Published on July 3rd, 2018 by HarperTeen
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
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A surprising and gripping sci-fi thriller with a killer twistSo when I first finished Loneliest Girl I rated it a 4-stars. But now after being away from it for a week, I've found my feelings have changed enough to knock it down to a 3. There was a lot I liked about it, especially the first three quarters. But the ending was messy and muddied and just didn't work well for me.
The daughter of two astronauts, Romy Silvers is no stranger to life in space. But she never knew how isolating the universe could be until her parents’ tragic deaths left her alone on the Infinity, a spaceship speeding away from Earth.
Romy tries to make the best of her lonely situation, but with only brief messages from her therapist on Earth to keep her company, she can’t help but feel like something is missing. It seems like a dream come true when NASA alerts her that another ship, the Eternity, will be joining the Infinity.
Romy begins exchanging messages with J, the captain of the Eternity, and their friendship breathes new life into her world. But as the Eternity gets closer, Romy learns there’s more to J’s mission than she could have imagined. And suddenly, there are worse things than being alone….
My friends can tell you I was OBSESSED when I first started reading. I loved the snappy voice and the relatability of a heroine who had been living her entire life on a space ship. Her life was so weird and alien to me but at the heart of everything, she was a typical teenager. She was obsessed with her favorite television show, she wrote fanfic, she had a therapist, she did her homework--she didn't do her homework. I really, really enjoyed Romy. She's the kind of character that shows the true resilience and perseverance of humanity. She's the only passenger on a ship headed to another planet; her parents died when she was young and now the mission rests on her shoulders. She was amazing and strong and brilliant without losing her sense of teenage-ness, her anxiety, and the other things that made me relate to her so well.
The first big chunk of this book reads as a contemporary that just happens to be set in space. Romy deals with her daily life of maintaining the ship, correspondence with Earth, homework, writing her fic. And then it all changes when she learns there's another vessel headed her way to accompany her on the last leg of her journey to Earth-2. She and the captan of that ship start an email-based friendship. This is where the "lonely" part plays a bigger role. Romy is all alone in the galaxy and of course latches onto the nearest human being she can find. I think some people may complain about how swiftly she became attached, but again, imagine being 100% alone for like 5 years. Alone, in space! I thought her quick attachment made perfect sense.
Per the blurb, there's a pretty big twist that hits at the last quarter or so of the book. I actually thought the build up and reveal of this twist was so cleverly brilliant, and I flipped back to a handful of chapters where the author placed the first clues. It was impressive! However, once the action started ramping up and we got to the motive and truth of everything, it began to sort of crumble. I didn't find the motive particularly compelling or real enough. If this had been a story set on Earth, it would be more believable. However, these are GREAT lengths to go to for this sort of thing (sorry to be vague ha) and it didn't ring true.
Also, this may seem petty, but I was disappointed there was no epilogue. I don't think every story needs one, but this story absolutely could have benefitted from one last chapter or snapshot of the future.
So I would definitely still recommend this for those who are just dipping their toes into science-fiction and for people like a mystery/thriller type of story. I loved the main character and appreciated the way the author wrote in Romy's anxieties. But I found the ending unsatisfying in a handful of ways.
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