For ages 13 up
"The cool group at school is not as luminous as it seems.
Beautiful Jordan is struggling to cope with her newly divorced parents. Meredith covers up her past by playing the clown, Cecilia hides a shameful secret, Sam is growing up, and Jack is caught off-guard when he falls in love for the first time.
And then there’s someone who’s not part of the group. The others have no idea that she’s there.
But she knows there are cracks.
She watches from the inside, out. From the outside in."
Review by Paige Mercer, Elwood, Age 14
Outside In is a FANTASTIC book I loved it. This is the kind of book that if you start reading you can’t put it down.
A wonderful book for both boys and girls alike – one which will encourage them to open their eyes to the surroundings of their own lives. This is a universal story. All seven characters could easily be found in any high school in Australia. outside IN is definitely destined for schools reading lists!
Persnickety Snark
Vastly relatable, fantastic dialogue and an interesting structure make this a great read on teens.
Outside In was a quick and easy read, but it was also written really well – beautiful in its simplicity. Each character was well-developed, each struggled with their own issues, and as well as each story being separate, the entire novel fit together seamlessly as a whole.
"I had a strong emotional response to this book.
I started out thinking how good, how taut, the writing is - those pithy, understated observations, and the tone, which is brilliant.
A bit further in, I became totally absorbed by the characters and the story, the deft presentation of different points of view.
And then I simply stopped being 53 and was a 13-year-old again, reliving all the fear and vulnerability. All that hope and despair. We've all been there.
Who wouldn't respond to this book with emotion and understanding and compassion? It is beautiful. I'm very glad I've read it."
Andrea Mayes
Author: The Rose Notes, Shearwater [Penguin]