ARC provided in exchange for an honest review

Sawyer is running from the only life she's ever known. Raised in a strict religious family with a religious father, Sawyer is used to pain and heartbreak, but a chance opportunity left behind by her mother helps her escape to The Outskirts. It's a town the world forgot, a swampy marshland with few prospects and a handful of determined citizens. It's also the home of Finn, a brooding, dark man barely making it through the days as he hangs onto a past he can't let go of. Neighbors by chance, Sawyer brings life back into Finn's world and in turn he shows her all she's been missing.

"'You running from something, Sawyer Dixon?'
I paused for a moment. 'I think of it more like I'm running toward something.'"

Talk about a story that's driven by complex characters and a well constructed plot. T.M. Frazier gives readers a stunning novel with the release of The Outskirts, part one of a duet, told from the dual point of views of main characters Sawyer and Finn. Sawyer is sweet, naive, and headstrong. Finn is depressed, alone, and handsome. Neither should really be seeking another, not when they carry baggage as heavy as they do, and yet they can't seem to stay away. They're both questioning why they're the ones left behind, but together they find a reason to keep going. I love how Sawyer and Finn connect, but what really makes this novel work are the secondary characters and the events that unfold. The town of Outskirts is like a living, breathing character itself, and the people who live there are so unique. I really liked Josh and how she took Sawyer under her wing, embracing her when it's obvious Sawyer doesn't know what it's really liked to be cared for. Miller, while kind of a sleaze, brings humor to the story and characters like Critter, well he holds all the secrets. The interactions between each character was so interesting, it allowed for a lot of character development and made the story feel alive. Then there is the drama, we know Sawyer's past isn't truly in the past and the twist that T.M. Frazier gives readers at the very end was astonishing, I could never have predicted it.

"I was her first.
Her first everything."

My 5 star rating of The Outskirts is definitely due to my general enjoyment of the novel. I love the idea of a girl striking it out on her own, finding strength in herself as she faces the unknown. More than that though, I love that the girl can help someone else find themselves in the process too. It's a romantic story with an underlying mystery that makes it unique and even more interesting to read. As the first part of a duet, The Outskirts is a standout novel and I cannot wait for The Outliers. ( )

4.5 stars

Deep sigh. T.M. Frazier writes books with such an amazing backstory that it draws the audience in from the start. You have to read more because you're sucked into the quagmire. Every encounter, every, person, and every detail is integral in the story.

Sawyer and Finn. Double deep sigh. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn were to of my favorite classic characters--even decades later. Having the main characters be a play off those names hit home for me. Together they were pure bliss. Reading their journey from strangers to lovers was poignant. It was sweet. It was chemistry induced steam.

I have waited for months for Outliers to come home before I started this book. It was a definite feat of strength on my part as patience is not a virtue of mine. I'm starting it tomorrow and will fill in the rest of my thoughts from this book in that review as I make sense of it all and get my answers.

Definitely recommend this book and anything by T.M Frazier. ( )

I'm convinced TM Frazier is a witch. All her books are too good to be anything other than sorcery. Oddly, I find that I am okay with this since I get to read awesome books. ( )

This is my first book by T.M. Frazier, yes you read that right, no I have not read the preppy series. Anyway, this book is amazing, and I am going to add right up front it ends in a cliff hanger, so if you don't like that, wait until the second book comes out, which is soon to follow and you will be right as rain. I cannot wait for it personally. This book so far, has humor, grit, determination, love and sorrow.
The story is well developed, and the characters are rich. Reading this book is like having a movie real inside my head going. You would do well to visit the Outskirts as well, cause it's getting good. Told in dual POV, you don't want to miss out.

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