"The Darkness Outside Us" is easily one of my favorite books from this year and one of the few that I have actually given five stars. I was so excited that Kodiak and Ambrose's story would continue, and I was not disappointed (although, I kind of am because I want more!).

This story is told from four POVs: Owl and Yarrow from the present and OG Kodiak and Ambrose from the past. I'm usually not one for multiple POVs, but this really worked because it wasn't going back and forth between chapters. They each had their own sections, which was nice because it wasn't jarring when a new POV was introduced.

I really expected the story to be all about Kodiak, Ambrose, and their family's lives on Minerva but was pleasantly surprised. It was nice to get some of Kodiak and Ambrose's backstory and the events leading up to the events in the first book. Can I also say that I love that Kodiak and Ambrose will always choose each other no matter what?

I really hope this isn't the end of Kodiak, Ambrose, Owl, and Yarrow's stories. However, if it is, the ending is satisfying. That being said, can we please, please, please get a third book?

Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children's and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 ⭐️

thank you to netgalley and harper collins for giving me this ARC in exchange for a review 💙

i read the darkness outside us earlier this year after having it on my shelf from barnes & noble for a couple years, and was so glad i finally picked it up! i LOVED it, and was so happy to find out there was a sequel coming out later this year!!

in a mix of science fiction, romance, and young adult, this book jumps into the future after kodiak and ambrose are settled onto a new planet with teenage children now. we also have alternating POVs both between characters and timelines, one of which way back in the past on earth before the nuclear war happened.

this book was such an emotional rollercoaster, i laughed, i almost cried, i smiled. sheep was my fave 🥹🐑

so happy i got to read this and can’t wait to see what else this author will write!

review to come on my instagram closer to pub day!

I didn’t think The Darkness Outside Us needed a sequel. In fact I was kind of nervous to read this because I thought it unnecessary. But boy am I glad I did. This was absolutely stunning. Literally crying over this beautiful and heartbreaking story.

Biggest thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of 'The Brightness Between Us'! This review is my full, honest opinion.

After recently reading the gut-wrenching “The Darkness Outside Us”, which is now one of my new all-time favorites, I immediately went into its sequel with overwhelming emotions and high expectations. ‘The Brightness Between Us’ shares the story of how all actions in the past impact every aspect of the future. The book crosses timelines and points of view between Kodiak and Ambrose’s teen children Owl and Yarrow in their current present on Minerva and the original counterparts of Kodiak and Amrbose that remained on Earth before the launch in the very distant past. Despite how much space and time separates them, their lives and worlds depend on each other.

Owl and Yarrow are great additions to the story, and genuinely my favorite part of the book. Owl had me cackling at how relatable she is to being a teenage girl trying to be understood by those around her and experience the most in life even with almost nothing around. Yarrow is optimistic and reserved in a way I instantly admired upon his entry and throughout the read. The novel could have been entirely in their points of view and I would have been thoroughly entertained — and honestly, I wish the book had been written that way.

To my surprise, in ‘Darkness’, I was encapsulated with every version of Kodiak and Ambrose; there wasn’t a pair of them that I didn’t dislike or believe to be acting out without reason. Yet in ‘Brightness’, as much as I liked the older/Dad versions, I couldn’t stand their original selves. The events that followed up immediately after their minds were scanned before the launch read to me more unbelievable than being revealed they had clone counterparts brought to life every couple hundred to thousand years to fix a spaceship. Ambrose’s preservative nature over his clones was weirdly immediate and intimate. The scope of land that was covered and the pressing danger that presented itself happened at too fast of a pace. And do not get me started on the role taken by an unfortunately well-known, crucially important character who made the Earth storyline all too good to be true in the first place. Although everything does get explained, I couldn’t forgive the convenience of how it all came together at the near end. This book seemed to have such a linear approach to fixing its problems and for that reason it didn’t click for me like ‘Darkness’ did.

