Quick disclaimer: I am generally not a science fiction (or fantasy) person. Like most humans, I’ve seen all of the Star Wars and Star Trek movies, plus a few others that are set in space, like Apollo 13, but it is certainly not a genre I seek when I’m reading. This became a challenge when my online reading group’s September book needed to be a science fiction book. After a few false starts and research, I found this one.
And loved it.
Where to start while talking about The Loneliest Girl in the Universe? My first impression upon meeting teen Romy Silvers was that she reminded me of Disney’s Rapunzel in Tangled: smart, spunky, proactive, talented, productive, compassionate, and lonely. She’s also dependent. In the same way that Rapunzel was locked in a tower and fully dependent on Mother Gothel for news of the world and the fulfilling of her basic needs, Romy is dependent on NASA back on Earth. An Earth where she has never been.
Why? Because Romy is the first person ever born in space. And, due to an irreversible tragedy, she is now the commander of the Infinity and completely alone. Her only communication is with her psychologist, Molly. This segues to communicating with another lone space traveler. I could say more but I do not want to give anything away.
Let’s just say that the synapses in my Humanities major brain fired on all cylinders. I started thinking of the symbolism and ramifications of Romy’s predicament. The biggest one being trust. She has to decide who to trust, what to believe, and also what to share. Making yourself vulnerable to the wrong person can have dire consequences.
It also got me thinking about choices we make as regular non-space travelers. Each of us must decide how to use our time, how productive we want to be, and the level of social interaction in which we want to engage. Depending on whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, plus your individual circumstances of work and physical limitations, these are factors that every person must consider. Living in the digital age, where we can communicate instantly without speaking and socialize without leaving our homes, certainly has its positives, but there are downsides too.
Now, because my book group has certain review requirements this month (another challenge we are doing) let me address those:
Cover art: Like Rapunzel at her lone window, Romy looks out at a expansive universe that is full of potential and limitations. There is power in simplicity, and that is certainly evident here.
Character development/world building/plot/pacing/Style: As mentioned, I instantly liked Romy. Despite her situation and sheltered upbringing, she is a wonderful character with full-bodied emotions. As our narrator, Romy’s intelligent observations of her hopes, fears, and surroundings are what make this an incredibly immersive story. In many ways, we must trust and rely on her descriptions of the world she lives in as much as she must trust what she is told by NASA. Yet, as serious as her situation is, there are still light and funny moments as Romy make the best of things and tries to preserve her sanity when life becomes more difficult. A lesson for all of us.
Overall, I was extremely pleased with this book discovery. It is well-paced and engrossing. It is one that elicits many ideas and discussion points. And, while it is marketed as a Young Adult selection, I think anyone of that age or older would find it very interesting and thought-provoking.
9/10 Stars
(Entry in LiterALLy BOOKiSh Rave Review Challenge. Word usage: provoking, funny, talented, well-paced, intelligent, engrossing. Word count: 599)
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