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The Outcasts
Iz and Joe never get to go on school trips, especially not residential ones. They don't mean to get themselves excluded, but still no one ever wants to take them. Mia isn't usually included in anything. She just doesn't see the world in the same way that other people do. Helen doesn't know if she'll be able to go on the trip. Her brothers and sisters often don't leave her any time to herself. And Chris wouldn't have gone, either, if he'd known what he was letting himself in for. This particular trip will take them further than any of them had imagined ...
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
4 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
L.S. Matthews
10 books5 followersL. S. Matthews (born August 29, 1964) is the pen name of Laura Dron, a British children's author of several critically acclaimed novels.
She was born near Dudley in the West Midlands in England, youngest of five children of parents from the South West who had moved to the industrial area for work. She attended state school there, leaving at 18 to study English Literature at Goldsmiths College, University of London, where she gained a first class honours degree.
Matthews lived and worked in London for six years and has also lived in Hull in Northern England, the West Midlands, Alsace in Northern France, and Hertfordshire.
Matthews currently resides in Dorset with her husband and two children.
Her first novel, Fish (2003), won the Fidler Award and was also Highly Commended for the Branford Boase Award and nominated for a Carnegie Medal. Her other novels are The Outcasts (2004), A Dog For Life (2006), Lexi (2007) and After the Flood (2008). Matthews also wrote two short SEN titles, Deadly Night and The Game, which were both published in 2006.
She was born near Dudley in the West Midlands in England, youngest of five children of parents from the South West who had moved to the industrial area for work. She attended state school there, leaving at 18 to study English Literature at Goldsmiths College, University of London, where she gained a first class honours degree.
Matthews lived and worked in London for six years and has also lived in Hull in Northern England, the West Midlands, Alsace in Northern France, and Hertfordshire.
Matthews currently resides in Dorset with her husband and two children.
Her first novel, Fish (2003), won the Fidler Award and was also Highly Commended for the Branford Boase Award and nominated for a Carnegie Medal. Her other novels are The Outcasts (2004), A Dog For Life (2006), Lexi (2007) and After the Flood (2008). Matthews also wrote two short SEN titles, Deadly Night and The Game, which were both published in 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 27, 2014
This book is not nearly as bad as some reviewers have asserted. The real problem lay in the fact the marketing blurb made the story sound like a horror story when in reality it was a twisted sort of sci-fi empowerment journey. So any expectations you have going in are already in a tangled mess by the time you get to the meat of the story.
The premise isn't a bad one - in fact her ideas about time and how it works and the idea that it can be repaired really worked for me. The facts behind them were just written in a dry and boring sort of way that didn't do them justice.
The setup was actually quite good though I'm not sure I would have called the book "The Outcasts" as it misleads you that their differences (from their classmates) are what make the story. This is patently untrue! In reality these are your typical kids with your typical problems and this experience helps them to see the power they hold in making a difference in their own life. "The Skull" might be a better title. Or "The Net" referring to her ideas about time being like a net. It also gives you more of a sci-fi feel which it truer to the story. Actually the skull is rather incidental to the entire story and is a device to propel the story to start. Everyone places this horror aspect on it and it just doesn't merit it.
The ending was a cute little empowerment illusion and I quite liked it. I really came to love these characters and how they interacted with one another and really came to see each other in a different light than they had just interacting in school. They weren't your cookie cutter labeled kids so they stood out as real kids to me. Their motivation was simply to survive until they became adults but after this they want to make the best of life. I like a story with that kind of outcome and the journey was at least somewhat successful getting us to this point. If the setup weren't as compelling as it was then I wouldn't have even bothered to give this story a chance.
Really my favorite character was Mia and she made the story for me. I could have read it entirely from her perspective and that perhaps would have made a better POV (and a better marketing blurb) than the rotating omniscient view the writer took which is not a favorite of many people (as most love first person the best). I didn't have a problem with it but she did jump from person to person without even putting movements between the varying POVs (a rather big no, no). Mia is someone I plain wanted to know more about and I loved how Joe kind of took her under his wing and how Helen felt responsible for her from the start. A lovely story of the paranormal (rather than so sci-fi) surrounding a special needs girl who finds herself making a group of friends and whom the experience helps them see life better - doesn't that sound like a better story?!
