Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Though I have never officially reviewed any of Maria V. Snyder's books before, I am a long time fan. Her Poison Study trilogy got a second read-through from me, which rarely happens. I will also recommend Poison Study to just about anyone who asks me for a good book recommendation. Her Glass series is equally excellent and I am looking forward to the conclusion this fall. So suffice it to say I was absolutely stoked to know she would be releasing a young adult book!

Trella lives Inside, a futuristic place where people are treated like scrubs and worthless machines. Trella is an anti-social teen - she'd rather sleep in the pipes she is assigned to clean than mingle with the other scrubs. Because of this, others call her the Queen of the Pipes. She has accepted her dreary life as just another hard-working scrub in the Lower Levels. Her best friend Cog (like the machine part) is a believer, one of many who perpetrate a rumor of the Gateway, or a way out of Inside. During some of her usual work shift mischievousness, she falls (literally!) into the friendship of an Upper named Riley, and her whole world changes. This meeting sparks a series of events that will push Trella's skills and beliefs to the limits. But along the way, she learns she may have more to believe in after all.

One word can sum it all up for me: WOW. Just... WOW. Once I had started reading it, walking away was out of the question. This was a fantastic dystopian vision of a future life. Inside was terrifying and claustrophobic. Snyder has a tendency to write strong female characters with seemingly endless amounts of stamina, and Trella falls into this role nicely. The action sequences were not only supremely intense, but there were many of them. My heart raced, my blood pounded, and I swear I even held my breath once or twice. And all racing towards an ending that left me gasping for more. I also feel strongly that both boys and girls will like Maria Snyder's stories, as they all have tons of action plus plenty of intimate elements as well. If you have never tried Maria V. Snyder before, this is definitely the one to start with!

All of this is making me wonder: when is the movie coming out?!

Overall Rating: 5 stars + Favorite