The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE BOOK:

This book was EVERYTHING. I can’t believe the road it took. It was my perfect sci-fi romance, and then the 50% mark hit and it became my new favourite thriller. I am reeling after reading this epic novel.

CHARACTERS/DYNAMICS:

Romy: I could imagine people dislike Romy, because she’s a hopeless romantic and gullible young woman (to which I respond: why do you have to critique every female figure who makes a mistake and/or trusts others?). To me, Romy was the most relatable and heartbreaking female protagonist I’ve ever read. She’s been alone for so long, she made dolls out of spoons and made an imaginary spoon baby for her spoon self. My heart broke over and over for her.

J: for the first half of this book = swoon.
For the second half of this book = one of the best antiheroes/villains ever. Holy crap. I believed this guy time and time again. I felt like Romy, wanting to believe in him. WHY COULDNT HE HAVE BEEN ROMY’S SOUL MATE?! WHY, GOD, WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO US?

PLOT:

Romy was born on a spaceship, heading to Earth 2.0. Her parents were bad and conceived her, oh, and ended up killing all the frozen passengers. They died when Romy was 11. 5 years later, she’s captain of her ship and completely alone.

Romy starts to get emails from the new rulers of Earth, claiming NASA has now been absorbed into the new national system, United People’s Republic (UPR). Over the next 200 days, they ask her to do more rash things such as showering for 30 secs, and showering is only allowed once per fortnight.

Coincidentally, around the same time UPR have taken over Romy’s ship, she starts getting emails from her dream beau. She’s fallen in love, hard, over just a few emails.

But wait… is he… quoting her fan fiction?

Who is J? And why is nobody from Earth teaching Romy anymore?

STRUCTURE:

The first half of the book: cute, adorable teen sci-fi romance.
The second half of the book: prepare yourself for a heart and panic attack, kids. We’re going for a slasher ride.

THEMES:

– Are we truly human if the only contact we’ve ever had is with our parents and no one else?
– Can we trust who we meet online?
– What are the dangers of teen girls and their loneliness? (After all, Romy’s parents’ folly was their loneliness, so they had a baby).

QUOTES:

”How long until I’ll be able to see The Eternity?

How long until it will be able to see me?”

THE ENDING:

So after chapters of the manhunt, we get a brief glimpse into Romy’s happily ever after. On the Eternity, J’s ship, she finds more frozen passengers. She’s full of relief, she won’t be lonely anymore.

I’m curious to see what happens, but I’m sure it would end up dwindling like Across the Universe’s sequels went.

But I really do want to see Romy not alone anymore.

She didn’t deserve any of this.

IMPACT:

I thought this book was going to be rubbish, and that I’d quickly read it and forget about it. It’s now my new favourite book! Yay yay yay!