I was able to suspend disbelief fine - this is a rather sci-fi story and I had no problem believing in her mechanics. The random way the puzzles worked and the odd tasks they had to do thought lacked cohesion and really while no horrid to me just felt amateurish. They were an attempt to test and provide a motivation for each character but I didn't see that working very well and is perhaps the most offensive part of the story after the mixed expectations. Really the plot was fine but it didn't support the relationships well, nor each individual character. The outcome of the events though did really work, so it's a matter of matching the "event" better to the outcome/characters/relationships.
I wasn't a fan of the writing but it wasn't offensive either. Some of the choices made for the telling of the story were not wise and that really caused a stumbling block for the readers. If you like sci-fi premises this might be a story up your alley but for most it won't be their cup of tea.
BOTTOM LINE: Ack the potential of Mia, wasted!
The premise isn't a bad one - in fact her ideas about time and how it works and the idea that it can be repaired really worked for me. The facts behind them were just written in a dry and boring sort of way that didn't do them justice.
The setup was actually quite good though I'm not sure I would have called the book "The Outcasts" as it misleads you that their differences (from their classmates) are what make the story. This is patently untrue! In reality these are your typical kids with your typical problems and this experience helps them to see the power they hold in making a difference in their own life. "The Skull" might be a better title. Or "The Net" referring to her ideas about time being like a net. It also gives you more of a sci-fi feel which it truer to the story. Actually the skull is rather incidental to the entire story and is a device to propel the story to start. Everyone places this horror aspect on it and it just doesn't merit it.
The ending was a cute little empowerment illusion and I quite liked it. I really came to love these characters and how they interacted with one another and really came to see each other in a different light than they had just interacting in school. They weren't your cookie cutter labeled kids so they stood out as real kids to me. Their motivation was simply to survive until they became adults but after this they want to make the best of life. I like a story with that kind of outcome and the journey was at least somewhat successful getting us to this point. If the setup weren't as compelling as it was then I wouldn't have even bothered to give this story a chance.
Really my favorite character was Mia and she made the story for me. I could have read it entirely from her perspective and that perhaps would have made a better POV (and a better marketing blurb) than the rotating omniscient view the writer took which is not a favorite of many people (as most love first person the best). I didn't have a problem with it but she did jump from person to person without even putting movements between the varying POVs (a rather big no, no). Mia is someone I plain wanted to know more about and I loved how Joe kind of took her under his wing and how Helen felt responsible for her from the start. A lovely story of the paranormal (rather than so sci-fi) surrounding a special needs girl who finds herself making a group of friends and whom the experience helps them see life better - doesn't that sound like a better story?!
I was able to suspend disbelief fine - this is a rather sci-fi story and I had no problem believing in her mechanics. The random way the puzzles worked and the odd tasks they had to do thought lacked cohesion and really while no horrid to me just felt amateurish. They were an attempt to test and provide a motivation for each character but I didn't see that working very well and is perhaps the most offensive part of the story after the mixed expectations. Really the plot was fine but it didn't support the relationships well, nor each individual character. The outcome of the events though did really work, so it's a matter of matching the "event" better to the outcome/characters/relationships.
I wasn't a fan of the writing but it wasn't offensive either. Some of the choices made for the telling of the story were not wise and that really caused a stumbling block for the readers. If you like sci-fi premises this might be a story up your alley but for most it won't be their cup of tea.
BOTTOM LINE: Ack the potential of Mia, wasted!
May 5, 2008
This book started out really well as an outcast group of teens from a school in England are chosen to go on a school field trip. The beginning had a really horror story feel to it and felt a little unpredictable. The five teens suddenly find themselves forced into a slightly alternate reality when they realize that they must accept themselves and really on each other.
The other wordly stuff was cool, but the book bordered on preachiness, as the emphasis switched to "even though you are an outsider, you can have a positive impact on the world" yada yada yada.
2 1/2 stars
The other wordly stuff was cool, but the book bordered on preachiness, as the emphasis switched to "even though you are an outsider, you can have a positive impact on the world" yada yada yada.
2 1/2 stars
August 18, 2010
I didn't care for this book. I couldn't get into the characters and other than the characters winding up in an alternate world, I don't feel they were outcasts.
