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It was the beginning of the end. Either we would fail or not. At least we could say we tried.
Inside Out —
Maria V. Snyder
Insiders Book 1★★★★⯪
Trella is one of thousands of scrubs living in Inside. Scrubs live in the lower levels and keep Inside running; hydroponics, recycling, waste management, cleaning, maintenance, and more all fall under their purview. Trella’s lives a fairly solitary life, as solitary as one can be in the lower levels – that is, until she inadvertently starts a rebellion.
Review
I’ve been reading many science fiction and dystopian books from my childhood in the 2000s and early 2010s, and so far, this one has held up the best. I loved it, and the themes of propaganda and class division/solidarity are incredibly salient. Trella is a great protagonist with a really satisfying character arc. The first-person perspective works really well for exploring the themes. We only know as much about the world as Trella, and we don’t know what’s propaganda versus what’s real. Asking questions alongside Trella strengthens the themes, and reminds us that, even if something seem self-evident, it’s still worthwhile to consider the alternatives. I also appreciated the realistic depiction of moving past one’s preconceptions about others. Trella’s attempts to trust and her reaction to the consequences – good or bad – was relatable. It takes time and effort to change your beliefs, but I don’t usually see that reflected in fiction.
I also really enjoyed the plot. There’s not a lot of physical fighting, but you still feel the tension throughout. The lower levels are under constant surveillance by the Population Control Police, aka the Pop Cops. It’s clear incredibly early that the Pop Cops will do pretty much anything to maintain control, and there’s a general air of fear among the scrubs because of the short leash they’re kept on. So, even though we aren’t concerned about losing characters in battle, the threat of being caught by the Pop Cops or turned in by scrubs trying to access more privileges is constantly looming overhead. It’s makes the question of who to trust even more important. Trusting the wrong person could put not only Trella but everyone she’s gotten involved in the rebellion at risk.
I really enjoyed reading this and love it just as much on further reflection. It’s a unique story and setting. I like the characters and their arcs. I’ve read and enjoyed several books by Maria V. Snyder, but this is by far my favorite. If anything in the premise seems interesting to you, I highly recommend giving it a try.
Content warnings: death, torture
Felicity Morrow has returned to Dalloway School to finish her high school career. She lives in Godwin House, an exclusive dorm said to be haunted by five of Dalloway’s earliest students. Felicity is trying to leave the school’s occult past – and her abiding interest in it – behind, but transfer student Ellis Haley won’t let her forget it. Ellis recruits Felicity to help her research the Dalloway Five – the inspiration for her second novel. Felicity has some misgivings about the work, which only deepen when history starts to repeat itself.