The character interactions are the driving force in this story and I believe that is what the author really wanted the story to be about — it is clearly stated in the author’s note. Don’t expect something like ‘Darkness’, although this is its sequel, the style is different and the message in which the story is telling is told and shown straightforwardly in the pages.

eARC received for review from NetGalley

5⭐️

um WOW ?! For starters I read the reader’s note at the beginning so Eliot Schrefer if you’re reading this… hello you genius.
I didn’t shut up about book one so don’t expect me to shut up about this one either.
I read The Darkness Outside Us two years ago in one sitting while I was quarantining and unfortunately being on vacation meant I had to put The Brightness Between Us down even if I absolutely didn’t want to… but let me tell you I COULD’VE READ THIS BOOK IN ONE GO IF I HAD THE TIME.
I don’t even have even words in my vocabulary to describe how amazing and unique and interesting and mesmerizing this books is, just know that I will be recommending this series for as long as I have air in my lungs.

Thank you to Eliot Schrefer, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the free review copy.

Perfect little sequel to a book that I did not think needed a sequel. It did the thing good sequels are supposed to do: enhanced the best parts of first one (the Ambrose and Kodiak relationship) while expanding and adding to them (the Minerva sequences). No hyperbole- this was the "Godfather, part II" of YA sci-fi novels.

If I had one quibble- and this is minor- the teenage Ambrose and the adult Ambrose could be mistaken for two different characters. Maybe smooth out one or roughen up the other.

I can’t tell you how surprised and delighted to see The Darkness Outside Us was getting a sequel - and more than a little nervous knowing how Eliot Schrefer likes to hurt his readers! However, I should’ve known better than to doubt because, like its predecessor, this was heartfelt and heart racing in equal measures, as well as a healthy dose of rich worldbuilding, tender family dynamics and an exploration of what it means when a whole vast future is suddenly thrust into your hands.

As well as getting the back story of our beloved Kodiak and Ambrose pre-journey, we also are introduced to their children - Yarrow and Owl. I really enjoyed the dual timelines and how much this book fleshed out the first one. The sci-fi elements were as excellent as ever and the romance truly just as gut wrenching. A great addition to the story that I think will go down a treat!

I loved the first book, The Darkness Outside Us. Loved it. So my expectations were very high for The Brightness Between Us. At first, the tonal shift threw me and so when my expectations were not entirely met, I was disappointed. I feel like The Darkness Outside Us is incorrectly marketed as YA. While the main characters are technically teenagers, they don’t feel like teens. And the book doesn’t read like YA. Personally, I think it should just be straight up Science Fiction, and not YA Science Fiction. I say all of this because The Brightness Between us DOES feel like YA. And I wasn’t expecting it. However, once I got past that, I fell in love with this story and the new characters (and old “new” characters) so, so quickly. It’s hard to write a review that isn’t just a direct comparison to the first book. But while Brightness is maybe missing the suspense (and almost horror) qualities that I loved so much from Darkness, it has the relationship building and the characters that are so easy to root for that really make these books so compelling. I loved getting more of Ambrose and Kodiak (and even OS) -but I just as much loved Owl and Yarrow, too. Eliot Schrefer is an author that I’ll absolutely come back to, whether it’s more of this story, or something brand new.

Now.. idk what it is about authors wanting to WREAK MY EMOTIONAL STATUS in these last 2 ARC reads but I digress.

(NetGalley thank you for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review)

4.5 STARS ROUNDED UP

Now where to start. This book is about colonial, family, history, and so much more. To even suggest this book was anything less than the first is crazy to me. The way The Darkness Between Us ended. It didn’t, at least in my head, need a sequel. Maybe a small bonus episode or novella but I’m so glad Eliot decided to make this a book bc I am literally taken aback. Maybe it healed my inner child a bit too🫶 (small spoiler; owl, it’s okay to be misunderstood bc you aren’t the only one)

I love Eliot Schrefer so much. His writing is unlike anything else I've read; it has a unique ability to make you truly *feel* with every page. "The Brightness Between Us" is no exception. The way Schrefer weaves the prequel nature of part of the story into the present is nothing short of masterful. Discovering what happened to the original Ambrose and Kodiak was heartbreaking but also incredibly beautiful.

