The Girl of Ink and Stars is a story of a child’s adventure into an unexplored world with nothing but her heart and the stars to guide her. It is a tale of friendship, family, danger and a hint of magic.
The main character is a girl named Isabella who has always dreamed of the unmapped area of her island and its forbidden status calls to her. Her chance to explore, unfortunately, comes alongside the disappearance of a friend.
Isabella as a character was someone who I was happy to follow on her journey through the novel. Her ties to her family, her band of ‘unusual’ friends, and her love for her island Joya made her motivations easy to sympathise with and understand. Isabella is intelligent with a knack for puzzles and is determined to save her island, with her father’s teaching of cartography and the maps themselves being main points within the story.
This map theme is continued with the beautiful illustrations featured in (at least the version I have) the physical book. As someone who has always admired the beauty of maps and map-making, it was a theme that I thoroughly enjoyed. But, even without an interest in cartography, I believe that the characters, the story and the setting all carry the book with a little bit of magic to seal the deal.
I personally read this book cover to cover in one sitting as the author pulled me into Isabella’s world and wouldn’t let me leave until her adventure was complete and I was left with a feeling of joy and nostalgia.
Though this is technically a children’s book, I believe that adults should not shy away from the beauty contained within the pages of The Girl of Ink and Stars and just enjoy reading a good adventure.
Imagination Mansion 