Spoiler-Free ARC Review: The Loneliest Girl in the Universe - Lauren James

Hello everyone!

Recently, I got a proof copy of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe provided by Walker Books. Thank you so much for sending me this book! I'm so excited to discuss it, so let's do it!

Title: The Loneliest Girl in the Universe

Author: Lauren James

Published by: Walker Books

Pages: 290 | Publication date: September 7th

ISBN: 9781406375473

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Synopsis:
Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met, never even spoken to – someone who is light years away?
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?
Sometimes, there’s something worse than being alone . . .

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe took me by surprise. I was truly amazed with how the plot developed and how the characters dealt with the facing and constant difficulties.

The blurb of this book is Can you fall in love with someone you've never met, never even spoken to – someone who is light years away?, therefore I was expecting to find a romance between the two commanders of two separate spaceships. I was wrong. The Loneliest Girl in the Universe isn't about two people who feel in love light years away. It's about falling in love with the only possibility. Trusting yourself to the only person available while living completely isolated. It's a thriller you don't see coming and mark this: it will keep you on your toes.

I'm going to fight. I'm going to do whatever it takes to survive.

The main character, Romy is sixteen at the start of the book, and she has survived all by herself in a spaceship since her parents tragic and mysterious death. Romy is a total badass and I completely related to her. She wrote fanfiction, just like I used to, and there aren't many characters in literature that express the same affection for fanfics. Her character development throughout the book is also explendid and her mental strength astonished me completely. 

Regarding her mental strength, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is a book that digs deep in the main character's mind and how it affects her to be continuously secluded from the world. The Science Fiction elements are also very present in Lauren James' new book – which isn't a surprise, of course – but the author was also creative with the mystery elements.

The final twist was the cherry on top of the cake and it kept me hooked me until the very end. I confess that even with the suspicious I had, I would have never imagine the series of events that followed and how everything ended. I do wish that we got a couple more chapters after the ending, because I definitely would like to know how Romy turned out and what she did after this exciting thriller. 

He's been trying to destroy me, piece by careful piece, while I romanticized every second of it.

One thing that would have made this book even better was if the author added more complexity to the plot and the multiple relationships established. However, I believe Lauren James didn't want to have a heavy atmosphere in her book, but instead focus on the mental strength and how being always alone can interfere with some one's health.

Overall, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe was a great and mysterious thriller. The characters were relatable and funny – at least, Romy – and the plot was full of twists and surprises! A not to heavy but very much enjoyable thriller that deals with mental healthiness, which I definitely recommend – even if you aren't a big fan of thrillers.

What about you? Are you planning on reading The Loneliest Girl in the Universe?