The emotional depth and complexity of the characters drew me in completely. I felt every twist and turn in their journey. Schrefer left us on another cliffhanger, one that was so emotional and moving that it will stay with me long after I turned the last page.

I hadn't stopped thinking about "The Darkness Outside Us" since I read it, and now I know "The Brightness Between Us" will be another story that lingers in my mind for a long time. The intertwining of lives across time and space is handled with such finesse, making the stakes feel incredibly high and the connections profoundly real.

If you loved "The Darkness Outside Us," this sequel is a must-read. Schrefer's ability to create an epic love story that spans galaxies and millennia is truly remarkable. This book is an emotional rollercoaster that you won't want to miss.

My crops are watered, my skin is clear, and I think my slump is finally over, because of this book.

I read the Darkness Outside Us last year, and I loved it. Then, when I saw that this was announced not long after that, needless to say I was excited. But somehow, whether it be from my month long slump or general feeling of "meh" with other reads I picked up this year, it really flew under the radar. Well, I am happy to say that, after finishing this book in less than a week, my slump is not only cured, but I think this book renewed my love of reading.

This book just does so much RIGHT. And to follow up so incredibly to a book that really didn't need a sequel? To a book that ended perfectly? That already seemed like such an impossible task, but somehow, this book did THAT. I fell in love with Yarrow and Owl, and fell in love all over again with Ambrose and Kodiak. I fell in love with the world, despite how dark and bleak it was. I fell in love with the humanity of it, especially living in the time we are currently in. It gives me hope, and I know that sounds cheesy, but it honestly does.

This book is about family. It is about the good and bad of humanity. It is about DESTINY, and god dammit do I love it.

I could follow this crew forever. I don't know if another sequel will follow, but no matter if it does or doesn't happen, I will be thinking about this one for a long time.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Massive thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC of The Brightness Between Us by Eliot Schrefer. Because I had this book to start off my summer vacation reading, I was able to take my time, re-read the The Darkness Outside Us, and savor the brilliance of both books and how they tie together. If we lived in safer times for English teachers selecting titles for public schools, these books would be required reading in my classes for their place in the new genre of climate change fiction, its literary allusions ( If you have students who don't get what Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" is doing, have them read this series), and its messages of hope and love. I can't wait to recommend the sequel to all the former students I've texted about the first one. I read somewhere that the author held off on a second book until he was sure he had a plan to equal the beauty of the first novel. The sequel manages to have the same strengths without simply retelling the first story.

The sequel begins 17 years after the first book with the first person limited narrative perspective of Owl, the daughter of the Kodiak and Ambrose clones who landed on Sagittarion Bb and renamed the planet Minerva, after Ambrose's sister. Owl is a genetic replica of Minerva and is 15 as the story opens. She's a handful, a sharp contrast to her soon-to-be 16 year-old-brother Yarrow, who is sweet and trustworthy and kind. We learn that the Kodiak and Ambrose's love has continued to hold their little family together, despite the sorrows of losing at least 3 children and other hardships of being the first settlers of a new planet. Owl watches her dads holding hands and wonders if they'd have given each other a second look on Earth. This is not a throwaway thought after all. As Owl and her family learn, their continued survival and that of the human race very much depends on how the originals of Kodiak and Ambrose interacted with each other and the decisions they made thousands of years ago.

All we really saw of the boys who were cloned in the first book were from the original memories each clone woke with and Ambrose #1 on a recorded message, looking and sounding kind of like a typical teen douchebag. Kodiak didn't even want to listen to his original's recording. The book doesn't release until October, so I'm trying to be very careful of spoilers, But once again, Schrefer provides a masterclass in characterization, plotting, narrative shifts, and suspenseful revelations. Minor details from the first novel become major plot points of the sequel. There's a meme going around about Book Tok-ers who say, "This book absolutely destroyed me! It ruined me! It's my favorite book!" It's a meme for a reason. This book like its predecessor, will destroy you, and you will love it.

I’m practically speechless after finishing this book, but I’ll try my best (without spoilers) to share what I loved about this book.

This is a follow up to The Darkness Outside Us, and the books must be read in order.

One of the things I love about this book is the multiple POV that the reader gets to experience. It really helps bring this story together. The book is mostly set two years after the end of the first book, but we do get to pop back to the original timeline at the beginning of the first book. (If you’ve read the first book - this will make sense).

This book effortlessly gives the reader answers to their what ifs, and really cements how much Kodiak and Ambrose were fated.

I could not put this book down, I highly recommend both this and The Darkness Outside Us.

This book was amazing and I devoured this book in just a few sittings! I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

Eliot Schrefer has done it again. If you're looking for a young adult sci-fi novel that will probably make you cry, start with the first in this series ("The Darkness Outside Us") and then move on to "The Brightness Between Us." The book follows Ambrose and Kodiak, now on the planet Minerva and their two teenage children. 15 year old Owl wants to explore the planet more, but her parents want her to be safe. Yarrow, newly turned 16 is acting strangely. What is going on? Flashbacks to before Ambrose and Kodiak's mission left Earth help us see what exactly happened behind the scenes in the first book. A recommended purchase for YA collections where dystopian and science fiction are popular, as well as queer fiction.

How easily I pushed that five star button …

‘Intimacy is the only shield against insanity.
Ambrose Cusk’

I often have difficulties getting into a highly anticipated read. My eyes want to roam over the pages in just a few seconds to get to the next page, scared they won’t deliver what I’m hoping for. At the same time, I don’t want to read further because I’m too afraid the story will be over too soon. Starting a highly anticipated book can be a challenge.

So, I was a mess while reading Owl’s POV in part 1. I only calmed down when I met Ambrose in part 2. Oh, sweet Ambrose. So lost and constantly in search of intimacy. And then suddenly, I was with Yarrow, and my heart broke. Kodiak mended it a little, but then I got back to Owl, and my fragile heart fell into a million pieces again.

Somewhere along the road, a thought entered my mind. I didn’t think anything when I read the blurb—or the author’s note. But, burrowing myself more and more in this book, my comparison to Cloud Cuckoo Land in my review of The Darkness Outside Us sparked up in my head. People separated by time and space. And then it clicked. IT CLICKED. Eliot, did my review ignite a spark in your brain to write this sequel??? Because … because … Owl and the guns firing at …and even Cuckoo in the sky. Are those Easter Eggs? Or maybe this is me trying to prove my own theory.

Back to the story because it is again a brilliant masterpiece. Don’t expect as many plot twists as the prequel has. Instead, this book leans far more on the first quote in this review (from The Darkness Outside Us):
‘Intimacy is the only shield against insanity.’

The Brightness Between Us made me laugh, made me cry, and made me laugh-cry. It’s about humanity in all its forms. About surviving as human beings in a world that’s decaying. About surviving in a new world with only a few people around. But most of all this story is about loneliness, (found) family, grief, and the human connections we seek, to live on. So, even though this is a Sci-Fi book, it’s deeply human.

Now I need that movie ASAP. Or a third book. Or preferably both.

A big thank you to netgalley.com and the publisher for a prepub of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ambrose and Kodiak are on the new planet are raising the two surviving kids they were able to make before giving up, as losing so many was too hard. The livestock didn’t work out well either. Their son Yarrow and their daughter Owl are both well and both teenagers. But they do all face the possibility that an asteroid will hit the planet soon. They all start to prepare for it, Then when Yarrow has his birthday, officially getting out of adolescence, something in his brain clicks and he is no longer fully himself.

Meanwhile many years in the past back on Earth, the original Ambrose and Kodiak discover they have been deceived. And war breaks out.

I love these characters. My favorite thing is the message that Ambrose has imprinted on his chest in his act of rebellion. I love Ambrose and Kodiak and it was great to see the originals and how they interacted on Earth. I have loved them since reading book one so this was just a wonderful bonus reading this. The only reason I do not have this book at 5 stars is because some things are not in line with who the characters are. One example: I can’t believe that two trained space exploration astronauts would not explore the planet they land on before having kids. There were other things, but they don’t take away from the overall story.

It’s a great sequel that brings back the dark beauty that was in the first book and lets the reader know what they missed from the first book. Definitely worth the read!