Looking for laughs? You won’t find many here. What you will find is a page-turning tale about a girl being raised in a secret compound.

Razzi’s parents and other adults at the former mansion have a rule to never go outside. There are too many dangers after the world apparently was poisoned, killing millions of innocent. There are other kids in the home but Razzi is the oldest and must lead with good decisions. Her friend Ollie went outside and he was killed so Razzi must watch over the other children to keep them safe.

But Razzi has had a heart transplant from a greyhound dog named Wind. Razzi feels like she has inherited many of the dog’s canine characteristics like enhanced hearing and a distaste for food she once liked. There is also an urge to go outside. She doesn’t know what is out there but finding answers overpowers the need to be safe.

That is all I can say as any more would drop plot reveals readers should experience on their own.

Razzi’s little brother Bing will remind many of their own little sibling. Always craving attention and wanting help with various tasks. It’s a loving relationship stretched to the limits. Other characters, whether kids or adults, are also a memorable part of the tale.

The page count (and text size) is perfect for middle grade and Razzi’s narration through 24 chapters would even make a nice read-aloud. OUTSIDE is a compelling look at how trauma and survival effect a young cast of characters.

BOOK BIRTHDAY: October 7, 2025 PAGES: 240

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: OUTSIDE by Jennifer L. Holm

1. Endings that surprise readers are always my favorite and the ending here was a good one.
2. The way kids handled the death of 12-year-old Ollie was both realistic and life changing for many of them. A well done part of the plot.
3. Questions about heart transplants and greyhounds were answered by the author in her informative note at the end of the book.
4. Razzi’s surprise at seeing things she had never seen before in the outside world was handled with perfection by the author.
5. The story let readers have empathy for life inside the refuge for about two-thirds of the book while the last one-third was set OUTSIDE. A nice balance between the two adding to the surprise and thrill aspects of the story.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer L. Holm is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY-bestselling children’s author with over 9.8 million books in print. She is the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA, PENNY FROM HEAVEN, and TURTLE IN PARADISE and the Scott O’Dell Award for FULL OF BEANS. Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on several graphic novel series including the Babymouse series which has sold over 3.6 million copies and won the Eisner Award, the Sunny series which is a NY Times-bestseller, and finally, the Squish series which was turned into an animated series by Cottonwood Media and aired on HBO MAX. Her latest novel, OUTSIDE, has received a starred review from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. She lives in California with her husband, two children, and three bossy cats named Augustus, Livia, and Calpurnia. (For more about Jennifer and her books visit https://www.jenniferholm.com)

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