Review--Inside Out

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 rise is my own...until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

Only took me a little over a day to read Maria's debut in her new YA series, Inside Out! It was fantastic!

I'm going to admit, I was a little confused at first. In the beginning there is a lot of new vocab that just didn't make sense at first, I was trying to see where Trella lived, what her life was like and what she does on a daily basis. What made it confusing was I couldn't figure out where it was that she lived, it seemed complicated what with talks of levels, but soon it becomes easier to understand the layout of the place.

The characters were excellent, Trella is amazing young girl, she's 17, and kind of a loner except for one friend, Cog, who is a very well loved guy. I guess you could call him Joe Cool in a way, he's funny, nice, everyone loves him, Trella is the opposite. Where Cog believes in the idea that one day he, along with Trella and the other Scrubs who work the lower levels of this place will be saved, there is the Gateway that is basically the ideal paradise where everyone lives in harmony and equality. Trella doesn't believe in the Gateway though.

But when a new Scrub comes from the Upper levels and starts spouting off more ideas about the Gateway and its existence, claiming to have proof, Trella is tricked in a way, to help him retrieve some disks--mostly so she can prove to Cog that Broken Man is wrong. But that's where the trouble begins.

Soon everything goes into chaos, and Trella is caught in the middle while trying to not get caught by the Pop Cops. Along the way she ends up befriending an Upper, someone who lives in the Upper levels. And she learns a great deal of more information than she would like, all while leading a revolution as the BOC says. Trella starts as a non-believer, but soon becomes the leader.

It was amazing! And the secrets that are within the story are mindblowing! I tell you, I didn't see any of them coming really. I mean one probably should have been obvious, but I just didn't see it or think about it. And then another one was just like whoa! And somethings that were said early make sense in regards to this BIG secret that I cannot reveal.

Inside Out has a sort of futuristic quality going on, at least that's what I think. The name for all the gizmos that Trella and her friends--she makes new friends--use are pretty complex. A year is never given, but I think it's safe to say that it is sometime in the future.

The characters are all different and flavorful. There are "geeky" guys, "fun" guys, "mysterious" guys, "the weird old dude", "the b*tchy commander" and tons more! It was refreshing to see such different characters.

Also since there is this hierarchy structure to the Uppers and Scrubs, there are rules and certain jobs that are also added in. The Scrubs basically do the work, but just the way that these people live is interesting...I mean it's horrible too because the Scrubs are treated poorly, but...it's hard to explain exactly without giving anything away.

There are a few surprises near the end as well, besides the BIG secret that I cannot mention. There are a few others too. And the ending, while it is satisfying in some ways, still leaves you craving for more. Because while some things were wrapped up, there are a list of new developments that arise that will have to be taken care of in Outside In, coming out at the beginning of next year according to Maria.

Again, I highly recommend this book, not only because I love Maria's books, but her writing style is just wonderful! She creates these different worlds--literally in her adult series--that you just get sucked into. I could've finished this yesterday but I had some homework that got in the way. Her books are that good, I lose track of time when reading her adult books and the same goes for her new YA one as well. I am looking forward to reading more of Trella and her friends. So, again, if you are looking to get lost into a good book, into a different world where almost anything can happen then Maria's books are for you. Her Study series and Glass series--the adult ones, seem to be set in the past (a good assumption since there is no electricity or other technology involved) and her YA series has a more futuristic quality to them. So pick your poison! ;)

Maria's adult books

The Study Series:
Poison Study
Magic Study
Fire Study

The Glass Series:
Storm Glass
Sea Glass
Spy Glass--coming September 1, 2010!