The Girl of Ink and Stars
Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Chicken House, Dh20,
Suitable for readers age 10+
First off, let me say that the pages inside The Girl of Ink and Stars are insanely gorgeous. There is the text down the centre of the page, but then in the margins are really pretty, really simple map-related drawings, along with the odd fish or two. Now, on to the review ...
Someone once told me that, as humans, the need for adventure is hardwired into our brains, left over from the time when our ancestors roamed the earth freely. This theory explains why some of us, like Isabella Riosse, the “girl of ink and stars”, spend most of life hoping and praying for the chance to explore.
In the story, Isabella is the daughter of a cartographer. She shares her fathers passion and has ink and stars running through her veins. She constantly dreams of venturing outside her village walls to navigate the Forbidden Territories beyond.
When Isabella’s best friend does indeed disappear, our heroine takes the identity of her dead twin brother and uses an unfinished map, her father’s map-making skills, and an old myth to navigate through those Forbidden Territories.
This story is what you get when you cross friendship, love, loyalty, and excitement. I think Isabella can teach us a lesson in all three of those things, as well as fire demons, demon dogs, and magical rivers!
Packed to the brim with detail, The Girl of Ink and Stars makes the reader feel as if it is you crossing unmapped territory and fighting fire demons. It is perfect for lovers of adventure and is extremely inspiring to anyone who feels like maybe they're too young, or too small, or too wistful to ever accomplish anything.
Despite everyone telling Isabella that the myth she loves is just that, a story, she keeps hold of it, and it helps her out in the end. Don’t let anyone tell you that what you believe in isn’t worth believing in: be your own Isabella Riosse.
Radeeyah Ebrahim, 16, is a student at Horizon Private School, Abu Dhabi. She blogs about books at bigbooksaremyhappiness.tumblr.com
