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The Compound #2
The Outside
Alex is out. He’s free. But he’s hunted.
Setting out on an epic journey to save those he left behind, Alex faces unimaginable dangers.
Will he survive in the outdoors? Will he manage to liberate any other compounds? And if he does make it home, will he find safety, or will he finally face his grisly fate?
Find out in The Outside.
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*Please note the original ending of The Compound was modified. You can read the revised last two chapters for free on E.K. Frances’ website.*
Setting out on an epic journey to save those he left behind, Alex faces unimaginable dangers.
Will he survive in the outdoors? Will he manage to liberate any other compounds? And if he does make it home, will he find safety, or will he finally face his grisly fate?
Find out in The Outside.
---
*Please note the original ending of The Compound was modified. You can read the revised last two chapters for free on E.K. Frances’ website.*
166 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 29, 2024
6 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
E.K. Frances
14 books88 followersBorn with a love of fantasy, and an out-of-control imagination, E.K. Frances has been creating stories all their life. Whether travelling the world, or walking the dog, their mind is always dreaming up a new adventure.
Dark, gritty, broken worlds; fast-moving plots, and morally grey characters; blurred lines between right and wrong, and plenty of twists. If you like the sound of that, you will enjoy E.K. Frances’ books.
Are you ready to embrace the darkness?
Mailing list | Follow on BookBub | Follow on Amazon
Dark, gritty, broken worlds; fast-moving plots, and morally grey characters; blurred lines between right and wrong, and plenty of twists. If you like the sound of that, you will enjoy E.K. Frances’ books.
Are you ready to embrace the darkness?
Mailing list | Follow on BookBub | Follow on Amazon
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 31, 2024
Great sequel
After experiencing the best twist at the end of The Compound, I was excited to see how the author ended this one. It's a bit more hopeless and dark for the main character but a page turner for sure! With a great ending, EK Frances definitely keeps you on your toes!
After experiencing the best twist at the end of The Compound, I was excited to see how the author ended this one. It's a bit more hopeless and dark for the main character but a page turner for sure! With a great ending, EK Frances definitely keeps you on your toes!
June 27, 2025
It’s been a while since I read book one, The Compound, but I was thrilled to give the sequel a chance. In The Outside, Alex is now free but he’s all alone, trying to survive in the wilderness while being hunted by men with dogs and monsters in the forest. He wants to find his missing friends and let the other compounds know the truth of what really happens to all the missing children, but the odds are stacked against him.
This is a haunting tale of perseverance and heartache. The ending is bittersweet, and I really hope there’s a book 3 in the works.
4 Stars
This is a haunting tale of perseverance and heartache. The ending is bittersweet, and I really hope there’s a book 3 in the works.
4 Stars
July 11, 2024
Powerful & Haunting Dystopian Journey!!!
Super ADORED sooo many of the characters in this one!!!:-). Asks some deep philosophical questions, but leaves it to the reader to ponder which I think is quite brilliant!!!:-). LOVED IT!!!:-)
Super ADORED sooo many of the characters in this one!!!:-). Asks some deep philosophical questions, but leaves it to the reader to ponder which I think is quite brilliant!!!:-). LOVED IT!!!:-)
September 18, 2025
Holy Wow!
What I liked most about this book and its prequel, The Compound, is its ability to draw the reader in and leave them incapable of putting it down until they're finished. In fact, the first book leaves off with a major cliffhanger that will have you instantly buying THIS book just to know what happened. That said, there are some points where you think you're going to love or hate a certain character, and then the rug is pulled and you're left reeling. 10/10 would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves dystopian future style books.
What I liked most about this book and its prequel, The Compound, is its ability to draw the reader in and leave them incapable of putting it down until they're finished. In fact, the first book leaves off with a major cliffhanger that will have you instantly buying THIS book just to know what happened. That said, there are some points where you think you're going to love or hate a certain character, and then the rug is pulled and you're left reeling. 10/10 would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves dystopian future style books.
