LitPick Review
Earth Girl, set hundreds of years in the future, offers a stunning vision of humanity’s future. We can regrow limbs, we have marvelous technology, and we have colonized many other planets. In a matter of seconds, we can transport between these planets through special portals…. All except for the taboo “apes,” humans who were born without the immune system needed to survive on other planets. They are abandoned at birth on Earth.
Confined to Earth and rejected by the majority of humanity, “ape” girl Jarra makes an impulsive and courageous decision upon turning 18. She’s fed up with the feelings of rejection that come with being an “ape.” And she’s going to prove that “apes” are just as human as everyone else.
Going undercover under a covert identity, Jarra begins attending a different school and pretends she’s normal. As she discovers more about herself and her classmates, her search for identity takes twists and turns. Weaving in elements of science fiction, a coming-of-age journey and romance, Edwards has told a truly unique story.
Opinion:
Personally, I enjoyed reading Earth Girl. Edwards has built a fascinating vision of the future, perhaps with an undertone of warning about human disposition towards prejudice and judgment. The world building, characterization and action scenes were the strong points of Earth Girl. However, some of the plot turns seem less developed. In addition, there are areas where the author “tells” rather than “shows.” I felt like Earth Girl, being aimed at the teen audience, could have been more technical with regards to the science and technology elements.
Overall, Earth Girl was a action-packed pageturner…with interesting futuristic curse words. But most of all, the message of Earth Girl is something I really appreciate. I definitely recommend this book to the YA audience, even those who may not be solid science fiction readers.
