Outside

In this riveting survival novel by Newbery Honoree Holm, a white-cued 12-year-old ventures for the first time beyond her secluded doorstep. A decade before this book’s start, “some stupid country decided to start a war” via venomous missile, prompting Razzi’s parents to create an isolated compound called the Refuge. As the oldest, Razzi is expected to set an example for other kids, a responsibility she takes seriously. But the death of a peer, Ollie, a few months prior weighs heavy on her mind: desperate to see outside the Refuge’s walls, Ollie scaled and fell from the building’s roof. When a doctor’s visit reveals that Razzi needs a heart transplant, she receives the heart of a greyhound named Wind, and she soon feels that the surgery has changed her, prompting her to forgo her typical rule-abiding tendencies. Upon stowing away on a Refuge truck bound for a supply run, she makes a discovery that changes everything. Fascinating, intimately detailed characterization and worldbuilding makes everything from Razzi’s motivations and reactions to the children’s carefree games to the community’s fear of the outside world feel palpable across a white-knuckled adventure about autonomy and cultivating one’s own inner strength. Ages 9–12. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary. (Oct.)