The Brightness Between Us

Named one of the Best Books of 2024 by the Chicago Public Library!

In this sequel to The Darkness Outside Us, a Stonewall Honor Book, New York Times bestselling author Eliot Schrefer delivers another ambitious, genre-bending novel and epic love story that spans thousands of years and the far reaches of the galaxy.

Seventeen years have gone by since the Coordinated Endeavor crashed on a distant exoplanet. Ambrose Cusk and Kodiak Celius are now the devoted parents of two teenage children, Owl and Yarrow, in a hardscrabble frontier home. Though life on Minerva is full of danger, the family's bond is enough to make it all worth it-until they learn that the biggest threat to their survival might come from within.

More than thirty thousand years in the past, Ambrose wakes on Earth to find that his mission to save his sister was a ruse. His mother betrayed him, and the cruelty of her true plans sets Ambrose spiraling. When he discovers that another spacefarer is suffering his same fate, he will have to decide whether to risk crossing a world at war to reach him.

Separated by time and space, a young family and two strangers learn that their lives are intimately intertwined. They race to uncover the unexpected connections that might save them all . . . and perhaps humanity as well.

Rezension:

"It packs the full punch of humanity's potential ills balanced with hope of the good we might achieve. The realism of the struggles the characters face keeps the story engaging, and returning fans will appreciate the time spent with the original Ambrose and Kodiak. Complex and brimming with pathos." - Kirkus Reviews

"Compulsively readable, with thought-provoking themes. Truly, Schrefer has produced an updated, inclusive exploration of human connection in a way that is rarely seen outside the context of classic science fiction." - Booklist

Praise for The Darkness Outside Us: "Schrefer masterfully evokes and maintains suspense that keeps the pages turning briskly while still taking the time to limn the two boys' touching, moving relationship. If all of this is space opera, readers will want an encore. Bravo." - Booklist (starred review)

"3, 2, 1...blastoff for mystery, adventure, and queer intergalactic bodice-ripping." - Kirkus Reviews

"[A] sexy spac e odyssey. Schrefer's immersive novel combines the build of mysteries and the tension of romance, slowly unfurling an iterative story about love and attraction, destiny, and connection." - Publishers Weekly

"Schrefer does an excellent job of developing and humanizing his characters before throwing them into the swift waters of a sci-fi plot with its truly shocking and satisfying twist. Readers are sure to root for these lovable characters' survival." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This deep-space survival story, with a strong gay romance and notes of horror, will appeal to fans of Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff's Illuminae." - School Library Journal

"Absolutely brilliant. The Darkness Outside Us is a pulse-pounding thriller, engrossing science fiction epic, and heartfelt meditation on love all at once." - Malinda Lo, National Book Award winner and author of Last Night at the Telegraph Club

"The Darkness Outside Us is equal parts terrifyin g, tender, and thrilling. I loved every word of this sharp, thoughtful look at the world we live in and the ones beyond." - Brandy Colbert, award-winning author of Little & Lion

"Fiercely imaginative and desperately real, The Darkness Outside Us explores the wild expanses of the human heart. This book is a triumph." - Elana K. Arnold, author of Damsel, a Printz Honor Book

"Yes, The Darkness Outside Us is utterly inventive and relentlessly page-turning. And yes, Ambrose and Kodiak are seriously the hottest couple in space. But even more, this is an insightful, tender, and profound story, about the weight of history, and the power of transformation and true love." - Deb Caletti, National Book Award finalist and author of A Heart in a Body in the World