Review: Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Inside Out
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Series: Insiders #1
Publication: April 1st 2010 by Harlequin
Genre: Young Adult ~ Dystopian
Cover Rating: 4/5
Overall Rating: 5/5

   

Keep Your Head Down.
Don't Get Noticed.
Or Else.

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

~My Thoughts:

A huge thanks to my dear friend Emilie who was so sweet to gift me this book (and the second!) because she really wanted me to read it. Keep spreading the book love, girl!

I have to admit that at first —although Em kept raving about how amazing this books is — I didn't have too high hopes for Inside Out. The reason only being that I had grown a little sick of dystopian YA books, feeling as if they all resemble one another, and especially the female characters in (any) young adult books mosly bore me. Even when I started this book, I was thinking what did I get myself into because I was so confused by what was going on and I couldn't follow the storyline it seemed but fortunately the story did pick up very soon after that and before I knew it I was hooked!

I was truly surprised by how much I liked this book. The characters were what stood out to me the most. Especially the main character, Trella. She was a very strong girl. I like strong characters a lot and Trella has got to be one of the best female characters in YA, especially for that reason; her strenght. She might not be physically strong but inside she was kick-ass! She actually reminded me a little bit of Katniss Everdeen even.
A lot of the other characters also stood out for me. Cog, Riley, Logan, Anne-Jade, Jacy, Broken Man even LC Karla and Doctor Lamont. There was quite a varierty of a bunch of characters, all different from one another. And let's not forget Sheepy! ;)

There were some rocking plot twists that I didn't see coming at all. I swear I used to be good at expecting these kind of things but with Inside Out I was totally taken by surprise by a few things. Gotta love that!
Another thing I loved about this book is how romance didn't take up a lot of the book. It's only when we reach the end when there's some romance in it. It's perfect that way. 

Overall Inside Out was simply awesome. A great storyline, even greater characters and unexpected twists + lots of action! What more can you want from a book?

~Favorite Quotes:

Everyone watched me as if I were a bomb. Would I explode and cause a disaster or would I pop and cause a miracle?

I squashed my fear and worries into a small metal box and dropped in the shattered remains of my heart for good measure. Locked with an obnoxiously big lock, I pushed the container into a far corner of my thoughts.

~About The Author:

Meteorologist turned novelist, Maria's been writing fantasy and science fiction since she was bored at work and needed something creative to do. A dozen novels and numerous short stories later, Maria's learned a thing or three about writing. She’s been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a half-dozen awards, and has earned her MA degree in Writing from Seton Hill University where she's been happily sharing her knowledge with the current crop of MFA students. She also enjoys creating new worlds where horses and swords rule, 'cause let's face it, they're cool, although she's been known to trap her poor characters in a giant metal cube and let them figure out how to get out. Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule at http://www.MariaVSnyder.com

Find her also on:

Facebook | Goodreads

Purchase Inside Out on:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Fishpond | Kobo