Review: The Outliers by Kimberley McCreight

The Outliers

Author: Kimberley McCreight

Series: The Outliers #1

Pages: 352

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: Edelweiss

Release date: 3^rd May 2016

Synopsis (Goodreads) 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. 

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

I have to admit, I do enjoy a good YA mystery so The Outliers sounded right up my alley but by the end I was still a bit baffled by it all – I’m not even sure this review is going to make sense because my thoughts are still all over the place.

Sixteen year old Wylie lives in Boston with her father and brother Gideon, since the death of her mother four months prior her anxiety has spiked and she has become agoraphobic, not leaving the house or keeping in touch with her friends.

When her former best friend Cassie goes missing and she receives a text ‘Please, Wylie, I need your help’ it’s enough to get her out of the house despite not having contact with her for quite some time or knowing where her current head space was. Helping Wylie solve the cryptic messages that she is receiving is Jasper, the guy Wylie blames for sending Cassie over the edge.

Wylie and Jasper more or less end up on a road trip in the middle of nowhere to find Cassie but things get crazier and crazier as they progress, to be honest I had no idea what was going on or who could be trusted. It baffled me why Wylie would just jump up and seek out Cassie with her current problems without notifying someone, especially her over-protective father who she knew would end up in a panic.

The mystery and suspense about what had happened to Cassie kept me reading along but there were a number of times where I almost gave up. There were a few revelations towards the end and it went from being what I thought was a thriller, mystery and then did a genre jump and I’m not quite sure that I am completely satisfied with how it all came together.

The plot seemed to be a mix of random events and unlikely situations and the ending was left open but I’m pretty certain I’ll be reading the sequel just to see what happens.

The Outliers certainly takes you on a mysterious thrill ride; it is well written but did leave me very confused by the end, despite the confusion it was still an addictive read needing to know what on earth was going on.

Thank you to HarperTeen via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review The Outliers by Kimberley McCreight.

About the author: Kimberly McCreight is the New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia, which was nominated for an Edgar, Anthony and Alex award. 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. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and at kimberlymccreight.com