellow Insiders away from harm.
I was so happy to see Trella and Riley together! I think they are perfect together in how they complete each other. Snyder stepped up the romance between these two and at times it was very steamy (pun for 'shower scene'). But their happiness was short lived in the midst of what seemed like another rebellion. Also, Trella's relationship with Dr. Lamont was tried upon again and again, and I was anxious to know if Trella would ever accept their genetic link.
This book stepped up the action in so many ways. Trella was tested time and time again and I was sucked into this book until the very end. Snyder tortured Trella incessantly and at certain points I was nervous for her survival.
Once again, Snyder took me for several loops and I had no idea who to trust at any point. With the book in Trella's POV, it was nerve-wracking (in a good way) to know only what she saw was happening. This book, more so than the first, kept my heart racing to understand what was really going on and how Trella would try and overcome.
This book was a magnificent sequel to Inside Out and fans of the series will not be disappointed!!
NOTE: I am not sure if there will be a third book, but I do feel that if there isn't, the book did wrap up enough to keep me satisfied. But I am always up for more Trella and the adventures she encounters!
Outside In picks up soon after the end of Inside Out. Trella kind of takes a backseat to the committee, and wants to just explore more of Inside and spend more time with Riley. She feels she doesn't have the expertise to make decisions that will impact the citizens of Inside. She doesn't realize that the citizens of Inside see her as a leader, one who has abandoned them. There hasn't been much progress and everyone is still being segregated, Uppers from Scrubs. The Scrubs are losing hope that changes will soon be made because hardly any are being implemented as fast as everyone had hoped. All these things soon lead to huge problems; bombs are being set off and someone has taken over the computer systems. Trella has to figure out who she can trust in her quest to finding out who's responsible for these attacks. People she thought she could trust will let her down and she will find allies in very unexpected places.
Trella and Riley's relationship is beyond cute! Riley is very funny and adorable, I wish I could materialize him from the pages of this book!! (Wishful thinking.sigh) They have this mocking, sarcastic way of joking around with each other that makes me laugh. I just love it! He loves her so much but she can't seem to brave that step towards the idea of a future with him, which will bite her in the butt! There is a lot more sexy scenes between these two than in the previous book, which I shamelessly enjoyed.A LOT!
Trella also has her new found mother to deal with. I feel bad for Dr. Lamont. She has made some bad choices out of desperation, and Trella doesn't feel she deserves a second chance for betraying all of them. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve chapter after chapter.
Maria V. Snyder leaves me in awe once more with her amazing world building and characters. She created a very vivid picture in my mind! This book was a nail biter, page after page, with a whole lot more action and fighting than the last book. Aside from that, you take away a feeling of hope for the lives of these characters she has so thoughtfully created. I highly recommend this series. And if you haven't read her Poison Study series, I suggest you run out and buy that as well! It is a must for anyone who loves to read fantasy.
I love sequels. Especially ones where the main characters losing sight of things and then brings it back with a vengeance. Heck yeah! Trella is now a leader. After the last mast rebellion the people on the ship are looking up to her on what to do next. The problem is she's not sure. People are waiting on her for answers she can't give and it has become too much pressure. Trella begins to lose sight of what she fought for and now is just there. Soon someone else from the outside is trying to take over the ship.Will Trella become the Queen of Pipes once again to save her people?
Queen of Pipes. I love that name and Trella. I can totally understand why she did what she did. She had a plan but it didn't go that far. And the people didn't help much. They wanted change but no one wanted to change. She did her best to set an example and it all just backfired on her. I am glad that she is able to get back on her feet and help her people. Even though in my opinion didn't deserve it. They were selfish.
The love interest in the book frustrated the living daylights out of me. It wasn't Trella. It was the guys! I had a fit with Riley and his attitude. Instead of trying to help Trella he put her on the line and called her out. *snaps finger* Oh No He Didn't! Trella need guidance and help. And Riley just fought with her constantly. I know Trella needed reassurance on who she is. But the way Riley did it just hurt.
There were some real deep secrets exposed in this book that lead to many questions answered in the first book but also left many new questions unanswered. Ms. Snyder did a great job writing this book. I enjoyed reading the plot, drama and the great secrets in the book.
It feels like only yesterday when Trella was just a pipe scrub, sleeping in the air ducts and causing trouble wherever she went. Now, she is an underground leader with a large spotlight on her. Since the rebellion, everyone in Inside knows who she is. But it seems the shift in the people has done more harm than good. As unrest spreads, strange and dangerous things begin to happen to Inside. Before long, it is almost impossible for Trella to know who to trust, who is double-crossing her, and what she can do to fix things. And something from Outside wants in...
Omigosh I have totally been waiting for this book since reading the first in the series, Inside Out. I loved that book. Reading this one felt great to be back in the claustrophobic world of Trella and Riley and the others. But overall, I was not as impressed as I was the first time around. Perhaps it is because this story is quite heavy on the politics, creating tensions with who is controlling people instead of with thrilling chase scenes. Also, I felt there was not as much human interest on Trella's part - she seemed much more cold and detached in her relationships than in the first book. Still, this was a great read with plenty of exciting scenes and twists. I missed getting all new tech gadgets, but it was enjoyable to be re-acquainted with a few favorites from before. Maria Snyder has a way of writing that makes me feel like I am watching her stories on TV, rather than reading them. The action flows and the reader is never left for long without a clue to knowing more. Will there be another book in this series? I certainly hope so!
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Posted September 9, 2011
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Overview
Me?
A leader?
Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew.
That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion—between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again—while still ...