The Children’s Book Review | July 8, 2017
Written by Heidi Heilig
Age Range: 14-18
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (2017)
ISBN: 978-0-06-238075-3
What to Expect: Magic, Time-Travel, Adventure, Myth, Romance
Is it fantasy or science-fiction? Romance or realism? I am still not sure I know the answer, but regardless of what genre you decide it falls into, The Girl From Everywhere is utterly enthralling. It is fast-paced and punchy, whisking the reader along on a sea-voyage through time and space, myth and reality, and, above all, adventure after adventure.
The Temptation is a very unusual ship. It can sail anywhere: to any time, and any place. Anywhere, that is, that Nix’s father has a map to. Each map ever made is unique: it details not only a specific place, but also a specific instance of time in that place. Find the map, and the Temptation can sail there, crossing the seas in-between time and space. That is where Nix comes in: with her unique ability to bargain and banter, her head for trade, and her extensive knowledge of literature, myth, and history, it is Nix’s job to locate the maps her father needs to navigate, as well as the goods and supplies they need to live on. However, Nix knows her usefulness is limited: her father wants only one map, really – the map that will take him back to Honolulu 1868, to the time before his true love, Nix’s mother, died giving birth to her. If Nix’s father can change time, as he so desperately wants to, what will happen to Nix? Will she cease to exist?
The sense of adventure in this book is undeniable, but even more impressive is the way in which the narrative reflects on the condition of uncertainty, fluidity, and rootlessness that can be a consequence of living in modern, multicultural, and technological society. Readers will find it easy to empathize with Nix’s insecurities about who she is, where she is going, where she belongs, and who loves her – at the same time, however, they are sure to learn important lessons from her story about finding the courage to venture into the unknown.
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About Heidi Heilig
Heidi Heilig grew up in Hawaii, where she rode horses and raised peacocks, and then she moved to New York City. Her favorite thing, outside of writing, is travel, and she has haggled for rugs in Morocco, hiked the trails of the Ko‘olau Valley, and huddled in a tent in Africa while lions roared in the dark. She holds an MFA in musical theatre writing from New York University. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, her son, and their pet snake, whose wings will likely grow in any day now.
The Girl from Everywhere, by Heidi Heilig, was reviewed by Dr. Jen Harrison. Discover more books like The Girl from Everywhere by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Adventure, Heidi Heilig, Magic, Myths & Legends, Romance, Time Travel, and Young Adult Fiction.