BY ELIZAVETA KHAYKINA
The Girl of Ink and Stars is a fabulous novel written by Kiran Milwood Hargrove and is considered her wonderful debut piece as it captures everything an amazing book
should have, journey, mystery, friendship, and overcoming challenges. When I read this book, I was overtaken by its poetic beauty and fascinating storyline. This novel is good in the way that it keeps you guessing what will happen next and how the end shall turn out. I was pleasantly surprised by how the book relies on foreshadowing to lead the story on. And shed a tear or two as the story talked about the loss of dear friends and family members.
Hargrove has won many awards for her novel including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2017 as well as the British Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year. And this makes sense as her novel is a masterpiece. It creates such a roller coaster of emotions, sad, happy, scared for the characters.
The story sets off when someone is found dead in the orchard. The whole town is fearful as nobody knows who killed them, but they are certain the murderer has taken refuge in the dark forests of the forgotten territories. Isabella, the protagonist of the story, and her best friend Lupe, both end up in the forgotten territories, each with their own mission. Isabella must find Lupe before a deathly fate falls upon her. And Lupe, she wants to find the murderer before he does any more harm. Through a series of exciting events, soon they save the island by pulling out a sword and flooding the land. But they both do not escape the heavy flow of water and Lupe is forced to sacrifice herself to save Isabella.
One of the most discussed topics about the novel is whether Lupe one of the main characters should have died. And it is still left up to question. Of course, it was the author’s decision when she wrote her novel, but the question arises: what would have happened if the novel ended before we got to read that Lupe had died? What if it ended when they pulled out the sword and flooded the island? What if they both escaped the flood?
If any of these possibilities had indeed occurred, I think that the story would still be interesting and yet it would be a book that didn’t have any emotional effect on the reader; because Lupe sacrifices herself for the island the book gains a whole new perspective. The original ending lets the readers take away feelings and emotions from the novel.
It becomes relatable and memorable, creating a debating field for readers. Some say it was her destiny to save the island and then perish and others argue that it was unfair that she didn’t get to live and enjoy what she had done.
I think that Lupe was meant to pass away. This is because she did what she needed to do; she saved the island with her strength and persistence, and it was her time to leave. And simply for the story to go on Lupe must have perished. Her family was never truly happy, her father a dictator who we are left to assume died, her mother a strict woman who simply got ready to leave the island at first sight of danger, not giving a second thought about her daughter and leaving her behind. Even Isabella says, “I am glad Lupe never has to know how easily her mother abandoned her.”
(Pg. 220) If Lupe had survived, she would have to live with the memory of her terrible parents. With the knowledge of her father’s awful secrets which she read from the letter he gave to her.
In conclusion, I think the author included Lupe’s death to show how people we love dearly in life are not with us forever, like Lupe with Isabella, but they always stay with us in memory. This was what the tree dedicated to Lupe at the end of the novel represented.
And all in all, that is the power of a good book, it could be discussed forever, and we may never come to a conclusion. And that is why to everyone I suggest reading this wonderful novel and deciding for yourself what should have truly happened?!