The Girl who Fell to Earth

By Author / Illustrator

Patricia Forde

Genre

Family & Home

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Little Island

ISBN

9781915071439

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

15-06-2023

Synopsis

Aria lives on a well-ordered planet whose people have eradicated illness and even death. Earth is their 'shadow planet' which they populated with humans centuries ago so they could study them and learn from their experiences.

Now the experiment is coming to an end and Aria must go to Earth with her scientist father to set off a train of events which will destroy its people. Brought up to believe that humans are inferior, Aria is shocked to discover that she is herself half human, and amazed to find that Earth-dwellers live life to the full and feel love for each other, even though they are mortal.

But once she understands this, how can she save them, and herself, from destruction?

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Reviews

What if there is life on other planets, but that whoever or whatever that life is, has been taught to despise those of us on Earth for our apparent lack of emotion or care? The Girl Who Fell to Earth by Patricia Forde takes this possibility and cleverly unpicks ideas of indoctrination and difference. The result is a fantastic, thought-provoking story; a great introduction to science fiction for children.

Aria has been raised on the planet Terros, where she has been taught that humans with their destructive ways and habits, are not to be trusted. So, when chosen to accompany her father on a secret project to release a deadly virus on Earth, she should be excited. However, Aria soon realises that this may well cost her her life. Aria has human DNA! Amidst the turmoil of emotions, she is unable to confide in anyone, least of all her father, and travels to Earth, nonetheless. The virus is released and very quickly people begin to fall ill, reporters are claiming that Aria's father is a terrorist, and the police are soon after them. Unfortunately, Aria has contracted the virus and is unable to return to Terros, so she must stay on Earth while her father returns to their planet to grow an antidote for her.

This is a compelling, high impact story that subtly presents many current issues; a thrilling adventure that manages to highlight issues such as climate change and the destructive nature of humans. The Girl Who Fell to Earth is fast paced and engaging, an easy read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!