Review: Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Inside Out
Author: Maria V. Snyder

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Publishing Information: 315 pages; April 1, 2010 by Harlequin

Series: #1 in Insider series

Where I got it: E-book from library

One sentence: Trella, so-called Queen of the Pipes, is a scrub who works the lower levels, keeping them clean for the Uppers, until she accidentally incites a rebellion and finds out secrets she never knew existed.

Themes: Dystopian, rebellion, revolution, secrets, romance,

Main character: 4/5

You know how in some books, the author introduces the main character as pretty and nice, but having some social flaw, and then you read the rest of the book and it never pops up again? This is not one of those. Trella has only one friend, Cogon, is disliked by the other scrubs, and lacks social skills. What I really loved was that, while this flaw was worked into the novel, Trella continued to grow through the work, particularly through her role as the leader of the rebellion.

Secondary characters: 3.5/5

Obviously, Riley was my absolutely favorite. Yes, he was an Upper, but he was sweet and cute and the whole ‘Sheepy’ thing was just adorable. He and Trella seemed to work very well together. I really wanted to like Cogon, but I just needed more from him- I didn’t feel like he had any flaws and he was definitely the stereotypical ‘hero’. One of the most intriguing characters was the Doctor; particularly when more information on her came to light.

Writing style: 4/5
My favorite part was probably the pace, because it was just right. There were definitely sections where the pace was jumping and others where it took some breaths. My one problem: the end became a little rushed. The writing itself had some good descriptions and action scenes, but nothing exceptional.

Plot: 4.5/5

I love dystopian novels, so it’s not a surprise that I enjoyed this novel’s premise, however I also loved how Snyder was so thorough with her world-building and expertly written romance. The secrets, mysteries and plot twists gave continued depth to the plot, although some aspects were predictable.

Ending: 4/5

The ending was surprisingly satisfying for the first of a series- it left questions, but wrapped things up. However, it was also slightly anti-climactic.

Best scene: The opening of the Gateway

Positives: Writing pace, premise, strong characters

Negatives: Some stereotypical secondary characters, rushed ending, some parts seemed repetitive (Cog incarcerated)

First Line: A vibration rippled through my body.

Cover: Pretty plain- I think the simplicity is striking, but I would have preferred some more ‘pop’ to draw me in.

Verdict: A good new addition to the YA dystopian genre- exciting, full of adventure and intriguing.

Rating: 7.6 / 10