The Outs

Strange and fascinating! There were so many moments that surprised me, making me sit up straight while gasping audibly. Bravo! I'm impressed with all of the layers to this story. The only reason I didn't finish this book in one sitting was because I had work obligations...

Also, the chapter heading artwork confused me at first but the more I saw it the more it seemed like the right artwork for this bizarre story.

When I first picked up The Outs I wasn’t at all sold on it. Wesley begins by simply launching into the story, for which the phrase “thrown in at the deep end” is certainly apt. I found myself struggling through the first few chapters with no real idea what was going on, not at all helped by the intelligibility of Kitzi’s communication. Whilst this is an honest reflection of aphasia, there was no attempt within the prose to present any of the information she was trying to convey until later in the novel where this is handled much better. Similarly, whilst the confusion mirrors the sense among society as to quite what the Outs are, there was still a lack of basic details that made it more frustrating than intriguing.

I have to say, however, that after this difficult start, the book certainly picked up. Once the reader had managed to establish a basic understanding of the Outs, the plot became twisting and clever, accompanied by some fantastic characters and a great use of language – the description is really applaudable in parts. My only qualm past the start would be on a slight repetitive element to the plot – there were a considerable number of encounters with Deeds, to the extent that they became a bit monotonous and lacked the lustre and suspense they’d started with.

Overall, I’d say The Outs is a solid read. The start is by far the weakest part of the novel, but it is worth pushing through. Wesley’s characters are a great example of how young adult characterisation should be done, with a well-researched presentation of aphasia (allowing it to be simply one element of the character, rather than their whole identity). Furthermore, Wesley doesn’t fall into the typical and unnecessary romance traps associated with a male and female protagonist pair, giving a refreshing science fiction tale.

“The Outs” is an incredible dark and twisty book. We begin with Caleb who recovers from the Outs in a young girl’s room and kidnaps her to keep her safe. We soon learn that the young girl, Amanda, is not who she appears to be. The Outs are a time of the day when everyone loses their memories and the dead are only temporarily so- waking up after the Outs alive after having died gives you the Thrill, which seems like an adrenaline rush. Caleb and others, who seek the Thrill by gathering together to kill and/or die during the Outs are called Deadheaders.

Deadheading has an unfortunate side effect in the form of an evil voice that lives inside Caleb’s head, which has named itself Crimes. After kidnapping Amanda in a panic, Caleb is not sure what to do, but begins to text with his friend Kitsi. Kitsi is a comic book lover with aphasia, which means that she has trouble communicating. However, something about her has given her a unique skill- she can remember the Outs when no one else can- and even better, she regains her ability to understand and produce speech. Remembering the Outs is a curse, as she isolated and alone- she posts to the site Notes from Last Night, where people chronicle the things they wrote down during the Outs (but have no memory of writing afterwards).

This book was an incredible, action-packed and fast-paced journey, as the trio (Amanda, Caleb, and Kitsi) seeks answers and solutions, all while fending off the darker things that lurk beneath, like Deeds and Crimes. I cannot believe how many twists and turns there were in a book- I was truly surprised and shocked by a lot of the developments as they are revealed one by one throughout the story. It’s quite an intricately woven tale and such a unique book- I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it! It has a similar feel to “The Ask and the Answer” and “The Maze Runner”- in that it is constant suspense and impossible to figure out with an underlying confusion as we and the main characters seek answers.

There was very little I did not enjoy about this book and I was constantly blown away by the newest reveals in the plot. The scenes from Kitsi’s point-of-view were a little hard to understand, as it’s written in the way she hears things through her aphasia, but they were not too difficult and it is interesting to get her perspective/a representation of aphasia. Overall, it’s a really complex, twisty and imaginative story- a great read!

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

To say this is a very unique story concept doesn't do justice to the word unique. Unique isn't a strong enough word. Crazy, scary, insane, confusing, creepy, murderous, fantasy, horror, twisted, imagination gone off the deep end. < Jumble all those words up and create a word
> that's the word to describe the story concept that is “The Outs”.

The characters are very well developed, even the spooky ones are easily visualized. All of the scenes and locations are described in realistic and vivid detail. The story reads at a fast past, full of energy, action, suspense, yet always leaving hope intact.

I guess first, people need the [basic] definition.
The Outs: an unexplained global phenomenon that alters the functional laws governing electricity and prevents the formation of new memories.
^ That's the books definition. In the story, The Outs is so much more.

