October 13, 2014
“The Outside” has never seemed as dangerous and as magical as in the debut novel by Christie (the story collection The Beggar’s Garden) about a boy who lives confined in his home with his agoraphobic mother. Until the age of 11, Will has never set foot Outside; he spends his time indoors painting “masterpieces,” conducting Destructivity experiments, and dealing with the many deliverymen his mother fears. When a strange noise brings Will outdoors for the first time, he encounters a boy who soon disappears, sparking Will’s curiosity about not only the boy’s whereabouts but also the Outside world in general. Against his mother’s wishes, he starts attending school, making friends, and picking up skateboarding. Alternating chapters between Will’s increasingly daring adventures Outside and his mother’s increasing reclusiveness hint at his mother’s past and the source of her condition. While the mysterious family backstory at times distracts from the delightful simplicity of Will’s misadventures, the boy’s raw but clever commentary brims with a fierce poignancy that makes the book very difficult to put down. Agent: Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency.