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liinukka's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting setting but ultimately boring story. (Plus highly accomplished main character who apparently is "amaz!!" at everything ever).
Nothing of interest really happens. I can't even imagine what the rest of the series is like. More whole lot of nothing?
Also I really didn't appreciate the microscopic font. Who edited the style of this book?? Horrible.
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EDA:
Pasted from my review at Ampersand --
Oop, forgot to write a comment here after finishing this book.
I agree, the premise was interesting, though I think some of the world-building left a lot to be desired. I thought it was idiotic for e.g., that they had the tech to create portals into other parts of the universe but lacked the know-how to build a damn ship that could withstand an atmospheric landing. It's like watching the dumbest smart people in the world flop around helplessly. I know a lot of knowledge was lost over the years but I can't believe that they didn't think it might come in handy to have actual ships that could cross through an atmosphere you know, just in case??
Jarra was kind of bitter and salty, and I guess that's to be expected. Admittedly, it's the reason I immediately tossed out Magonia, which I cracked open after finish Earth Girl. (I really don't wanna read about angst-ridden disabled teenagers for two books in a row, thanks).
And yet, despite her bitterness, she's actually super special awesome and blows everyone away with her amaz! abilities. If the constant usage of stupid future fake slang didn't make me roll my eyes a hundred thousand times, her extensive list of accomplishments certainly did.
Yet again, I'm also frustrated by the fact that despite a cool premise/world, this book was SO BORING! I think this is just testament to lazy writing. Authors must think that we're so enamored by the setting/premise that we won't care that there's barely a sustainable plot. They fumbled around for most of the book digging up crap I couldn't care less about. NOTHING HAPPENS.
And then she
Not interested in reading the rest. Have much better things to do with my time.
Nothing of interest really happens. I can't even imagine what the rest of the series is like. More whole lot of nothing?
Also I really didn't appreciate the microscopic font. Who edited the style of this book?? Horrible.
---
EDA:
Pasted from my review at Ampersand --
Oop, forgot to write a comment here after finishing this book.
I agree, the premise was interesting, though I think some of the world-building left a lot to be desired. I thought it was idiotic for e.g., that they had the tech to create portals into other parts of the universe but lacked the know-how to build a damn ship that could withstand an atmospheric landing. It's like watching the dumbest smart people in the world flop around helplessly. I know a lot of knowledge was lost over the years but I can't believe that they didn't think it might come in handy to have actual ships that could cross through an atmosphere you know, just in case??
Jarra was kind of bitter and salty, and I guess that's to be expected. Admittedly, it's the reason I immediately tossed out Magonia, which I cracked open after finish Earth Girl. (I really don't wanna read about angst-ridden disabled teenagers for two books in a row, thanks).
And yet, despite her bitterness, she's actually super special awesome and blows everyone away with her amaz! abilities. If the constant usage of stupid future fake slang didn't make me roll my eyes a hundred thousand times, her extensive list of accomplishments certainly did.
Yet again, I'm also frustrated by the fact that despite a cool premise/world, this book was SO BORING! I think this is just testament to lazy writing. Authors must think that we're so enamored by the setting/premise that we won't care that there's barely a sustainable plot. They fumbled around for most of the book digging up crap I couldn't care less about. NOTHING HAPPENS.
And then she
Spoiler
loses her mind and confuses the readers with her apparent identity crisis. The onset was so weird and sudden it felt like a cheap way to make things interesting (it did not). Besides, how could she care so much about parents that she only talked to for 5 minutes? It made zero sense.Not interested in reading the rest. Have much better things to do with my time.
mlliu's review against another edition
3.0
This was a sweet book with a true kick-ass heroine and an intriguing premise. I thought it was interesting that the book presented humans as advanced enough to have portal technology but having lost much too when so many people left Earth and allowed parts to go to ruin. And so they express surprise at the sight of high-rises (there's no need to build dense when there are other worlds to settle) and the idea that people could have traveled across land as fast as they did (as in auto racing; in their world, people just portal to a destination). I'm not sure it makes sense from a scientific standpoint. For example, wouldn't people have recognized the importance of redundancy in data storage, making it unlikely that all this knowledge would be lost? But I thought the mythology of Earth's future was well thought-out, like the fact that settlers on different planets have developed different cultures.
I describe this book as "sweet" because I never got a real sense of danger.
I also didn't think Jarra's mental break was very believable. It felt like a convenient way to shuffle the plot forward, though I'm glad she at least took responsibility for her lies once she realized what had happened.
The writing could have been tighter. There were long passages of dialogue where characters explain things in a way that felt awkward. Otherwise, I thought Earth Girl was a well-imagined debut novel with thoughtful characters and a lot of potential for future stories.
I describe this book as "sweet" because I never got a real sense of danger.
