Help is NOT On the Way!

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe

By: Lauren James

Grade: A

Romy Silvers is the last survivor of a deep space mission headed to a new Earth. She’s never even set foot on the real Earth having been born on the mission. Used to her loneliness and tenuous connection to NASA Romy is over the moon when she hears they’ve launched another mission to catch up to hers. Soon J makes contact a young man and easily connects with the lonely girl.

But everything is definitely not as it seems.

Be careful what you wish for even in space.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s definitely more of a psychological thriller set in space than anything else. Usually it would contain things that really annoyed me- like falling for someone you’ve never meet over e-mails. Also the whole why are teenagers in this situation would usually come up for me but it worked in this story.

Romy’s situation is different. It makes sense that she would be trusting and naive- she literally has no other choice. It makes sense that she’s so young in that she wasn’t born until they were in space. The claustrophobia of her life and the unfolding history of what happened to the rest of the astronauts on the mission- one that haunts her- unravels along with the budding relationship between her and J.

I wanted to know!

I wanted to know!

This was a super quick read for me in large part because of that. Romy is a great character again I have to admit she might be annoying under different circumstances but she just worked for me here. The space setting made the whole thing. This idea that no help is coming. That you cannot even contact the help you may need. There’s nowhere to run and limited places to hide… You’re on your own darling.

Also Hollywood- this would make a killer movie!

Recommend: Yes. It’s a quick and different read. Good for a trip or a long weekend.