Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.comMelinda doesn't want to go to Mars. Why leave Earth when everything humans are meant to enjoy is there? But when her father, whom she's only seen sporadically over the last ten years, asks her to join him on a business trip to one of the Mars colonies after she graduates from high school, she can't bring herself to refuse him. Little does she know her months on Mars will change the way she thinks about life, love, and humanity. With JOURNEY BETWEEN WORLDS, Sylvia Louise Engdahl has written a science-fiction story that will appeal to a variety of teens. Melinda faces many of the same problems today's young adults do, only in an otherworldly location. The first person narrative puts readers right inside Melinda's head and allows them to see through her eyes. Her struggle to overcome her fear of change and to examine her feelings and beliefs honestly should resonate with anyone uncertain of exactly who they are and want to be. The story, of course, is not only about Melinda, but also Mars. The descriptions of Mars and its colonies are fascinating in their detail and realism, providing an exciting setting for Melinda's personal conflicts. The colonists, with their pride and passion, will make readers wonder if they, too, would have the pioneer spirit. I would recommend JOURNEY BETWEEN WORLDS to any teen looking for a thought-provoking read. Unlike many science-fiction novels, this is not a story of action and technology, but rather of wonder. I'll admit, at times I wished there was more excitement, but overall it was a satisfying read. Both Melinda's problems and the issues raised by the colonization of another planet will give readers much to ponder long after they've finished reading.
Bought this because I met the author on MySpace and liked the cover. Yes, they say never judge a book by a cover, but there you go.I started reading this but only got to chapter 5 or so before putting it down. While it was well-written and fun, I didn't really like the anachronistic attitude the narrator's love interest had towards women in general and her in particular. I felt this dated the book, even though I read the author's note which said the book had been re-edited to make it more current.
What do You think about Journey Between Worlds (2006)?
This takes place in a future where Earth has started colonizing Mars. It's still experimental, so most people on Earth don't ever expect, or want, to travel to Mars, and future funding is tenuous. Melinda has always planned to marry her high school boyfriend and live on the Oregon coast. But her father is going to Mars for several months, and he wants her to go with him, so she puts her plans on hold.There have been people on Mars long enough that children born to the first homesteaders are now grown, but Melinda doesn't see that the Martians might consider Mars their home as much as she feels Earth is hers. She assumes that while Martians might like Mars, they would of course prefer to live on Earth. For most of the book, her paternalistic attitude doesn't change much, despite the best efforts of a really nice 2nd-generation Martian named Alex (I liked him), but in the end her world (planet) view alters drastically.Sylvia Engdahl brings up interesting issues about the importance of investing in science, and she wants the reader to think about them. I've been a fan of funding NASA for a while, so I had no arguments. She also draws an intriguing picture of what a Martian colony might be like, complete with a trip to Phobos that all kids can take in the 8th grade.
—Debbie
The good stuff: I quite liked the cover illustration, by Craig Phillips, which has a sort of Nausicaa/Moebius feel to it, very suitable. The book was an easy read, reminiscent of those 1960s career guides for girls that were disguised as novels. Only instead of becoming a tour guide at the UN or a fashion illustrator while finding love and possibly solving a mystery, Melinda emigrates to Mars.The not-so-good stuff: The gender politics are firmly of their time. Melinda doesn't have much agency, and the male characters seem to make the important decisions. Comparisons are made between the American pioneers and the colonising of Mars, and the frontier spirit of ancestors and descendants. Mars has no aboriginal inhabitants, so that less comfortable parallel isn't much examined. The only opponent to colonisation is portrayed as misguided and unreasonable, which was rather disappointing.
—Barbara Gordon
