Outside
by Sarah Ann Juckes
Rating: ★★★1/2
Published by Penguin Books Australia
Publication Date: 8th of January, 2019
Australian RRP: $16.99
The Proof of the Outside follows the story of Ele, who is held captive in a small room by a man known as ‘Him’. Ele is determined to prove there is a world Outside. And when she finds a hole in the wall, the proof starts leaking in. In this dark and compelling debut novel, Ele’s strong and heartbreakingly optimistic voice shines through, revealing an important lesson about the power of stories to save lives.
After finishing this book I’m still not really sure how to describe the feeling of reading Outside, other than saying you just have to read it for yourself. This debut novel went by so quickly because it was a shorter book and I was also immersed in the plot instantly so it didn’t take long to step into her shoes. In this book, the main character, Ele, is a young teenage girl that has always been inside. Having lived in a small, locked room for as long as she can remember she still knows there is something else to escape to.
Even though she has never been Outside, she knows there is more to the world because of the three simple books she has to look at including a book on different trees that paints a picture of a world beyond her door. Of course, Ele longs to escape and be Outside but the man, only known to her and the reader as ‘Him’, keeps her in the dark.
This book to me is a story of self-discovery and the strength of hope and perseverance. Ele has a simple and determined force driving her with the obvious need for freedom and escapes from a terrible situation, but she also has a beautiful hope and admiration with the trees she recites the names and features of. The trees became her anchor as she was kept inside a small, imprisoned room where she could escape into the book of trees and you know in times of great darkness or struggle one bright thing or something you hold onto can drive you forward onto that discovery. Outside was an interesting and unique reading experience that left a heavy impression on me.
(Thank you to Penguin Books Australia for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Outside is available in store and online now!)
About the Author
Sarah Ann Juckes is a Content Creator for The Writers’ Workshop. The Proof of the Outside was shortlisted for Mslexia’s Children’s Novel competition and longlisted for the Bath Novel Award. Sarah volunteers for the NSPCC’s ‘Speak Out and Stay Safe’ programme, and mentors under-represented writers with Creative Future – both causes that inspired this book. – Website
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Penguin Books Australia – Outside
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