Journey Between Worlds

In Sylvia Louise Engdahl's Journey Between Worlds, the last place Melinda wanted to go was Mars. She was a planner and had her life all worked out. All she wanted to do was live in the town her mother's folks had lived, where ancestors had traveled to after pioneering their way across America, go to college, and marry her high school boyfriend, Ross. Who wanted to go to Mars? Oh yeah, that's right, her father. It was a dream leftover from a life before her mother died. If it wasn’t for her illness, Melinda may have been born on Mars. How horrible! Instead of Ross helping to dissuade her father from taking the trip, he practically forbade her from going!

The next thing she knows she is arguing with Ross in defense of her father and on her way to a new world and a new city, New Terra, with a new friend Alex, a Martian born, who tries desperately to enlighten Melinda about his world. Though Melinda's views mellowed a bit, tragedy struck and she finds her short visit extended on the planet indefinitely. As Melinda struggles with the day-to-day life on Mars, then the tragedy, she wrestles with her feelings about Ross and Alex. She takes a second look at her friendship with Alex and the man she was supposed to marry. Is Melinda willing to put aside her narrow views and take a chance on Alex? On the other hand, does she want to go back to the way things were? Could she go to back?

Ms. Engdahl's Young Adult/Science-fiction Novel is an invigorating tale as it is told from the point of view of a young woman who does not want anything to do with space exploration. In comparison to other novels of the same genre, it is a unique approach, yet Melinda’s character seems befitting a teen who wanted life completely different from her parent and believes she already has the necessary information to make informed decisions.

Ross's character, as the arrogant boyfriend who does not hear what Melinda is saying, gets her worked up and thinking outside her normal box and to questioning her previous views. Alex on the other hand is patient and understanding, is relentless in getting Melinda to challenge herself, and consider points of views from that of the Martian born. He is also an excellent tool used to correlate the Martian pioneering spirit with the Western American pioneering spirit of Melinda's ancestors.

Ms. Engdahl's Journey Between Worlds is an intriguing tale that delves into the emotions of a young Melinda at a pivotal point in her life. The conflicts and trials: college, love, and marriage are those expected around her age, but with the twist and danger of space travel and planet exploration thrown in. This is a truly thoughtful and inspiring novel and I commend Ms. Engdahl. I hope she will endeavor to present us with a new young adult novel soon.

August 2006