It’s been a while since I read a book that stayed glued to my hands, but holy moly, y’all, once I started The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer, I could NOT. PUT IT. DOWN. From the brilliant world-building to the jaw-dropping twists to the raw emotion, this novel will rocket (hey-o) your world and linger in your mind for a long time.
I can’t WAIT to convo about this one with my book club, and I hope the following questions lead to some fun discussions. (It’s truly impossible NOT to have something to say about this book.)
P.S. If you’ve already read it, feel free to suggest more discussion questions in the comments!
Icebreaker
Ambrose and Kodiak have limited meal options, but both of them (okay, especially Ambrose) really love the manicotti. If you had to live in space, and you could have one meal especially made for you to consume for many, many days, what would it be?
Questions
What did you think of the world-building in the book? What elements stood out to you as being particularly imaginative and/or surprising?
Did you see the twist coming? Which iteration of Kodiak and Ambrose was most interesting to you?
Overall, who did you like better: Ambrose or Kodiak?
What are your thoughts on OS? How did your feelings change over the course of the story? Do you think OS was ultimately right in its mission?
Did you find the book’s portrait of life in space, and space travel specifically, to be realistic? Why or why not? Anyone else nerd out over the space math?
What did you think about how Ambrose’s relationship with his mother played out through the book? Did you find it to be symbolic to the story? What about his relationship with Minerva?
How did you feel about the ending of the book? Will you read the next one?
