reallyintoreading's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
I really enjoyed McCreight's other two books but didn't enjoy her foray into YA suspense/supernatural/sci fi/I don't know what the heck this genre is. The writing didn't seem as strong and didn't have well-developed characters. The main character has agoraphobia but seems to get over it in a nanosecond. The second half of the book gets weird, and at that point I hadn't really liked the first half so I was like "what the heck" and continued on the weird ride.
On the positive side, the plotting was action-packed.
A suspension of disbelief is required for this one.
I really enjoyed McCreight's other two books but didn't enjoy her foray into YA suspense/supernatural/sci fi/I don't know what the heck this genre is. The writing didn't seem as strong and didn't have well-developed characters. The main character has agoraphobia but seems to get over it in a nanosecond. The second half of the book gets weird, and at that point I hadn't really liked the first half so I was like "what the heck" and continued on the weird ride.
On the positive side, the plotting was action-packed.
A suspension of disbelief is required for this one.
rcaivano's review against another edition
I started out really liking this book, but then it just got too unbelievable. Wylie's best friend, Cassie is missing. Jasper, Cassie's boyfriend, helps Wylie find her, and they embark on a road trip to save her. Wylie doesn't like Jasper, she thinks he corrupted her, but then starts to see that he really cares. But when they finally do get to her, a whole new situation arises, and Wylie's father's research into people with ESP-like tendencies comes into play. No one is safe; there are groups out there trying to harm them. It all just got too weird.
abookdork's review against another edition
2.0
Should have stopped reading at the beginning. I found this book to be boring and even somewhat predictable. I'm saying somewhat because the plot was sloppy and odd, bad odd. There was only one character in the entire book that I liked.
This book wasn't for me.
This book wasn't for me.
meloches's review against another edition
2.0
Wylie is a good friend. She has come to the rescue time and time again for her best friend, Cassie. So, when Cassie’s mom arrives at her doorstep asking her if she has heard from Cassie, Wylie knows this time feels different. Not long after, Wylie receives a text. “Please Wylie, I need your help”. This starts a whirlwind of events that takes Wylie across state lines with Cassie’s boyfriend, Jasper, and as they get further from home and closer to the truth, Wylie’s instinct is telling her something is wrong. Seriously wrong.
So this one started out all fine and dandy. I have wanted to read Kimberly McCreight’s work forever but haven’t gotten around to them. I had heard awesome things about Reconstructing Amelia but hadn’t heard anything about The Outliers. So I dove into this book without any research or reading its synopsis.
After I started reading, I realized right away that this was Y.A. If you are a regular reader at Clues and Reviews, you know this is a struggle for me. Aside from some minor annoyances with the characters and some general annoyance with the plot, I actually didn’t mind the first bits of this book. I was intrigued enough to continue reading and the plot was fast paced enough that I wasn’t feeling bored.
However, then I hit about ¾ of the way through and the plot completely flipped. I mean randomly, completely opposite direction flipped. This one went from a teenage mystery thriller to some sort of Divergent-esque supernatural/sci-fi novel without a dystopian setting.
Even with the cliffhanger ending, I’m not sure I will read any of the other books. I feel like if you are a reader of Y.A and you loved the Divergent series, this one will appeal to you. But if you are looking for a mystery/thriller, this one will leave you disappointed.
So this one started out all fine and dandy. I have wanted to read Kimberly McCreight’s work forever but haven’t gotten around to them. I had heard awesome things about Reconstructing Amelia but hadn’t heard anything about The Outliers. So I dove into this book without any research or reading its synopsis.
After I started reading, I realized right away that this was Y.A. If you are a regular reader at Clues and Reviews, you know this is a struggle for me. Aside from some minor annoyances with the characters and some general annoyance with the plot, I actually didn’t mind the first bits of this book. I was intrigued enough to continue reading and the plot was fast paced enough that I wasn’t feeling bored.
However, then I hit about ¾ of the way through and the plot completely flipped. I mean randomly, completely opposite direction flipped. This one went from a teenage mystery thriller to some sort of Divergent-esque supernatural/sci-fi novel without a dystopian setting.
Even with the cliffhanger ending, I’m not sure I will read any of the other books. I feel like if you are a reader of Y.A and you loved the Divergent series, this one will appeal to you. But if you are looking for a mystery/thriller, this one will leave you disappointed.
sashreads's review against another edition
2.0
I don't even know why I thought this book was going to be spooky/creepy but it wasn't. I went in thinking it was going to be like The Creeper Man but it definitely was not. Probably a good book if I went in with different expectations.
hvj_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was definitely fast paced and intriguing. I do think there are parts that are discombobulated, and the story could be more cohesive as a whole. I think they could have explained what is so special about being an outlier better. They jumped into how everyone wants to be an outlier and how the government wants to use an outlier to their advantage, but how? I think the details surrounding being an outlier and what it means is a little hazy. Hopefully they expand more on it in the following book.
smlunden's review against another edition
2.5
story was fine, but there were a lot of inconsistencies. i took issue with the strange circumstances around the fire.