The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Publisher: Chicken House Books

I wandered past and stared at this book at Hatchards about four times before finally buying it.  Recent winner of the Waterstones Children’s Prize for 2017, The Girl of Ink and Stars is an incredible read.  I didn’t know much about it going in — except that it’s a gorgeous book inside and out.  The following is the Goodreads copy, because I couldn’t seem to do the book justice:

Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella Riosse dreams of the faraway lands her father once mapped.

When her closest friend disappears into the island’s Forgotten Territories, she volunteers to guide the search. As a cartographer’s daughter, she’s equipped with elaborate ink maps and knowledge of the stars, and is eager to navigate the island’s forgotten heart.

But the world beyond the walls is a monster-filled wasteland – and beneath the dry rivers and smoking mountains, a legendary fire demon is stirring from its sleep. Soon, following her map, her heart and an ancient myth, Isabella discovers the true end of her journey: to save the island itself.

Rating: 4.5/5