When the story begins; It's been 1 year since The Outs started. The power goes out randomly for hours each day and no one remembers what happened while the power was out. People who die during The Outs always come back to life once The Outs are over – like it never happened.

Kitzi is a teenage girl, a friend of Caleb. She has a brain injury [caused by a car accident] that makes it difficult for her to comprehend. She's very smart, but people don't seem to realize it. She has aphasia and synesthesia. She has trouble recalling/comprehending words and spoken words are associated with various smells. Kitzis aphasia and the way everyone treats her caused her such emotional distress that she was suicidal.

Some parts of the book were hard to understand when it's Kitzi's section. This is the author, being true to the character, writing the way Kitzi's malfunctioning brain is speaking and interpreting the words and speech. It's good that Kitzi has synesthesia and can smell the difference between lies and truth. She depends on this ability often in the story, and it seems essential in the story.

Caleb is a teenage boy who suffers depression, made worse by the medication prescribed. In the story, Kitzi comes at just the right moment and stops Caleb from committing suicide. Their friendship and bond created at this moment.

The story revolves around Caleb and Kitzi trying to save a little 6 year old girl named Amanda. Somehow Amanda is very central to The Outs vs Reality. Nightmare vs Truth. Hate vs Love.


To the fabulous author, E. S. Wesley, You've just left me wondering “What did I just read?”. With a big, goofy smile on my face. Well done.

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my rating or review of the book.

My review will be posted on netgalley, amazon, goodreads and moonshineartsport.blogspot.com
Reviewed by Terri/Aunt Meanie

This was absolutely terrific. Not a single boring page.

(incomplete review)

Have you read a book that's like the following?
Youthful and contains hella lot of contemporary references, yet having the content that's classic and wise as old age; then with horror and gore; blood, tear, and pain, yet at the same time, moments of rejoice, recognitions of bounding relationships, love, be it from family members or significant others. True bravery along with darkest fear. Best and worst of oneself. Doubts. Revelations. Suspenseful. Comical. Terrifying. Hilarious. ROMANTIC. Dark. Jaw-dropping. Depressing. Uplifting. Heartwarming. Contemporary. Supernatural. Sci-fi. Surreal. Realistic. Abstract. Concrete. Confusing. Straightforward... etc.
That's what I got from this book, and more. You may realize I was throwing in synonyms-ish and antonyms-ish words; they don't seem like they'd possibly make sense going with each other, but I assure you, this book has it all, and while it may be trippy, it sure makes sense.

Perhaps you've read something like what I've described; I'm not gonna lie, I've always admitted I don't read much. (So yup, feel free to share so I can broaden my horizon.) And yes, while I have read series containing those elements, the key word is "series;" I certainly haven't read it in a single book that's shorter than 400 pages! That may be because I do stay so SOOOOOOO very FAR away from horror, thriller, and suspense (and I would like to stay that way, thank you very much. Don't fancy a metamorphic heart attack), but then again, I also doubt those genres could contain great portion of humor and love, which this book handles perfectly. Yes, this book was a total surprise. One that I'm supremely thankful for stumbling upon. Should the horror, thriller & suspense be highlighted as its genres, I'm pretty sure I would have missed out this fine gem, and that would have been a sad, SAD reality.

There's so much to say yet I have no idea where to start. I figured I should start by voicing one of my very few only concerns. I didn't think it was something to worry about at all when I was reading it; it was until I step aside from the high I got from this book (thrill? LOL) and try to view it more critically, that I see it as a potential drawback. So here goes: For people who have absolutely NO INTEREST in, and no clue about anything remotely related to COMICBOOK characters; be it in their original source, the comicbooks, or animated cartoons, video games, live-action TV shows, or film adaptations.... You MIGHT have some trouble grasping some of the references.

Again, I'll be frank, I myself am NOT a know-it-all when it comes to comics, I've not even officially started reading that long (as in, since 2014.) So when I was able to completely understand all that was given, at the time, I forgot the fact that I do at least have a good inkling of the subject matter. I try to think of it as this way: Should all the comic references be switched to biblical references, I'd most definitely fail to understand and relate to what was given and what was happening, and why it was mentioned at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying biblical subjects are uncommon or unpopular; on the contrary, I very much believe a great deal of people do at least have some basic idea on the matter, if not advanced. Unfortunately, I'm pretty ignorant to it. Hence my would-be inability to comprehend. So, if you not only don't care for, but possibly loathe superhero comicbooks... Sadly, this book may not suit you.