Inside Out (YA)

Inside Out. Maria V. Snyder. 2010. April 2010. Harlequin Teen. 320 pages.

A vibration rippled through my body. I awoke in semi-darkness, unsure of my location. Reaching out with my hands, I felt smooth sides arching up and in. My fingers touched overhead. Pipe. A distant roar caused unease, but with sleep fogging my mind, I couldn't quite grasp its significance. The pipe's vibrations increased as the thunder grew louder. Water. Coming toward me. Fast.

Trella, our heroine, is Queen of the Pipes. As a 'Scrub' living in the lower levels of Inside, she doesn't have much privacy. Or much of anything really. Scrubs are nobodies. Not raised in families--but raised in groups of ten by care mothers. 'Mothers' who watch to see what jobs they should fill when they're old enough. They work, work, work. Sure, they get some off-duty time. But not nearly enough.

Trella is a loner even when surrounded by people. She doesn't have many friends. She doesn't want to have friends. She's got her brother, Cog, and that's enough. (Not that they're really brother-and-sister, but they were raised by the same care mother. They grew up with each other.) But when Cog introduces her to the latest prophet, Broken Man, Trella gets more trouble than she ever expected. Broken Man is hoping that she can steal some disks he's got hidden. And, since she is "Queen of the Pipes" and so super-sneaky at maneuvering through all the systems without getting caught, well it seems like just another challenge to do during her off time.

She doesn't believe in the Gateway. She doesn't believe the nonsense about the millionth week. But. A challenge is a challenge.

Inside Out is science fiction, dystopia. It's an exciting read, a book I didn't want to put down! Is it the best book I've ever read? Probably not. But I definitely wanted to keep reading! I just had to know how it all ends.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews