OUTSIDE

 

SYNOPSIS

In a deadly Icelandic snowstorm, four friends seek shelter in an abandoned hunting lodge. Miles from help, and knowing they will die out in the cold, they break in, hoping to wait out the storm until morning.

But nothing can prepare them for what's inside...

With no other option, they are forced to spend a long and terrifying night in the cabin: watching as intently and silently as they themselves are being watched.

As the night darkens, old secrets spill into the light, and tensions rise between the four friends. Soon it's clear that what they've discovered in the cabin is far from the only mystery lurking there.

Nor the only thing to be afraid of...

Title: Outside

Author: Ragnar Jónasson

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Publication date: April 28, 2022

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ragnar Jónasson is a master when it comes to create dark, oppressive and disturbing environments when out in nature, and Outside is another great example. The claustrophobic feel he manages to convey during the whiteout far exceeds what you could experience in a closed space.

Daniel, Armann, Helena and Gunnlaugur are four friends spending a weekend together hunting in the Eastern Highlands of Iceland when a sudden whiteout forced them to seek refuge in the middle of nowhere. But in the midst of isolation they’ll soon find out they’re not alone and maybe not all of them will survive the night.

With just four characters, one setting and events taking place in a couple of days, Jónasson proves those elements are more than enough to craft a really haunting story. The situation they encounter inside the hut was so disturbing I think I felt the same anxiety they did.

The characters are not likeable at all, but that’s the way it should be. As tensions arise, their relationship will start to crack, showing their true nature, turning as cold as the weather they’re going through. Secrets long time buried will be unveiled and those could be the downfall of some of them.

The ending felt a bit abrupt although I guess that was the most realistic thing possible. My ARC had a last chapter called “Party of two” that I still don’t know how it relates to the story and that left me completely dumbfounded! Is it part of it or from another book? Can anyone help? Please?? 😅

Now that the weather is getting warmer, maybe you’re in the mood to feel some cold, both in nature and in human relationships so, if that’s the case, Outside is a must. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.