The Brightness Between Us

(Paperback)

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Description

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. Now in paperback!

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 familys bond is enough to make it all worth ituntil 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.

Reviews

"It packs the full punch of humanitys 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 A worthy successor to the first book, answering questions while weaving plot points and characterization in and out of time and space, fully delivering on some sci-fi coolness, creepiness, and political commentary all at once. Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books 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, 1blastoff for mystery, adventure, and queer intergalactic bodice-ripping. Kirkus Reviews [A] sexy space odyssey. Schrefers 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 Childrens Books This deep-space survival story, with a strong gay romance and notes of horror, will appeal to fans of Amie Kaufman and Jay KristoffsIlluminae. School Library Journal Absolutely brilliant.The Darkness Outside Usis 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 Usis equal parts terrifying, 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 ofLittle & Lion Fiercely imaginative and desperately real,The Darkness Outside Usexplores the wild expanses of the human heart. This book is a triumph. Elana K. Arnold, author ofDamsel,a Printz Honor Book Yes,The Darkness Outside Usis 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 ofA Heart in a Body in the World

Author Bio

Eliot Schreferis the New York Times bestselling author of many books for kids and teens, including The Darkness Outside Us and its sequel, The Brightness Between Us, as well as Charming Young Man, Endangered, and Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality. His books have twice been named finalists for the National Book Award in Young Peoples Literature and have garnered a Printz Honor, a Stonewall Honor, and the Green Earth Book Award. He is on the faculty of the creative writing MFA programs at Hamline University and Fairleigh Dickinson University and lives with his husband in New York City. Visit him online ateliotschrefer.com.