Outside

By: Jennifer L. Holm

Narrated by: Rachel Jacobs

From three-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer L. Holm, a chilling but heartfelt story of a girl being raised in a compound who doesn't understand how isolated and unusual her life is...until she must encounter the outside world.

Razzi has always been told: Don't go Outside. It isn't safe. There are people and creatures out there that will harm you. The walls of the Refuge will protect you from them.

Razzi's friend Ollie was curious about Outside...and it led to his death. So Razzi is trying to be on her best behavior. She is the oldest kid left, the one the younger kids look up to. She has to follow the rules.

But Outside has a way of getting in, and Razzi, guided by a dog she has a strangely close connection with, wonders what it's like to run free beyond the walls.

If she steps away from everything she's ever known...what will she find?

©2025 Jennifer L. Holm (P)2025 Scholastic Audio Books

Sucked me into this story

This is a great book! I wanted to pre listen before playing it for my daughter and realized she is still too young for some of the emotional parts of this story (she is 7 so I would suggest a tad older than that). As an adult, I was sucked in and finished this in two days. It was really good and I appreciated the fact that I couldn’t predict the ending.

Character voice and the story. Very engaging.

I loved it all. Couldn't stop listening. The characters were believable. I will listen again.

Outside, a good listen!

Outside is a post apocalyptic story of Razzi who grows up in a compound, longing for the world outside. It’s a good listen/read. I enjoyed it.

What I think.

OMG it was the best book ever it really took me by surprise when she ran away and when her family was LYING TO HER WHOLE LIFE! Normally I can tell what is going to happen in a book and get bored but I never knew what was going to happen next. I LOVED IT!!