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The Beyond
In 2029, a series of events sent the country into civil the government fell, cities were destroyed, and millions of people perished. Those who survived went into hiding. This event is known as the Change, and everything that came after—
the Beyond.
Sixty years later, Nessa Aisling wants three to be treated equally to the men of her division, to venture outside, and answers. She has lived her entire life in hiding, trapped within the walls of her division. On her 18th day of aging, Nessa finds limited freedom as Guardian but struggles to accept her place in the division. She pushes back against the Elder council’s oppressive views, strict traditions, and refusal to intervene with those in the Beyond.
Raised not to ask questions, Nessa searches for answers in a country that no longer exists and begins to question if the true dangers are in the Beyond or within her division. In her desperate pursuit of purpose and truth, Nessa unknowingly sacrifices everything.
Sixty years later, Nessa Aisling wants three to be treated equally to the men of her division, to venture outside, and answers. She has lived her entire life in hiding, trapped within the walls of her division. On her 18th day of aging, Nessa finds limited freedom as Guardian but struggles to accept her place in the division. She pushes back against the Elder council’s oppressive views, strict traditions, and refusal to intervene with those in the Beyond.
Raised not to ask questions, Nessa searches for answers in a country that no longer exists and begins to question if the true dangers are in the Beyond or within her division. In her desperate pursuit of purpose and truth, Nessa unknowingly sacrifices everything.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 4, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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November 10, 2024I chose not to read this book, mainly for personal reasons. I know nothing about the story, so I don't know whether or not it's good. If others choose to, then I hope they enjoy it.
December 4, 2024
If a sci-fi writer is political I know the book is gonna be 🔥
Will update as I read more!
UPDATE:
What I liked:
This is a unique concept. It is a dystopian novel where I can actually see how the world we currently live in can end up there.
I also enjoy the Fallout Vault vibes. The characters are also interesting and I loved Silas.
What I didn’t like:
Sometimes the world and the MC felt too surface level black and white. I especially saw this in how the MC treated her mother “giving in” to gender roles when she had children—especially after she experienced some of the gruesome parts of being a Gaurdian. I would have wished that there was more nuance on the mom as it seemed as if her “enjoying” domesticy was a character flaw but I could have been complying to survive—which a lot of characters had that vibe. This could have been a great reflection of why women in male dominated fields leave for their own safety but instead it almost came off as victim-blaming. Maybe this will change or be a series arc for Nessa though.
When it’s such a gendered society, calling a minor girl “Ms.” broke the immersion. We know children aren’t married—it felt as if it would be Miss or Mrs.
What was the purpose of the voting? It was never explained. Message had 8-6 vote against her taking Gaurdian test. Did they need a super majority to stop it? Was it just a formality? Why would they have only a formality vote when elder’s word seemed to be law? Especially when the ending had a vote, the ruling of the majority won.
OVERALL: This is not a bad debut. There’s a lot of potential for expansion in the series and I’m excited to see where it goes.
Will update as I read more!
UPDATE:
What I liked:
This is a unique concept. It is a dystopian novel where I can actually see how the world we currently live in can end up there.
I also enjoy the Fallout Vault vibes. The characters are also interesting and I loved Silas.
What I didn’t like:
Sometimes the world and the MC felt too surface level black and white. I especially saw this in how the MC treated her mother “giving in” to gender roles when she had children—especially after she experienced some of the gruesome parts of being a Gaurdian. I would have wished that there was more nuance on the mom as it seemed as if her “enjoying” domesticy was a character flaw but I could have been complying to survive—which a lot of characters had that vibe. This could have been a great reflection of why women in male dominated fields leave for their own safety but instead it almost came off as victim-blaming. Maybe this will change or be a series arc for Nessa though.
When it’s such a gendered society, calling a minor girl “Ms.” broke the immersion. We know children aren’t married—it felt as if it would be Miss or Mrs.
What was the purpose of the voting? It was never explained. Message had 8-6 vote against her taking Gaurdian test. Did they need a super majority to stop it? Was it just a formality? Why would they have only a formality vote when elder’s word seemed to be law? Especially when the ending had a vote, the ruling of the majority won.
OVERALL: This is not a bad debut. There’s a lot of potential for expansion in the series and I’m excited to see where it goes.
November 9, 2024
I hate leaving negative reviews but it was awful and ended up being a dnf. The writing was so disjointed that it felt like a drunk person with the vocabulary of a third grader was trying to tell a story.
February 2, 2025
I received this book as a gift and I devoured it in two days! It grabbed my attention from the first page and held me until the last page. Book two can't come soon enough.
It's 2089 and the world as we know, is no more. A series of events that started in 2029 sent the country into civil war and everything went to hell. Nessa Aisling is a few months away from her aging (18th birthday) when she will decide to become a Keeper or a Guardian. Typically women become Keeper's, but Nessa isn't typical. She wants the freedom that being a Guardian brings (being able to leave the confines of the Division) but all it brings is more questions about why they are living the way they do.
(I hope the events in the book aren't foreshadowing into our future.)
It's 2089 and the world as we know, is no more. A series of events that started in 2029 sent the country into civil war and everything went to hell. Nessa Aisling is a few months away from her aging (18th birthday) when she will decide to become a Keeper or a Guardian. Typically women become Keeper's, but Nessa isn't typical. She wants the freedom that being a Guardian brings (being able to leave the confines of the Division) but all it brings is more questions about why they are living the way they do.
(I hope the events in the book aren't foreshadowing into our future.)
February 11, 2025
A gritty, wholesome dystopian novel with a need for existence. The plot is survival- survival to live, to stay true to one's self, and become stronger when the entire world is against you. This is a great story with so many true-to-life parallels. Written by an amazing person who truly cares for the world, The Beyond is a must have for any sci-fi dystopian lover who needs a good punch of reality. :) Jinna Dennis
November 11, 2024
Fuck the patriarchy.
November 28, 2024
This book was a fabulous read and very captivating throughout. I cannot wait for the second book to come out. Thank you for restarting my love for reading!
April 7, 2026
Nessa and her twin feel like real siblings. This book offers new dimensions to the dystopian fiction framework that I really appreciated throughout. The world building was explored so well through the Guardians and their duty to the community. I loved that we had family structures that complicated the relationship the MC had with authority, but in a way that felt true to life. The Purpose is already hooking me in with some new cast and a deeper look into the impact and flavor of tragedy that has afflicted this world, excited to see where it goes!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews