Book Review: Alone Out Here

Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate

Here’s the thing: We have put a lot of pressure on this next generation. We have made a mess, and they are going to have to clean it up. That’s a heavy burden to carry before you even have your driver’s license, and I think it’s one that Riley Redgate handles really well in Alone Out Here.

Earth is on the brink of collapse, and the future depends on getting off the planet and into outer space. Politically, this has been a nightmare, with in-fighting and one-upmanship pushing back deadlines, stymying communication, and generally making everybody suspicious of everybody else. That’s an adult problem, even if it’s one that constantly permeates every aspect of teenage life — until a weather disaster strikes earlier than planned, forcing the launch of a prototype spacecraft with a crew of diplomat offspring as humanity’s last hope.

Some of the promos called this “Lord of the Flies in space” (which I would read!), but I think that reduces Alone Out Here in a way that misses the point. These are kids — they’ve been taught to mistrust each other. The protagonist Leigh — First Daughter of the United States — has been trained to put the mission first and herself last. These are smart, committed, caring kids who really can save the world — but no one has ever taught them how to actually work together toward a common goal. As the crew clashes over who should be in charge, what their priorities should be, and how to make their not-ready-for-launch ship support their present and future needs, it’s clear that they have the same goals. Everybody wants to survive, even if they don’t agree what survival should look like

I don’t know, maybe it’s the state for the world, but this book made me surprisingly emotional. Like, can we please stop othering each other so that we have a chance to survive with our humanity intact? I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for your YA reading list.

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