A review by what_is_daphne_reading
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The book leaves you feeling just as disoriented as Ambrose when he wales up. It took me longer to get my bearings than it did him. 

I started off on OS side. Thinking it was actually trying to help. Then part way through I hated OS and wanted them to destroy it. Then at the end it turns out, OS is super useful and was actually trying to help them. 

I don’t know how I would react if I was them finding out I was one of many clones. Would I keep going? I don’t know that I would. 
These two characters chose to love each other time and time again. You can say it’s because there was no one else around, but there was that version that Kodiak that just set about breaking everything. Instead of loving. Here’s my favorite quote from the book and it’s the penultimate Ambrose speaking: 

“You think of love as dizzy electricity. You think if you aren't in this heightened state, that the relationship is failing. This is a lie, an infection you contracted from popular music and fantasy reels, that doomed all your short romances in the academy, like with poor Sri. The bonded support you and Kodiak feel for each other isn't about skin skin skin, though it's related to that. It isn't the heat of his body against yours at the bottom of the water tank. Instead, it's the fact that you two are together at the bottom of the water tank.”

I think choosing to love  is the point of this book and it did it beautifully.