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annab3lla's review against another edition
5.0
This historical fiction YA novel about a young Mormon girl who wants to be an astronomer was moving, compelling, and full of adventure. I adored the way Rosalyn Eves tied together the themes of religion and science. These two concepts are too often considered mutually exclusive--but Rosalyn Eves clearly agrees with me that they shouldn't be.
notanothername's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tashaseegmiller's review against another edition
5.0
This beautiful book showcases an authentic 1800s "old west," as well as what it may have been like for a girl who has only known the high mountain desert and a world encompassed in religion as home. True to Eves' form, the writing is lush and beautiful, and both readers in and out of faith will come to see how religion and science can align, and that a girl can move into her authentic self.
debbiebarr's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this book! It was great to have a mainstream YA novel written about Mormon history that approached the subject with such nuance and care. I loved how much of the book focused on Elizabeth's internal battle between science/education and her desire for a family and hold true to her religion. I think this conflict is very relatable to a modern female LDS audience, and also played well into the historical narrative.
ghh2023's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed Beyond the Mapped Stars because it was a unique historical fiction novel. There are not enough books out in the world that show women who enjoy science before the twenty first century. And, for that matter, I don't feel like there are enough books out that showcase women in science in any century. But, I really enjoyed this book and how unique it was. I know very little about the details of the Mormon church so I thought it was really interesting to learn a little bit about what being a member is like. Elizabeth faced a lot of judgement from people all around her because of her religion and gender. She never let any of that stop her and she persisted until she got to see the solar eclipse. I think that it would be so cool to see a solar eclipse on the top of a mountain. One of the other interesting aspects of this novel was the science vs faith argument. Both of these methodologies explain nature in different ways and I feel like it is hard to believe in both of them simultaneously. That was a really powerful argument for this novel and it is something that had me reflecting on some of my own experiences with both of those things. Because both of these schools of thought are mostly against each other, I feel like people feel the pressure to pick one over the other. I have never read a book that had this element in it and I that part of the novel resonated with me. Overall, I just liked this book because I feel like it is unique and different. I really wish there were more historical fiction novels about women trying to pursue science. I think there are some really interesting stories to tell.
caitiep92's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.75
blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Diversity is the name of the game in YA literature, but I think religious diversity is often ignored. I love the fact that Eves delved into Mormonism (which is my faith, culture, and heritage, as well as hers) in this book. She presented nuances in the religion and lifestyle with sensitivity and humor. She shines a light on the mockery and injustices suffered by our people in the 1800s, something that isn't always known about. I appreciated her insider's view.
All that being said, I still didn't love BEYOND THE MAPPED STARS. While I appreciate that Elizabeth is a young woman who's buckling against what's expected of her and trying to find her own way, I found her to be a selfish, me-me-me kind of character. Sure, she helps out with chores and kid-watching, but she's still a very self-centered person. Her reasons for wanting to study astronomy didn't feel all that compelling to me, which made her story goal feel weak. Honestly, I didn't really care if she saw the eclipse or not. I was never worried that she wouldn't get what she wanted, so I never felt truly invested in her plight. Elizabeth's views on homosexuality, race mixing, women's roles, etc. also felt VERY progressive for a sheltered Mormon girl in the 1800s who's lived in Utah her whole life. That felt inauthentic to me. As far as Elizabeth's romance with Samuel? Bleh. I didn't feel any sparks between the two of them at all.
Plot-wise, BEYOND THE MAPPED STARS is a slow read that gets quite dull in places. It took me almost a week to read the book because between the bland characters and glacial plotting, I just found it so putdownable. Eves' prose leaves something to be desired as well as it feels too simplistic. I wanted deeper digging in both the plot and the writing itself.
I'm not saying there aren't good things about this novel. There are. I like its emphasis on women in science (even though I have little interest in the subject myself), its examination of female work/life balance, and its exploration of the relationship between religion and science. As I said above, I also enjoyed its focus on Mormonism. Unfortunately, though, the characters didn't speak to me much and the story plods along so slowly that I got bored with it. I wanted to love this novel so much and I just...didn't. In the end, it turned out to be just an okay read for me. Bummer.
All that being said, I still didn't love BEYOND THE MAPPED STARS. While I appreciate that Elizabeth is a young woman who's buckling against what's expected of her and trying to find her own way, I found her to be a selfish, me-me-me kind of character. Sure, she helps out with chores and kid-watching, but she's still a very self-centered person. Her reasons for wanting to study astronomy didn't feel all that compelling to me, which made her story goal feel weak. Honestly, I didn't really care if she saw the eclipse or not. I was never worried that she wouldn't get what she wanted, so I never felt truly invested in her plight. Elizabeth's views on homosexuality, race mixing, women's roles, etc. also felt VERY progressive for a sheltered Mormon girl in the 1800s who's lived in Utah her whole life. That felt inauthentic to me. As far as Elizabeth's romance with Samuel? Bleh. I didn't feel any sparks between the two of them at all.
Plot-wise, BEYOND THE MAPPED STARS is a slow read that gets quite dull in places. It took me almost a week to read the book because between the bland characters and glacial plotting, I just found it so putdownable. Eves' prose leaves something to be desired as well as it feels too simplistic. I wanted deeper digging in both the plot and the writing itself.
I'm not saying there aren't good things about this novel. There are. I like its emphasis on women in science (even though I have little interest in the subject myself), its examination of female work/life balance, and its exploration of the relationship between religion and science. As I said above, I also enjoyed its focus on Mormonism. Unfortunately, though, the characters didn't speak to me much and the story plods along so slowly that I got bored with it. I wanted to love this novel so much and I just...didn't. In the end, it turned out to be just an okay read for me. Bummer.
mareliza's review against another edition
5.0
I couldn't put this book down! It was a very good light read. 10/10 would recomend.
twhittie's review against another edition
3.0
This book had an intriguing premise and I was curious to see how the author portrayed Mormonism to a national audience. I felt like the main character lacked personality and it was a slower pace than I anticipated, but overall a decent read.