Journey Between Worlds (Firebird) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I never wanted to go to Mars..." (more)
Key Phrases: Maple Beach, New Terra, Susan Constant (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Eighteen-year-old Melinda Ashley never wanted to go to Mars. she had her life all planned out—marry ross and become a teacher. but when her estranged father convinces her to take an interplanetary vacation, she finds herself tempted to leave behind her comfortable existence on earth. Mars isn’t at all what she expected, and when she meets Alex preston, a second-generation Martian colonist, she finds herself on a surprising new path. sylvia engdahl’s classic novel has been revised and updated by the author to reflect new discoveries and research about Mars.

From the Author

A new, updated hardcover edition of Journey Between Worlds will be published in 2006 by Putnam. With the current interest in Mars, the story is more relevant to today's readers than ever, so I'm happy that it's coming back into print. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Firebird (June 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014240828X
• ISBN-13: 978-0142408285
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #405,992 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be in Print, November 15, 2002

By	Lindsey Hansen "lindselei" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Journey Between Worlds. (Library Binding)

This is a wonderful book, and one of my favorites in the whole world. The reader can really connect to the characters. It's a shame that it isn't in print. In my opinion, Engdahl's novels should be included with other popular young adult science fiction/fantasy classics like The Giver, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Wizard of Oz, etc.

Don't pass up a chance to read this book.

P.S. They should make this book into a movie!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A journey into adulthood, April 11, 2006

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey Between Worlds (Hardcover)

Reviewed by Kim Peterson for Reader Views (4/06)

Melinda plans to marry Ross after graduation and someday live at Maple Beach in the house she will inherit from Gran. She fosters no aspirations to pioneer new places like her ancestor Melinda who traveled across the plains to Western Oregon in a covered wagon. She plans to teach and live a quiet life. But her father's graduation gift threatens to change her world-literally. He offers her a ticket to accompany him on a year-long business trip to the colonies on Mars.

Wanting to reconnect with her father and responding impulsively to her fianc?'s negative reaction, Melinda boards the Susan Constant and journeys to Mars. She compares everything about the trip and her time on the planet to Earth. She misses the abundant water, the fresh air, the rhythm of the ocean and "normal" gravity. If it weren't for Alex Preston, a second-generation Martian colonist, she might not have learned many of the positives that life on Mars offered or the thoughtfulness of genuine love.

Engdahl's science fiction romance targets young adult readers well. Melinda tells her story in first person with believability and the indecisiveness and emotion that naturally accompany major life decisions when the ramifications will last forever. The journey between worlds literally spans between Earth and Mars, but it also shows her journey into adulthood as well as the shift in her thinking about what she wants from life.

I enjoyed my return visit into the world of Engdahl's books. She updated this volume to reflect what we now know about Mars, and to reflect our shift in thinking about women. However, the book seems to me as fresh as it did when I read it as a child. The pace moves a bit slower than today's readers might expect, but the story line remains solid and the themes still feel relevant today. What a thrill to see Engdahl's books back in print!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We're all correct; this should be reprinted!, April 19, 2003

By	M. Friday (K to the Ansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey Between Worlds. (Library Binding)

I'm a lucky owner of this young adult novel. My poor copy is a beaten, bruised thing with a twisted spine and stained pages; I adore it.

Anyone familar with Engdahl's work understands that she lays a foundation of philosophy and bases story atop this sometimes shaky ground. Her ideals, however, are refreshing. Not hard sci-fi, not entirely romantic, and certainly not pushy, but full of hope and whimsy and thought-provocation. Considering that this was published in 1970, the scientific reasoning (surrounding the journey to Mars and Mars itself) is left open-ended and ambiguous, which I actually appreciate. It gives the novel a sense of timelessness and doesn't outdate recent scientific knowledge. What's left is a charming, charming tale.

We the reader even get our happy ending.

By the way, this was the first novel Engdahl wrote. She had difficulties locating a willing publisher and, while still searching, wrote Enchantress from the Stars. It was this second novel that got quickly swallowed by the Atheneum publishing house who then agreed to also print the much beloved Journey Between Worlds.

So, if this book presents itself, I highly recommend it! It's a fast and fetching read, Absolutely charming.