OUTSIDE by Jennifer Holm, a new MG submission from Jill Grinberg Literary Management
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Advanced Review – Uncorrected Proof
Issue: July 1, 2025
Outside.
By Jennifer L. Holm
Oct. 2025. 240p. Scholastic, $17.99 (9781546138143). Gr. 4–7
Life at the Refuge is strict, but that’s exactly what keeps everyone alive. Since the Great Poisoning, exposed humans turned vicious and must be kept outside the compound walls at all costs. As a result, Razzi and the other children aren’t allowed outdoors, but they make the most of the small, safe world their parents have made them. A pervasive sense of unease filters through the narrative as the kids move through their days and details are dropped that something is amiss with this whole setup. Razzi is known for being the responsible one, but after receiving a heart transplant, she begins pushing back on the rules and yearning to venture beyond the Refuge. Seen through Razzi’s eyes, Holm’s near-future world feels threatening and plausible, and when Razzi finally steps outside the Refuge’s confines, her discoveries are viscerally shocking. The story’s one questionable element is the supernatural connection Razzi feels with her heart donor—a greyhound named Wind. Whether or not readers buy into this part of the tale, they will find Razzi’s journey thrilling and find comfort in its hopeful conclusion. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Holm is a best-seller with more than one Newbery Honor under her belt for a reason. She brings the goods and readers know it.
— Julia Smith