They - Jem

Outside In
Insider, Book 2

Author: Maria V. Snyder
Pages: 326
ARC Acquired From: Harlequin Teen via NetGalley

Brief Summary:

Trella and the gang are back. Having rousted the Trava's from power, a Committee is ruling the ship and everything is hunky dory. The end. Or, at least, that is what everyone expected. What people are learning is that dismantling a system of order is a lot easier than creating one. It is also hard to reprogram people's biases against other social groups. Things in Inside are getting progressively worse (worse even than in Trava times). And then the bombings start.

Review:

This is the sequel to Outside In, to which I had a mostly meh response. I am very happy to report that I really liked the sequel. I cannot say with any assurance whether this stems from my altered expectations, a change in my mood, a decrease in frostiness in Trella or a general improvement in the story. Perhaps all three. Outside In definitely had less crawling through the pipes and a bit more character development for everyone.

I really appreciated the position Trella found herself in after the revolution completed and the real governing began. She, much like Katniss in The Hunger Games, has unintentionally found herself the figurehead of a revolution, and everyone has expectations of her. As she says on page 64: "I've done my part. It's time for other people to step in and set up a better system. I wouldn't know the first thing about running a society." She fears the authority that gives her and would prefer to continue exploring. Trella really grows through the course of this novel, way more than in the last one, but she does so very naturally.

As a last comment, I have to give Snyder some major props for the steamy (if sadly brief) scenes between Riley and Trella. She can write some good stuff that definitely leaves you wanting to find a Riley of your own (not to mention a shower). I will be definitely be reading Snyder's Study series soon!

"Who made up all the rules?
We follow them like fools,
Believe them to be true,
Don't care to think them through

And I'm sorry, so sorry
I'm sorry it's like this
I'm sorry, so sorry
I'm sorry we do this

And it's ironic, too
'Cause what we tend to do
Is act on what they say
And then it is that way
Who are they?
Where are they?
How can they possibly
Know all this?"