This was a cover buy. I’m easy like that. Although I did see a couple of authors recommending it on their Insta stories, so I didn’t go in completely blind. I was a little torn, it’s only a 290 page book.. would it just be a typical, tropey, shallow book. Not everyone can write a compelling story with such a small word count.
SYNOPSIS from Goodreads
Romy Silvers is the only surviving crew-member of a spaceship travelling to a new planet, on a mission to establish a second home for humanity amongst the stars. Alone in space, she is the loneliest girl in the universe until she hears about a new ship which has launched from Earth – with a single passenger on board. A boy called J.
Their only communication with each other is via email – and due to the distance between them, their messages take months to transmit across space. And yet Romy finds herself falling in love.
But what does Romy really know about J? And what do the mysterious messages which have started arriving from Earth really mean?
Reading this was an absolute treat. It had a little bit of everything; sci-fi, mystery, some angst, love, a healthy dose of fan-fic and the most realistic portrayal of anxiety.
“The close call with the asteroid has kick-started my anxiety. I worry endlessly about things going wrong. On some days, its all i can think about. I’ll lay frozen in my bunk, overwhelmed by the responsibility resting on my shoulders. I can’t run this ship, not without Dad. Not on my own.”
So the answer to my above question is YES, Lauren James can and does write a compelling, intriguing story in only 290 pages.
I think The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is best read blind, as in don’t read reviews, don’t google, just sit down and immerse yourself in the story. It’s a very quick read, easily done in one sitting. You will come out the other end with a smile on your face, Romy is a sweet, endearing character who you will want to cheer for.
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