AUGUST 2018 - AudioFile
Lauren Ezzo's emotionally charged narration gets under the skin of Romy Silvers. The teenage daughter of astronauts, and the sole survivor on the Space Shuttle INFINITY, is traveling on a multi-decade mission to colonize Earth2. After her parents' deaths in space, her only contact with humanity is messages from NASA that have a two-year delay. When a newer, faster ship is sent to join her, she gets to know J., the first human she’s ever met other than her parents. Ezzo lets Romy’s mercurial moods infect the listener—the pain of her losses, the quickened speech and desperate whine of her occasional panic in the vastness of space, and the sweet glee of a girl getting to know a boy. As complications arise, Ezzo rockets toward the heart-stopping conclusion. S.T.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
07/16/2018
It’s 2067, and 16-year-old Romy Silvers, following the death of her parents on the ship five years earlier, is all alone as commander of the Infinity as it travels to Planet HT 3485 c, a possibly inhabitable exoplanet that NASA hopes will ensure humanity’s long-term survival. Romy should arrive in 2092, which leaves her with a lot of time to watch her favorite show, Loch & Ness; write fan fiction; and share audio transcripts with her therapist, Molly. When Romy finds out that another ship, the Eternity, will cross paths with her ship in a year, she’s ecstatic and begins exchanging emails with the Eternity’s captain, the charming J. Shoreditch. Suddenly, Romy, who desperately misses her parents, now has hope for the future and, perhaps, a chance at love. When troubling news from Earth arrives and she’s cut off from NASA, things take a turn for the eerie, and Romy worries that the sins of her parents are resurfacing to haunt her. In James’s suspenseful and clever debut, the immensely likable Romy conveys her desire for the very human contact that will leave her vulnerable. Shocking revelations about J. and the Eternity’s mission, as well as what really happened to her parents and the astronauts aboard the Infinity, pave the way to a harrowing finale. Ages 14–up. (July)
From the Publisher
“Gripping psychological thriller with a very relatable heroine.” — The Bookseller
“The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is shocking and brutal and has the best twist I’ve ever read. The sinister realism of Romy’s situation is as terrifying as it is gripping, and I was rooting for her from beginning to end.” — Alice Oseman, author of Radio Silence
“Loneliest Girl just blew my mind.” — John Moore, Waterstones Bookseller
“Black Mirror-esque. A fantastic slow-build drama. Lauren James is a genius.” — SFX Magazine
“A tense, psychological thriller that will leave you gasping for air.” — The Scotsman
“A white-knuckle ride through space, science, love, and fandom. I was completely gripped from start to finish. I can’t wait to see what Lauren James dreams up next!” — Sara Barnard, author of Beautiful Broken Things
“Gripping and utterly addictive. An absolutely stellar read.” — Maggie Harcourt, author of Unconventional
“Whatever your expectations, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe willy defy them. Exceptionally clever storytelling from a talented, versatile writer.” — Non Pratt, author of Trouble
“This book moves at full throttle from beginning to end. Lauren James isn’t just headed for the stars--she’s already there.” — Samantha Shannon, author of The Bone Season
“A page-turning science-fiction thriller with some terrific twists.” — Philip Reeve, author of Mortal Engines
“[James] skillfully, slowly unspools suspense and dread… This slow-burn genre-blender has surprising twists and turns, and patient readers will be rewarded by the explosive ending.” — ALA Booklist
[A] stunning twist takes the sci-fi premise into psychological thriller territory…a blur of action in hyperspeed that will leave readers breathless by this end of this satisfying genre mash-up. — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“As a psychological drama, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is a good read with several shocking twists. It’s even sharper as an extended metaphor for certain risky realities of modern adolescence.” — Wall Street Journal
“In James’s suspenseful and clever debut, the immensely likable Romy conveys her desire for the very human contact that will leave her vulnerable. Shocking revelations pave the way to a harrowing finale.” — Publishers Weekly
“Romy is an Everygirl alone in deep space, but it’s her zesty narration that drives the momentum in British author Lauren James’ The Loneliest Girl in the Universe. Prepare for some rapid page-turning.” — BookPage
“This is a strange, witty, compulsively unpredictable read which blows most of its new YA-suspense brethren out of the water.” — Entertainment Weekly
“This slow-burning psychological thriller has a killer twist that will make you gasp.” — Bustle
“A story of loneliness and heartbreak blended with sci-fi thrills, it’s one of the most surprising books to arrive this year.” — Paste Magazine
“Impossible to stop turning the pages.” — Irish Times
“As much psychological thriller as space odyssey. For fans of speculative fiction with lots of plot twists.” — Kirkus Reviews
“A satisfying sci-fi psychological thriller with a scary twist” — NZ Herald
“A tightly plotted Agatha Christie mystery thriller in space.” — Mackenzi Lee, author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
Sara Barnard
A white-knuckle ride through space, science, love, and fandom. I was completely gripped from start to finish. I can’t wait to see what Lauren James dreams up next!
Alice Oseman
“The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is shocking and brutal and has the best twist I’ve ever read. The sinister realism of Romy’s situation is as terrifying as it is gripping, and I was rooting for her from beginning to end.”
John Moore
“Loneliest Girl just blew my mind.”
Samantha Shannon
This book moves at full throttle from beginning to end. Lauren James isn’t just headed for the stars--she’s already there.
The Bookseller
“Gripping psychological thriller with a very relatable heroine.”
Non Pratt
Whatever your expectations, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe willy defy them. Exceptionally clever storytelling from a talented, versatile writer.
The Scotsman
A tense, psychological thriller that will leave you gasping for air.
Maggie Harcourt
Gripping and utterly addictive. An absolutely stellar read.
Philip Reeve
A page-turning science-fiction thriller with some terrific twists.
SFX Magazine
Black Mirror-esque. A fantastic slow-build drama. Lauren James is a genius.
ALA Booklist
[James] skillfully, slowly unspools suspense and dread… This slow-burn genre-blender has surprising twists and turns, and patient readers will be rewarded by the explosive ending.
Mackenzi Lee
A tightly plotted Agatha Christie mystery thriller in space.
Entertainment Weekly
This is a strange, witty, compulsively unpredictable read which blows most of its new YA-suspense brethren out of the water.
Irish Times
Impossible to stop turning the pages.
NZ Herald
A satisfying sci-fi psychological thriller with a scary twist
Wall Street Journal
As a psychological drama, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is a good read with several shocking twists. It’s even sharper as an extended metaphor for certain risky realities of modern adolescence.
Bustle
This slow-burning psychological thriller has a killer twist that will make you gasp.
BookPage
Romy is an Everygirl alone in deep space, but it’s her zesty narration that drives the momentum in British author Lauren James’ The Loneliest Girl in the Universe. Prepare for some rapid page-turning.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
[A] stunning twist takes the sci-fi premise into psychological thriller territory…a blur of action in hyperspeed that will leave readers breathless by this end of this satisfying genre mash-up.
Paste Magazine
A story of loneliness and heartbreak blended with sci-fi thrills, it’s one of the most surprising books to arrive this year.
Wall Street Journal
As a psychological drama, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is a good read with several shocking twists. It’s even sharper as an extended metaphor for certain risky realities of modern adolescence.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
[A] stunning twist takes the sci-fi premise into psychological thriller territory…a blur of action in hyperspeed that will leave readers breathless by this end of this satisfying genre mash-up.
School Library Journal
05/01/2018
Gr 8 Up—Romy Silvers was born on The Infinity 16 years ago and has never been to Earth. As the ship soars the galaxy to colonize a new planet, Earth II, Romy is left to command the ship after her parents' death. As the only human onboard, Romy passes her time writing fan fiction about her favorite earthen TV show and emailing her NASA liaison—her only source of communication. Romy receives a message that a new ship with Commander J is on the way to help her, and she's excited to no longer be alone. Through emails filled with their deepest thoughts and concerns, Romy counts down the days until J joins her and wonders if he's as dreamy as her favorite TV show character. With war looming on the horizon, the uncertainty of the new Earth, and a new man joining the mission, Romy wonders if loneliness is the least of her concerns. Peppered with email exchanges from Earth and Commander J, this sci-fi tale is about a young woman looking forward to her future while fighting her nightmares from the past. Romy is an average and relatable teen who dreams of love and crushes on TV actors. Though she is the commander of a ship and gifted in math and science, she also has moments of insecurity and weakness. The author attempts to compose a narrative about loneliness, but this falls short of going deeper into the psychological effects of losing parents and truly being alone for five years. VERDICT Not recommended.—Dawn Abron, Zion-Benton Public Library, IL
AUGUST 2018 - AudioFile
Lauren Ezzo's emotionally charged narration gets under the skin of Romy Silvers. The teenage daughter of astronauts, and the sole survivor on the Space Shuttle INFINITY, is traveling on a multi-decade mission to colonize Earth2. After her parents' deaths in space, her only contact with humanity is messages from NASA that have a two-year delay. When a newer, faster ship is sent to join her, she gets to know J., the first human she’s ever met other than her parents. Ezzo lets Romy’s mercurial moods infect the listener—the pain of her losses, the quickened speech and desperate whine of her occasional panic in the vastness of space, and the sweet glee of a girl getting to know a boy. As complications arise, Ezzo rockets toward the heart-stopping conclusion. S.T.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2018-04-03
In the mid-21st century, a young white woman tries to complete the mission of her deceased astronaut parents.Romy, the lone survivor on a spaceship heading away from Earth, learned a great deal from her British dad and American mom, enough to help her try to reach the planet they were headed for before they died. With daily messages from her therapist, Molly, reading romance novels, and writing fan fiction, Romy copes as best she can, but the isolation is sometimes too much to bear. When she receives news that another ship has been launched to connect with hers, she is beside herself with happiness. Soon she begins to receive messages from the commander of the approaching ship, J Shoreditch, a young man of 22. Her excitement is soon tempered by a curt message from Molly: "TRANSMISSIONS POSTPONED. WAR ON EARTH." A post indicating the disbanding of the United States spells uncertainty. For a while, it appears she and J share concerns about the war. However, as his ship gets closer, Romy realizes she is facing grave danger from her visitor as well as from memories of how she came to be alone on her ship. As much psychological thriller as space odyssey, the timeline of the action is a challenge to follow, but the focus on the mental pressures is intriguing. For fans of speculative fiction with lots of plot twists. (Science fiction. 14-adult)