November 5, 2018
In the novel "The Outcasts" five students, who are outcasts, feel out of place to be going on a school trip. However when they all agree to the trip they find themselves in an alternate dimension working together to find a way out. When the group of students isn't used to putting themselves out there they have to find a way around all of their insecurities and differences in order to escape. They must keep reassuring each other that there is a way out and nothing is impossible: "Remember that there will always be a way, it will always be possible, no matter what is asked of you. And the net will try and force you through routes you might think are impossible, but it is useless to try other ways. You just end up spiraling and twining and getting rammed back into another path to the same route" (93). This was a powerful line from the novel that shows the outcasts working together and putting themselves out there in ways that they've never even dreamed of. The novel focuses on their differences but also shows them develop and grow as people that they've never even dreamed of becoming.
September 10, 2017
I thought this book was super cool and abstract. The theories and the overall view of the world that the characters thought of were really interesting to me.
April 22, 2022
A good book for teens, especially if they feel like an outsider.
November 17, 2012
Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com
Five teens, who never would have thought they had anything in common, will soon find out that, aside from being misfits, the only way out is to be there for and trust each other on this very strange class trip.
Iz and Joe have always been good friends. Although Joe doesn't really know why, since it seems like whenever he is around Iz, Iz is around trouble, and Joe just so happens to end up tangled in the mess. And just like Joe, Iz is pretty confused on why they were chosen to be included on this field trip, since most of the time there is always a reason why Iz would not be able to go.
Helen was never one to be quiet. She was never one to not get into fights with teachers. So when her teacher makes her leave the classroom for talking too loud, it's no surprise to anyone. What is surprising, though, is how well not only Helen but also the teacher were nice about the situation. Which is good, since Helen still gets to go on the trip.
Mia is not really a people person. She would rather be around anything other than human beings. Of course, that doesn't really help her social skills. But this trip seems like it wouldn't be so bad for Mia, at least that is what the teachers in the Learning Support Room say to her.
Chris is pretty smart and pretty good at multitasking. This trip, to him, is just like any other trip, which is why he isn't too worried about it. If only he knew.
All five were specially handpicked to go on this once in a lifetime trip -- but can they handle what's in store for them?
THE OUTCASTS could be labeled as peculiar... in a good way. By reading this novel, just like the characters, you won't know what's coming next. This is the perfect read for anyone who awaits suspense and a thriller.
Five teens, who never would have thought they had anything in common, will soon find out that, aside from being misfits, the only way out is to be there for and trust each other on this very strange class trip.
Iz and Joe have always been good friends. Although Joe doesn't really know why, since it seems like whenever he is around Iz, Iz is around trouble, and Joe just so happens to end up tangled in the mess. And just like Joe, Iz is pretty confused on why they were chosen to be included on this field trip, since most of the time there is always a reason why Iz would not be able to go.
Helen was never one to be quiet. She was never one to not get into fights with teachers. So when her teacher makes her leave the classroom for talking too loud, it's no surprise to anyone. What is surprising, though, is how well not only Helen but also the teacher were nice about the situation. Which is good, since Helen still gets to go on the trip.
Mia is not really a people person. She would rather be around anything other than human beings. Of course, that doesn't really help her social skills. But this trip seems like it wouldn't be so bad for Mia, at least that is what the teachers in the Learning Support Room say to her.
Chris is pretty smart and pretty good at multitasking. This trip, to him, is just like any other trip, which is why he isn't too worried about it. If only he knew.
All five were specially handpicked to go on this once in a lifetime trip -- but can they handle what's in store for them?
THE OUTCASTS could be labeled as peculiar... in a good way. By reading this novel, just like the characters, you won't know what's coming next. This is the perfect read for anyone who awaits suspense and a thriller.
March 5, 2008
If I had the option of choosing a star rating that meant "it was weird" that is what I would have chosen in this case. A group of outcasts (yes, isn't the title original) find themselves on a school trip together where they fall through the fabric (or map, as the book explains) of life into the region where life is made. Lost? Yes, I know the feeling. They must struggle through various tasks and overcome them in different ways before the fabric catches up to them and they die. Why must they do this?..because the skull in the house they are staying in must be back on the side hall table by tomorrow, that's why. And they know this because the map of life told them. Complete and utter nonsense. I thought up better imaginings when I was six. At the back of the book, there is a paragraph about how the house mentioned is a real place with a real skull and that maps were made in the town where the house is located. This indicated to me that the author tried to use a real situation and convert it into a bizarre sci-fi novel that simply was a. confusing and b. didn't work.