January 25, 2025
Although this book had me gripped from the start with its intrigue, danger and horrible implications for Alex, I’m still very confused about the reason for the existence of the ‘compounds’ that also occurred in the previous books. Even though I have read E.K. Frances’ earlier novels in the series I still think there is some more explanation needed. The prologue chapters for The Outside do not provide enough information in my opinion. New readers here will end up asking themselves endlessly: But what? Why? When? And Who?
However, it is a thought-provoking tale and as you read more and more some explanations do emerge slowly. And some of the descriptions of the surroundings really captured my attention. For example there is a part about the river in a later chapter that begins, ‘the river snakes its way through, widening and narrowing as if uncertain how much water to drink.’ And to Alex it is as if it is alive!
There are men who patrol the compound and you wonder do they protect the teenagers or are they up to something far more sinister? Are there really creatures hidden in the depths of the dense forests? And what happens to the teenagers when they leave the compound - do they go to a new life or is there a darker fate awaiting them?
Alex, the main character, is determined not to investigate through fear about this. He wants to escape and find his missing friends because every year teenagers disappear from the compound. They are taken by men, and loaded onto a truck but what for? Alex and his friends have thoughtlessly enjoyed life, foraging for food, and going on adventures. But suddenly all of these things changed. He wants to know why of course.
When Alex gets out of the compound to look for his friends he finds himself hunted by men with dogs. There are beasts in the wild, which may eat him, and he is soon starving as well. Sometimes he is even fighting for his own life and the terror and fear within his mind and body is almost palpable as you read it.
This story is a page turner all the way through! Surprisingly the epilogue has a certain poignancy, but which keeps you wondering: So what happened next?
Overall, this is an exciting tale of fearful terror and survival. Alex is a great character who wants to find and save his friends and he is well written. Recommended.
However, it is a thought-provoking tale and as you read more and more some explanations do emerge slowly. And some of the descriptions of the surroundings really captured my attention. For example there is a part about the river in a later chapter that begins, ‘the river snakes its way through, widening and narrowing as if uncertain how much water to drink.’ And to Alex it is as if it is alive!
There are men who patrol the compound and you wonder do they protect the teenagers or are they up to something far more sinister? Are there really creatures hidden in the depths of the dense forests? And what happens to the teenagers when they leave the compound - do they go to a new life or is there a darker fate awaiting them?
Alex, the main character, is determined not to investigate through fear about this. He wants to escape and find his missing friends because every year teenagers disappear from the compound. They are taken by men, and loaded onto a truck but what for? Alex and his friends have thoughtlessly enjoyed life, foraging for food, and going on adventures. But suddenly all of these things changed. He wants to know why of course.
When Alex gets out of the compound to look for his friends he finds himself hunted by men with dogs. There are beasts in the wild, which may eat him, and he is soon starving as well. Sometimes he is even fighting for his own life and the terror and fear within his mind and body is almost palpable as you read it.
This story is a page turner all the way through! Surprisingly the epilogue has a certain poignancy, but which keeps you wondering: So what happened next?
Overall, this is an exciting tale of fearful terror and survival. Alex is a great character who wants to find and save his friends and he is well written. Recommended.
November 19, 2025
I jumped into this book directly after the first one, hoping for a little bit of clarification but there was none. I enjoyed this book, but just like the first one, the lack of background information left a lot to be desired for me. The story was fast paced and unexpected but I just wish the author expanded on the situation the characters were in a bit more, especially after they changed the ending to allow a second book. Throughout the series we see things mentioned like the children are clones, the beasts being able to change into multiple forms, that there are different variations of the beasts, and they even imply that the beasts are the men that watch over the compound and they just eat the people for fun. None of those things get explained or expanded on. Readers are left on the edge of their seats waiting for a big reveal that just doesn’t come. We don’t get to learn about the compounds, who made them, who made the beasts, or how this is going on in a presumably regular society without anyone knowing.
The author did a great job of constructing the main story in a way that kept readers equally shocked and at the edge of their seats. The story was faced paced, the characters were easy to invest in, and I enjoyed the glimpse of the other compounds we got. Especially when the protagonist was able to meet his father and learn about how the different compounds were set up. I didn’t like how the ending felt rushed and frankly random, of course that was the direction we knew they were heading in, but going from the main character being presumably dead to his mom ending up with him in a sort of sanctuary seemed random. There was no explanation of how things got to that point, they just did. I enjoy the way this author writes characters and able to catch a reader’s attention within the first few pages, but the lack of surrounding information crossed this book some stars for me. It was still a great series to read at face value, just not if you’re expecting an intricate story that is able to focus on the main storyline while also being able to flesh out the world around it.
The author did a great job of constructing the main story in a way that kept readers equally shocked and at the edge of their seats. The story was faced paced, the characters were easy to invest in, and I enjoyed the glimpse of the other compounds we got. Especially when the protagonist was able to meet his father and learn about how the different compounds were set up. I didn’t like how the ending felt rushed and frankly random, of course that was the direction we knew they were heading in, but going from the main character being presumably dead to his mom ending up with him in a sort of sanctuary seemed random. There was no explanation of how things got to that point, they just did. I enjoy the way this author writes characters and able to catch a reader’s attention within the first few pages, but the lack of surrounding information crossed this book some stars for me. It was still a great series to read at face value, just not if you’re expecting an intricate story that is able to focus on the main storyline while also being able to flesh out the world around it.
July 7, 2024
A tale of terror, horror and survival. E.K. Frances’ “Outside” continues the gripping tale of Alex, who has escaped from the ‘compound’ and must survive the wild. I really felt for Alex as he struggled with starvation, exhaustion and dangerous beasts in the dark forest. One thought keeps him going despite the odds against him; Can he save his friends and warn the other compounds? Alex is a character that you want to cheer on as he helps more and more escapees. His journey of resistance keeps you turning pages as you wonder will they get captured and who will be the next to fall prey? I highly recommended this dystopian series!
July 20, 2024
Alex has come out of the first horror (Book 1 The Compound) into a new fight, one that sees him trying to get back to his group and help them survive. He is unprepared for his travels and the new life where he is free?
This Author continues to explore the horrific world that was created in her first book, and pushes the perceptions of her characters. Is it better to be ignorant and live a life, or to know the horrors and fight against it?
I hope there will be a third book in this series.
I received an advanced copy from the Author and am leaving this unbiased review of my own volition.
This Author continues to explore the horrific world that was created in her first book, and pushes the perceptions of her characters. Is it better to be ignorant and live a life, or to know the horrors and fight against it?
I hope there will be a third book in this series.
I received an advanced copy from the Author and am leaving this unbiased review of my own volition.
July 13, 2024
I still have questions 🤔
Interesting read. I was hoping to know more of the reasons behind this madness. It only left me wondering more. I'm the reader that will ponder this story until the backstory is solved. This story reminded me of a cross between Giver and Unwind. It was suspenseful and sad. You can feel the pain in Little ones life when he reflects. I hope Owen does visit, and I hope he returns to help save them all.
Interesting read. I was hoping to know more of the reasons behind this madness. It only left me wondering more. I'm the reader that will ponder this story until the backstory is solved. This story reminded me of a cross between Giver and Unwind. It was suspenseful and sad. You can feel the pain in Little ones life when he reflects. I hope Owen does visit, and I hope he returns to help save them all.
June 20, 2024
A Worthy Follow-Up
A follow-up to The Compound, Alex returns for another adventure in a bleak world. This is dark, dystopian YA that doesn't promise happy endings for any character. The prose is spare yet evocative, and a visceral sense of instability and peril is a constant throughout. Fans of darker YA material or 1980s horror thrillers will likely enjoy.
A follow-up to The Compound, Alex returns for another adventure in a bleak world. This is dark, dystopian YA that doesn't promise happy endings for any character. The prose is spare yet evocative, and a visceral sense of instability and peril is a constant throughout. Fans of darker YA material or 1980s horror thrillers will likely enjoy.
January 8, 2026
This is book 2 in the series it follows up directly after book 1 .. now he is out of the compound and is questioning if he can trust the one person who he had trusted before. I cant give to many details as to spoilers for book 1 but definitely a great read and definitely recommend this series
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews