The Outliers
Written by Kimberly McCreight
Narrated by Phoebe Strole
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
From the New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia comes a fast-paced teen series where one girl learns that in a world of intrigue, betrayal, and deeply buried secrets, it is vital to trust your instincts.
It all starts with a text: Please, Wylie, I need your help. Wylie hasn’t heard from Cassie in over a week, not since their last fight. But that doesn’t matter. Cassie’s in trouble, so Wylie decides to do what she has done so many times before: save her best friend from herself.
This time it’s different, though. Instead of telling Wylie where she is, Cassie sends cryptic clues. And instead of having Wylie come by herself, Jasper shows up saying Cassie sent him to help. Trusting the guy who sent Cassie off the rails doesn’t feel right, but Wylie has no choice but to ignore her gut instinct and go with him.
But figuring out where Cassie is goes from difficult to dangerous, fast. As Wylie and Jasper head farther and farther north into the dense woods of Maine, Wylie struggles to control her growing sense that something is really wrong. What isn’t Cassie telling them? And could finding her be only the beginning?
In this breakneck tale, New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight brilliantly chronicles a fateful journey that begins with a single decision—and ends up changing everything.
Kimberly McCreight
Kimberly McCreight is the New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia, which was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Alex Awards; Where They Found Her; and The Outliers young adult trilogy. She attended Vassar College and graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters.
More audiobooks from Kimberly Mc Creight
Where They Found Her: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Reconstructing Amelia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Good Marriage: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Friends Like These: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Scattering Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for The Outliers
74 ratings14 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great story but the narrator wasn’t the best.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wylie is dealing with the death of her mother in a car accident while also dealing with mental issues. The high school junior has been seeing a therapist since she was in elementary school. Wylie has a tendency to throw up or pass out when the situation gets stressful. Since the death of her mother, she has also developed agoraphobia and has left the house for weeks.One day she gets a mysterious text from her ex-best friend begging for help. Wylie is mad at her but is also determined to save her friend Cassie if it is at all possible. Cassie has turned self-destructive and now spends too much time partying and drinking. Most of their recent fights have been about Cassie's self-destructive behavior. But when Cassie calls, Wylie goes to her rescue.Cassie sends her boyfriend Jasper to help Wylie who doesn't drive. Jasper has been having some of the same issues with Cassie that Wylie has. He hasn't been able to save her from her bad decisions either. Wylie doesn't like Jasper because she has formed some opinions about him without really knowing him and she blames him for some of Cassie's problems.The two get to know each other better as they travel from Boston up into Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine following Cassie's cryptic clues. Along the way they meet people who help them and people who hinder them. When they find Cassie, they learn that all of their problems are just beginning.This was an entertaining story about the length someone will go for their friends. It also take sort of a science fiction twist before its cliffhanging conclusion.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Already struggling with deep anxiety, Wylie is unable to leave her house after her mother's death. She hasn't spoken to her best friend, Cassie, since their last big fight. But when she receives a text from Cassie, begging for help, Wylie knows she has to go and save her. Along with Cassie's boyfriend, Jasper, Wylie follows the clues Cassie keeps texting to her. But soon Wylie begins to realize there might be much more going on than she could ever have predicted.This is a book that never let up on the suspense and thrills once it got going. I got completely sucked in and could not put the book down. I really liked how McCreight managed to take her usual fantastic psychological suspense and mystery style, and mix it into a young adult book that ended up going off on an entirely different track (I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil anything).I also thought McCreight did an excellent job of realistically portraying anxiety. As someone with an anxiety disorder myself, it's so important to me to read a book that not only has a main character with anxiety, but one who is relatable and strong.The book did start out pretty slow for me. This didn't last long, but it did take a bit for me to get into it.I know this book really split McCreight fans-a lot didn't like it, and I can see where they are coming from, because it is so different from her previous works. But I really liked it, and can't wait to read the next book in the series.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I received an ARC of this from Edelweiss. Wow!! Page turner! This should be a fun one to book talk.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5McCreight is an excellent writer but this young adult work didn't reflect that as much as I'd hoped. She holds back on main character development and furthering the plot. I think she could have been a bit more risky in those areas as I believe young adult readers would still follow it easily. All in all, it's an interesting premise, though I wish she fleshed it out more; perhaps in the follow up story.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Ugh, just no. Check, check, check. Ick, ick, ick. I definitely sped read this today--I could hardly believe this one. Scooby Doo and the gang do this much better. Here are some of my problems with this one:
