Outside

Gr 4-7–In this suspenseful dystopian novel, Razzi, 12, lives in a walled compound called the Refuge with her parents, little brother, and nine other people. Over a decade before, the Great Poisoning war killed most of the population. The infected turned into zombies, and the uninfected survivors were forced to hide to survive. White-cued Razzi, the oldest and the one responsible for the younger kids, longs to see more of the Outside but can’t forget what happened to her friend Ollie, so determined to see the sky, he accidentally fell off the roof and died. A medical examination for a sprained knee reveals Razzi has a bad heart, so their resident doctor replaces her heart with one from a greyhound named Wind. Afterward Razzi’s senses begin to sharpen, and chocolate, a favorite food, now makes her sick. She dreams she’s racing on a track along with another greyhound called Poppy, who’s locked away in a cage. Determined to save Poppy, Razzi sneaks out of the Refuge and finds her life completely transformed by what she discovers. The restrictive and prescribed life in the Refuge is vividly described and the supporting cast is fully realized. Award-winning author Holm effectively explores themes of personal agency, trauma, family relationships, guilt, and forgiveness in a way that will linger with readers long after it ends.