Spoiler
Everything works out in the end. I did think it was kind of a cheat (even lazy?) to have Fian reveal Jarra's origins to their class. Instead of seeing how her classmates reacted to her being "Handicapped," Jarra wakes up from her coma to find out everyone still likes her.I also didn't think Jarra's mental break was very believable. It felt like a convenient way to shuffle the plot forward, though I'm glad she at least took responsibility for her lies once she realized what had happened.
The writing could have been tighter. There were long passages of dialogue where characters explain things in a way that felt awkward. Otherwise, I thought Earth Girl was a well-imagined debut novel with thoughtful characters and a lot of potential for future stories.
katherinelv5's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting book. I liked all the fun lingo. There were times when I was really confused about what was going on but it was all explained later.
ellbeecee's review against another edition
4.0
This book surprised me - I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I really expected it to be fairly fluffy, one that I picked up and eventually finished, but that I didn't think much of.
Instead, I feel like there was good worldbuilding, an interesting premise and good exploration of themes, if some of those felt a little heavy handed at times.
I'm already reading the next book, so clearly the flaws aren't keeping me from that.
Instead, I feel like there was good worldbuilding, an interesting premise and good exploration of themes, if some of those felt a little heavy handed at times.
I'm already reading the next book, so clearly the flaws aren't keeping me from that.
jrosenstein's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book and it is rather unique in the world of YA scifi. As one of the blurbs on the back points out, this is a utopia, not a dystopia, which is such a nice change from all the gloom and doom pervading YA fiction these days. Edwards imagines a world where technology has actually made things pretty good. There seems to be no real poverty and most diseases and injuries can be easily cured. It is not, however, a world without prejudice and Edwards does an excellent job of world-building. She has really thought out the cultural implications of humans spreading out across the galaxy, and her main character is smart and confident but still completely real and vulnerable. The characters give a lot of information about the world and its history but for me it never got boring. If anything, my only complaint is that the overall tone is perhaps a bit too optimistic and upbeat!
carolined314's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
aimeeb993's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sashapasha's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
Earth Girl is set in a future where humans have colonized numerous planets and travel between them instantaneously via portal. The protagonist is an 18 year old girl named Jarra, who is one of the people dubbed “Handicapped” because they are unable to travel to worlds other than Earth without going into anaphylactic shock. Handicapped people are looked down upon by society and considered subhuman by many.
In protest of discrimination, Jarra decides to enroll in a university course for off-worlders and pretend to be “normal” so she can prove herself and shove her superiority in the other kids’ faces. As time progresses, she realizes that maybe that’s not quite what she wants.
I couldn’t decide whether I actually liked the characters or not. Jarra is crazy, and I mean that in both the endearingly nutty and also clinically insane sort of way. She has a mental break partway through that drove me nuts while I was reading it, though I did find the way it was accepted as “tag leaders are mad” kind of funny.
The other big thing that bothered me was the moral stuffiness. I couldn’t tell how much of the prudishness was playing up the differences in this futuristic fantasy culture vs society of today and how much was the author pushing an agenda of sexual and moral Puritanism. Having read the first three books in the Telepath series, which have no religion or taboos about intimacy before marriage as far as I can tell, I’m inclined to give Edwards the benefit of the doubt. Still, it’s never pleasant to read about characters who insist on chastity and act scandalized when someone shows a little bit of skin or says the word “butt”. Very juvenile.
Overall I enjoyed it, but I’m not certain I’ll be continuing and would recommend the Telepath (Hive Mind) series over this one.
Earth Girl is set in a future where humans have colonized numerous planets and travel between them instantaneously via portal. The protagonist is an 18 year old girl named Jarra, who is one of the people dubbed “Handicapped” because they are unable to travel to worlds other than Earth without going into anaphylactic shock. Handicapped people are looked down upon by society and considered subhuman by many.
In protest of discrimination, Jarra decides to enroll in a university course for off-worlders and pretend to be “normal” so she can prove herself and shove her superiority in the other kids’ faces. As time progresses, she realizes that maybe that’s not quite what she wants.
I couldn’t decide whether I actually liked the characters or not. Jarra is crazy, and I mean that in both the endearingly nutty and also clinically insane sort of way. She has a mental break partway through that drove me nuts while I was reading it, though I did find the way it was accepted as “tag leaders are mad” kind of funny.
The other big thing that bothered me was the moral stuffiness. I couldn’t tell how much of the prudishness was playing up the differences in this futuristic fantasy culture vs society of today and how much was the author pushing an agenda of sexual and moral Puritanism. Having read the first three books in the Telepath series, which have no religion or taboos about intimacy before marriage as far as I can tell, I’m inclined to give Edwards the benefit of the doubt. Still, it’s never pleasant to read about characters who insist on chastity and act scandalized when someone shows a little bit of skin or says the word “butt”. Very juvenile.
Overall I enjoyed it, but I’m not certain I’ll be continuing and would recommend the Telepath (Hive Mind) series over this one.
jjmp1993's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0