1. Wylie has agoraphobia--she just miraculously manages to leave the house with the boyfriend of her bf that she hates?
2. Best friend texts she's danger needs help and they don't tell any adults?
3. They just get in a stranger's car for a ride, when their vehicle suddenly doesn't start? TSTL
4. Best friend is in cahoots with the bad guys?
5. Government conspiracy?
6. Religious nut jobs?
7. Cliff hanger ending?
Yes to all of the above. I will not be finishing this series. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Holy smokes this book pulled me right into the crazy mystery and suspense. I simply couldn't put this book down. Wylie, the main character is a little odd but you can't help but root for her through the whole book. Jasper is a big surprise too. Loved his character. Every time I thought I had it all figured out McCreight threw a curveball into my theory. There were parts where it made my jaw drop. I can't wait for book #2.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Definitely suspenseful! The ending left it wide open for a sequel! I look forward to reading it! #audible #audiobook #theoutliers #punkrocklibrarian
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Very different from McCreight's other two books. The twists were great - you never knew who Jasper and Wylie could trust but the ending fizzled. Too much goobly-gook science that didn't make any sense. Still, I'll continue with the series.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What I think that The Outliers was a amazing book and a good story line. This book has a lot of charters and its hard to keep up with. This story is evil and heart breaking. At the begging it starts out fast and to the point and I look forward to reading the second book. The three main people are Wylie,Jasper,Cassie. Cassie ran away from home and see was supposed to get sent to a military school. But when Wylie got a text from Cassie that she needs help. Wylie and Jasper go to a camp in Maine to get her. They go though a lot to get to Cassie. In the end they all get captured and Cassie kills her self for Wylie and Jasper can get out. Then Wylie gets a text from Jasper that she needs to run from the agents in her house and it ends. WOW WOW WOW
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I absolutely loved this book! It is very well written and has a great story behind it. This is a story of a girl who received messages from her best friend who is in dire need of help. She teams up with her friend's boyfriend (who caused a rift between the two) and they both work together to rescue her. This is a book that made me consider coming out of my shell a bit with my reading choices. It made me venture out from my norm. I highly recommend this read.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I enjoyed Reconstructing Amelia and although I don't typically read YA books this one was getting a lot of hype so I picked it up. After reading it my impression is that you are better off skipping it and watching Stranger Things on Netflix instead. Both have shady government cover ups and a kid with special abilities but The Outliers is a far less interesting story. The first 3/4 is about Wylie and Jasper on the run from some kind of danger and the last quarter is some explanation but honestly after finishing this story I still can not tell you what special abilities an Outlier possesses. Stranger Things took movies from the past like Firestarter and the Goonies and paid homage to them by presenting them in a new way. Outliers just ripped them off. Teens may enjoy this and since I was not the targeted audience I will just pass on future installments.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5"The Outliers" was quite a good YA mystery thriller with good pace and an exciting ending. However, I didn't like the characters or connect with them. Wylie was an okay protagonist but I felt I didn't really get to know her properly and she was a damsel-in-destress type of female which annoyed me. There were lots of twists and turns throughout the story and no one was who they appeared to be, but at times, the plot was so convoluted it was ridiculous. I don't think I will bother with any sequels.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Wylie and Cassie aren't exactly best friends anymore. Even though Wylie's mom has died recently in a car crash, and Wylie's anxiety has ratcheted up so much she hasn't left the house in three weeks, the once inseparable pair have barely talked in over a week. But when Wylie gets a pleading text from Cassie saying she needs help, Wylie knows she will be there for her friend. Along with Cassie's boyfriend, Jasper, Wylie summons the courage to leave the house and follow Cassie's odd texts and clues to find her. But it doesn't take long to realize that Cassie might be in serious trouble. Even worse, it seems like trying to find Cassie is going to put Wylie, Jasper, and their families in danger, too.
This was an odd book. I was expecting a "run into obstacles finding my troubled best friend, maybe learn a lesson along the way" Young Adult tale, but the book takes a turn about halfway through and the tale becomes one of psychological depth, focusing on the story of the "outliers." These "outliers" are those who have a special range of emotional intelligence that allow them to have an uncanny ability to read people, emotions, and situations. It's Wylie's father, a scientist, who has discovered them as an unintentional result of his latest study, and it seems like everyone wants a piece of them and what they might mean. So, suddenly, the book is no longer simply about friendship, but crazy Government and private contractor entities and other shadowy forces who are after Wylie's dad's work. We meet a whole host of characters, none of whom we can really trust, and things (at least for me) go a little bit downhill from there.
That's not to say that this isn't a good book. It's interesting and almost compulsively readable, even with the bizarre plot. I'd probably have enjoyed it even more if I'd just been mentally prepared for the plot turn, honestly. Wylie is a fairly intriguing and likable character, and I found myself getting rather invested in Jasper. The other characters, as I said, are set up as untrustworthy purely by the nature of the plot, but they are fascinating in their own way. The idea of the outliers is a compelling one, even if the danger behind it seems a little forced. It's also hard not knowing exactly who to trust or how much of the narrative to believe - it's so much it gets a little frustrating at time. Still, it's clear by the end that McCreight has set this up as a series, and I'll certainly be reading the next book. The one is an entertaining, quick read if nothing else.
I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available for publication on 5/3/2016. You can read a review of this book and many more at my blog.