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The Darkness Outside Us

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About this listen

They Both Die at the End meets Gravity in this mind-bending sci-fi mystery and tender love story about two boys aboard a spaceship sent on a rescue mission, from two-time National Book Award finalist Eliot Schrefer. Stonewall Honor Award winner!

Two boys, alone in space. Sworn enemies sent on the same rescue mission.

Ambrose wakes up on the Coordinated Endeavor with no memory of a launch. There’s more that doesn’t add up: evidence indicates strangers have been on board, the ship’s operating system is voiced by his mother, and his handsome, brooding shipmate has barricaded himself away. But nothing will stop Ambrose from making his mission succeed—not when he’s rescuing his own sister.

In order to survive the ship’s secrets, Ambrose and Kodiak will need to work together and learn to trust each other . . . especially once they discover what they are truly up against. Love might be the only way to survive.

* Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books of the Year * A Booklist Editor's Choice of the Year * A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book of the Year * A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults & Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Book of the Year *

 LGBTQ+ Literature & Fiction Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Romance Science Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Thrillers & Suspense Fiction Mystery
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A beautiful romance in space. Intelligently written with loveable characters. Started my audio subscription again just to listen to the sequel

LOVED

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It's quite difficult to review this book without adding a few spoilers but I'll try anyway. It has elements of an epic story with the fight for survival at it's core and yet there also a sweet love of love quite well integrated. It's very nuanced in it's approach to humanity and artificial intelligence with the circumstances clearly the primary driver for the characters decisions. It's really quite sad and lonely at times but it really is a prerequisite for what is a great story.

An emotional and existential roller coaster

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This book was so sad in places yet so uplifting in others. I cried for Ambrose and Kodiak. Their journey through space with them thinking they were doing one thing and then realisation that all was not what it seemed. Their ingenious ways of subverting the irritating OS and finding ways to pass on what knowledge they had gleaned to their future selves. Their love for each other kept them on track. A gloriously unexpected treasure of a book.

Unexpected treasure

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I will firstly just say that I haven't listened to a book that's made me feel like this ever before.. (just finished it and I'm still slightly reeling).

If you are even remotely interested in the premise and enjoy sci-fi... PICK THIS UP. I was on the edge of my seat for the whole duration and had to listen in 2 sittings.. (which is unheard of for me).

So beautifully written and surprisingly thematically deep. Very well performed by the narrator too,
I won't be forgetting it for a long long time. What a ride.

Sci-fi thriller page turner

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This book is so much sadder than I expected! Also it is a bit scarier than I expected.

Sadder and angstier then I expected

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