Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

          Review

Earth Girl (Earth Girl series book 1)

Author: Janet Edwards

Book length: 369 pages

Content note: YA recommended for 12 and up

On being “handicapped,”…. “I’m in prison, and it’s a life sentence.”

Would you mind being called an “ape” or less than human because your immune system doesn’t allow you to portal between inhabited planets? Well, in 2788 which is the setting for this book, some babies born on other planets are called “handicapped” because they can only survive on Earth. They are quickly sent to Earth to save their lives. These babies become wards of the planet and are well provided for, but often feel abandoned and flawed. AND, it doesn’t help that they are called apes or “neans” (which implies that these handicapped people are throwbacks to Neanderthals.) Being handicapped has made Jarra, the main character, very angry. 

Well, Jarra has a plan. She is 18, very smart, loves history, and loves learning (she is the girl who always has her hand up in class). So, she enrolls in an off world university history class that will spend a year on Earth exploring the human “pre-history” past by excavating the ruins of New York City. She plans to reveal her “ape status” after she proves her worth, and then she will tell them a thing or two. However, her plan does not go as expected, and this handicapped young woman learns important lessons about herself. Also, she finds friends, purpose, and love. She goes through tremendous growth and so do the other characters in this story.


The futuristic setting is fascinating because it makes me think a bit about how people in the future might view us. Also, Jarra is not the usual heroine in YA literature. She is an honest-straightforward- problem solver and a natural leader. This book is different from the usual YA book. What a refreshing change!