Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Chicken House (2016), Edition: 1, 240 pages
Description
Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. HTML: A beautifully written story of friendship, discovery, myths, and magic that the London Times called "reminiscent of fantasy greats such as Philip Pullman and Neil Gaiman." Legends say that the island of Joya was once a place where songbirds sang in every tree and the islanders were free to come and go as they pleased. That was before the harsh-ruling Governor arrived, and ravens drove out the native birds. Now there are no songbirds, and the people are forbidden to travel beyond the forest that separates them from the rest of the island.But for Isabella, the legends of her island home have always seemed like more than just stories. And when a series of mysterious events shakes the community, it's Isabella�??daughter to the island's only mapmaker�??who will lead a party of explorers into the forest in search of answers. As the group ventures deeper and deeper into the island, dark secrets begin to surface, and the legends Isabella has listened to all these years show signs of coming to life. Debut novelist Kiran Millwood Hargrave draws on the cultural folklore of the Canary Islands in this richly told story of a girl's quest to map her own place in a world that legends alone have shaped… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member lunacat
When Isabella's friend disappears, she volunteers to guide the search party. As a mapmaker's daughter, she's equipped with elaborate ink maps and knowledge of the stars, eager to navigate the island's forgotten heart. But beneath the mountains a legendary fire demon awakens, and her journey is
This is a YA book with an intriguing mix of fantasy and history, fairy tale and colonialism, dictatorship and the strength and power of friendship. On paper, the story is a familiar one - something terrible happens and a young girl happens to be the only one with the skills to come to the rescue. However, the storytelling, the details, and the landscape in which the tale is set means this feels fresh and interesting.
Little elements jump out - the black sand, forbidden maps woven with gold thread, dreadful dark creatures that stalk the night, the Banished ones, and the brightness of the colours that are described on every page. The characters have enough depth to carry the story: though I found myself wanting to know more about their background on several occasions, this is a YA adventure book and there isn't room to go into all the nuances I might desire.
I wasn't at all shocked when I looked up the author and discovered she's also a poet. There is a lyricism and poetic quality to all her descriptions and the island and surroundings almost burst from the page in their colour and depth. I can see why she was compared to Neil Gaiman or Philip Pullman - while she isn't as accomplished as those two yet, I wouldn't be surprised if she goes on to become a well-known fantasy writer. She certainly has the talent.
One review ran: "Set in a vividly realised parallel world laced with magical realism, this is a mesmerising debut of maps, myths and girls of enormous courage." and that sums it up completely.
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fraught with danger ...This is a YA book with an intriguing mix of fantasy and history, fairy tale and colonialism, dictatorship and the strength and power of friendship. On paper, the story is a familiar one - something terrible happens and a young girl happens to be the only one with the skills to come to the rescue. However, the storytelling, the details, and the landscape in which the tale is set means this feels fresh and interesting.
Little elements jump out - the black sand, forbidden maps woven with gold thread, dreadful dark creatures that stalk the night, the Banished ones, and the brightness of the colours that are described on every page. The characters have enough depth to carry the story: though I found myself wanting to know more about their background on several occasions, this is a YA adventure book and there isn't room to go into all the nuances I might desire.
I wasn't at all shocked when I looked up the author and discovered she's also a poet. There is a lyricism and poetic quality to all her descriptions and the island and surroundings almost burst from the page in their colour and depth. I can see why she was compared to Neil Gaiman or Philip Pullman - while she isn't as accomplished as those two yet, I wouldn't be surprised if she goes on to become a well-known fantasy writer. She certainly has the talent.
One review ran: "Set in a vividly realised parallel world laced with magical realism, this is a mesmerising debut of maps, myths and girls of enormous courage." and that sums it up completely.
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LibraryThing member johnwbeha
As so many others have said, this is a beautifully produced book. It is also full of ideas. But I don't think the storytelling quite matches either the ideas or the production. I cannot imagine reading this book aloud to my grandchildren because the writing doesn't flow well enough. It is almost as
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if the author has tried too hard to fit the story into a defined size package rather than let it evolve naturally with too many issues being raised and not resolved. Show Less
LibraryThing member Herenya
A coming-of-age story about friendship and legends. Isabella’s father is a mapmaker, but since the governor came and closed the ports, he has been stuck on the island of Joya.