December 3, 2011
The Outcasts is an adventure story about the way we experience life and interact with each other, but it feels like a first try at writing science fiction. Don't let the cover art scare you off, this isn't a horror story. If anything, it is an attempt to make entertaining a "your decisions control your own life, but what you do now may have unforeseen effects" lecture.
While the plot moves without clearly answering every question, it does progress steadily enough that I was eager to continue reading. In the end, I think the writing style could be refined a bit, but overall it's a good story and worth the time to read.
This book contains swearing.
While the plot moves without clearly answering every question, it does progress steadily enough that I was eager to continue reading. In the end, I think the writing style could be refined a bit, but overall it's a good story and worth the time to read.
This book contains swearing.
February 1, 2017
This book was ok and that's why I only gave it 3 stars. 5 children go on a school trip to a castle and go on a adventure to find a skull. In the first few chapters after reaching the castle, Mia, Helen, Iz, Joe and Chris meet a man named Johan. Out of nowhere Johan tells them about other worlds and nets which was a bit confusing. Then, they have this weird journey to get a skull. But, the author never really explains why the skull is so important. At the end they all go home and their lives are magically changed,(not really but still different.) I didn't like this book very much and I would not suggest it.
July 9, 2008
I picked up this book based thinking that it might make an interesting horror read. It did not.
The story starts off well with the introduction of a couple of school outcasts. As the story progresses, there is a slight resemblence to a horror book with the mentioning of the missing skull and their traveling through another dimension. But the story ends strangely, focusing on the amazing transformations the outcasts undergo. It's as if the author decides to change the genre of the story from horror to inspiration. For me, it didn't succeed as either genre.
The story starts off well with the introduction of a couple of school outcasts. As the story progresses, there is a slight resemblence to a horror book with the mentioning of the missing skull and their traveling through another dimension. But the story ends strangely, focusing on the amazing transformations the outcasts undergo. It's as if the author decides to change the genre of the story from horror to inspiration. For me, it didn't succeed as either genre.
February 3, 2008
i thought it was interesting in the beginning, but after the first few chapters i lost interest. It was about five kids that go on a school trip. the five kids weren't the school trip type of kids though, they weren't very involved with school's extra activities they were in their own little world. they decided to go on this trip and see what life outside of what they are use to is like.
April 7, 2009
It was about five kids that go on a school trip. The five kids weren't the school trip type of kids though since they were not very involved with school's extra activities. They were in their own little world, considered outcasts. They decided to go on this trip and see what life outside of what they are use to is like.
June 6, 2010
I bailed at page 89 of 245. This book seemed very much like a first draft to me -- every person and room was described in dull and pointless detail with vague expressions like "incredibly beautiful," and there was a lot of exposition and POV switches from paragraph to paragraph. I thought it had to get better but it never did.
June 11, 2010
this book was realy good because it has things that you can only imagen most of the time because relly you wont seee that the walls of rooms are closing and like you also dont see big dice roling by them self. so this book has stuff you really only see in your dreams. i think that this author wrote this book based on his dreams.
January 10, 2018
Intriguing. Or perhaps just plain weird? My mum bought it in a library sale and thought that I might like it. I guess she just read the back as I don't really read sci-fi. I enjoyed it at the time, but wouldn't reread it.
Read
January 19, 2009I thought it was an interesting book. It was about five kids that go on a school trip. The book involves 5 kids who go on a trip. They have their own experiences. This book i recommend to people because it is a unique plot and it is fun to read.
April 17, 2012
Interesting premise (5 students are granted a field trip and end up falling through a time/map and exploring fantastical webs of time) but it was not coherent throughout and the vulgar language was unnecessary.
January 22, 2009
I read the first few chapters of this book but could not get into it. I didn't mind putting it down and not knowing what happened to the characters.
April 8, 2010
May have just not been in the mood for this one. It does have potential.
December 1, 2011
It was confusing. A little irritating because I didn't feel like anything was fully described but over all it was a good book. Interesting and a fun read but not great. :D
April 18, 2012
This is a really good book, very different!
Want to read
July 19, 2010I really want to read this book
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews