Earth Girl (Earth Girl, #1)

by Janet Edwards

[Angie]

Earth Girl has easily made its way onto my all-time favorite books list! It is absolutely everything that I love about reading! I laughed, I cried, I stopped breathing, I smiled so hard that my cheeks hurt! The plot and the world are both incredibly unique, well developed, and compelling. It has a fantastic cast of characters, and a great message. It really has it all! I will admit that I was a little unsure at the very beginning because it took me a few chapters to settle into the writing, but soon I was in love with it!

Earth Girl takes place in the distant future after technology has been invented allowing humans to travel to, and live on, different planets. That is, all humans except one in ten thousand whose immune systems cannot handle being off-world. Jarra is one of these unlucky few. However, she doesn’t let the jokes and discrimination against her get her down. She’s determined to prove to the “norms” that she’s as good as, or even better than, them. With the help of her ProMom (a kind of surrogate parent), she is able to enroll in a history program on Earth through an off-world school. There she is no longer Jarra the ape, she is Jarra the Military Kid. She creates a new identity for herself while she explores her passion for history as well as proves that her “throwback” status doesn’t hold her back.

I adored Jarra! Her love for history is incredibly contagious. I personally hated history in school, but the “pre-history” and “modern history” in Earth Girl was fascinating and Jarra told it with such enthusiasm that I couldn’t help but be interested! There is a lot of world-building and history lessons in this book, but it never felt like info-dumps. Jarra likes to talk about history so it felt natural as we got to know her better. We also get to see some of the lectures in her history program and witness some of the videos that they watch. The world-building is complete and phenomenal! At no point was I confused about how the world worked or anything. We learn everything that we need to know and more. It was also a lot of fun to read about our current world being considered as ancient ruins for archeologists to study!

There is also the most adorable romance in existence in Earth Girl. Jarra and Fian made my cheeks hurt from smiling so much! Their interactions are so cute and authentic that at times I couldn’t contain my giggles. There is absolutely no insta-love or even insta-lust. They get to know each other gradually through working together at their dig site, as well as hanging out in their rooms watching their favorite shows. They have actual conversations! And laugh together! Through their budding romance, we also get even more world-building, since relationships work quite differently in this future. Of course, there has to be some tension, but it wasn’t some made-up melodrama. Jarra has been telling a lot of lies to cover up who she really is, and this had me so nervous once Fian and Jarra start getting more serious. It results in one of my crying moments.

Prejudice plays a huge role throughout Earth Girl. Humans who live on other planets have several derogatory terms for those who are Earthbound. Parents who birth “handicapped” children almost always abandon them, often abandoning each other and misplacing blame as to why their child isn’t normal. It’s an ugly way to live, but that’s how things are. Jarra has her own prejudices against “exos” though, too. It was interesting to watch her deal with these and slowly change her mind as she spends time with her classmates.

Clearly, I am in love with Earth Girl. I am so glad that I stumbled upon it. It is absorbing, insightful, creative, and just amazing! I loved the plot, characters, world, and even the slang! All of the inside jokes and traditions of the historians were a lot of fun too, and added to the enjoyable atmosphere. I was completely engrossed the entire time and was on the edge of my seat during the big climax. You should not miss out on this one!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.