After Isabella argues with Lupe, her best friend and the governor’s sheltered daughter, Lupe disappears into the
But the island has bigger problems than a missing girl...
I thought the atmospheric mystery of the first part was stronger than the fast-paced action of the second part but it still continues to be a gorgeously written, poignant story.
A big bowl of blackened porridge sat on our large pine-plank table, marooned among a sea of maps. More of Da’s maps were stuck to the walls, and they rustled as I passed, like a talking breeze.
I traced the papers with my finger, as I did every morning, watching how the silver pigment of Afrik’s rivers met those of Æygpt, how Æygpt clung to the curve of Europa Bay like one hand grasping another across the sea. On the opposite wall hung the sketchy coast of Amrica and its dragging ocean currents, labelled with strange, wondrous names: the Frozen Circle, the Vanishing Triangle, the Cerulean Sea. The paper was dyed a beautiful deep blue, and the currents were picked out in thread against it.
The audiobook is excellent. I really liked Victoria Fox's accent, and the voices she does for the different characters.
After Isabella argues with Lupe, her best friend and the governor’s sheltered daughter, Lupe disappears into the
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island’s Forgotten Territories on a mission to make things right. It is Isabella, with her father’s star charts and her mother’s map of the island, who has to lead the search party into the forests find her.But the island has bigger problems than a missing girl...
I thought the atmospheric mystery of the first part was stronger than the fast-paced action of the second part but it still continues to be a gorgeously written, poignant story.
A big bowl of blackened porridge sat on our large pine-plank table, marooned among a sea of maps. More of Da’s maps were stuck to the walls, and they rustled as I passed, like a talking breeze.
I traced the papers with my finger, as I did every morning, watching how the silver pigment of Afrik’s rivers met those of Æygpt, how Æygpt clung to the curve of Europa Bay like one hand grasping another across the sea. On the opposite wall hung the sketchy coast of Amrica and its dragging ocean currents, labelled with strange, wondrous names: the Frozen Circle, the Vanishing Triangle, the Cerulean Sea. The paper was dyed a beautiful deep blue, and the currents were picked out in thread against it.
The audiobook is excellent. I really liked Victoria Fox's accent, and the voices she does for the different characters.
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LibraryThing member m.belljackson
Cover of THE GIRL OF INK AND STARS stirs a compelling mystery of freedom rising from the top of her head.
Latitude and Longitude are fun to locate on a real map.
Deaths are enough to fill a cemetery, from twin brother and mother and friend, Cata, to cruel Governor and his faithful companions.
It made
With so many dead already, this "twist" throws the plot ending way off.
Latitude and Longitude are fun to locate on a real map.
Deaths are enough to fill a cemetery, from twin brother and mother and friend, Cata, to cruel Governor and his faithful companions.
It made
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No Sense to kill off yet another friend = Lupe!!!!!With so many dead already, this "twist" throws the plot ending way off.
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LibraryThing member SharonMariaBidwell
A young adult book that has enough of a story for adults to enjoy, with a story complex enough to stretch younger readers. The book’s beautifully presented with maps and patterned pages. The world building here stands out, though there’s something vaporous about the overall plot and some of the
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action sequences, which may confuse a younger audience. Even I found a couple of sequences difficult to picture; with all the drops off ledges, I expected broken bones. Although characters get hurt, they seem to have miraculous escapes. Still, there’s something charming and magical about this story. The young female lead shows more than her share of bravery, as do her young friends. I’m left wanting a grumpy old chicken. Show Less
Awards
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2017)
The British Book Industry Awards (Children's Book — 2017)
Branford Boase Award (Shortlist — 2017)
Waterstones Children's Book Prize (Winner — Younger Readers — 2017)
Little Rebels Award (Shortlist — 2017)
Jhalak Prize (Shortlist — 2017)
Original language
English
Original publication date
2016
Physical description
240 p.; 15.75 inches
ISBN
1910002747 / 9781910002742
Other editions
The Girl of Ink & Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Paperback)
The Girl of Ink & Stars by K. M. Hargrave (Paperback)