Title: Go Outside
Author: Adam Vine
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: March 1, 2021
Genres: Science Fiction
Length: 8 pages
Source: I received a free copy from the author.
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb:
Cal has the opportunity to travel across the stars to the world of the enigmatic and enlightened Hosts… but doing so will mean leaving behind everything he has ever known.
Review:
Content warning: Grief. I will not be discussing it in my review.
What is the biggest risk you’d be willing to take?
This is one of those stories that works best if you know as little about the plot in advance as possible, so I’ll need to be careful about how I word this review. I did like the way the author gave the audience more information in small doses here and there. It made sense to write the exposition that way given what we learned about the main character and how busy he was with critical tasks when we first met him.
There were a few times when I wished the narrator went into more detail. Cal gave brief descriptions of his reasons for travelling so far away from Earth, what the Hosts were like, and what they hoped he could do for them. I certainly wouldn’t have expected the narrator to go into vivid detail about any of these topics given the short length of this tale, but I did find myself wishing I knew a little more about all of them so that this setting and these characters could become more vivid in my imagination. This was a minor criticism of something I otherwise enjoyed quite a bit.
The ending was well done. While I did still hope for more information than what it provided, it did answer my biggest questions in a pretty satisfactory manner. I also liked the way it balanced wrapping things up with leaving space for a sequel if Mr. Vine ever decides to write such a thing. There were certainly plenty of topics he could cover, and I’d be thrilled to read more about Cal’s adventures if the author ever decides to revisit this character.
Go Outside was a delightful glimpse into a unique corner of the universe.
Rabbits. They’re quiet, small, and can be perfectly content as a 100% indoor pet. I also think they’re adorable, especially when they’re binkying (jumping for joy).
Llamas or Alpacas. Okay, so this one would require me to own a farm or something.
Titles, however, are another story. A witty or unusual title will dramatically increase the probability of me picking up a particular book. I have been known to take books home that I might not have otherwise glanced at twice because of how much I adored their titles.
Title: The Ghost of Beth’s Mother
Click here
I’m taking a fairly practical approach to this week’s topic because we don’t know what kind of deserted island this is!
Title: Loss Leader
Spending Time in Nature. Yes, most of the time this involves visiting urban parks where I still have that all-important Internet access. LOL! There is something so soothing about being surrounded by trees, grass, flowers, and the occasional babbling brook. It’s even better if I can take a long, brisk walk through it. I sleep like a baby after those excursions.
My grandparents have a homemade air conditioning unit called a 