Title: Beyond the Mapped Stars
Author: Rosalyn Eves
Publisher: Knopf
Genre: Young Adult Historical Novel
Year Published: 2021
Number of Pages: 368
Reviewed by Susan Jensen (Bloggin’ ’bout Books)
Diversity is the name of the game in YA literature, but I think religious diversity is often ignored. I love the fact that Eves delved into Mormonism (which is my faith, culture, and heritage, as well as hers) in this book. She presented nuances in the religion and lifestyle with sensitivity and humor. She shines a light on the mockery and injustices suffered by our people in the 1800s, something that isn’t always known about. I appreciated her insider’s view.
All that being said, I still didn’t love BEYOND THE MAPPED STARS. While I appreciate that Elizabeth is a young woman who’s bucking against what’s expected of her and trying to find her own way, I found her to be a selfish, me-me-me kind of character. Sure, she helps out with chores and kid-watching, but she’s still a very self-centered person. Her reasons for wanting to study astronomy didn’t feel all that compelling to me, which made her story goal feel weak. Honestly, I didn’t really care if she saw the eclipse or not. I was never worried that she wouldn’t get what she wanted, so I never felt truly invested in her plight. Elizabeth’s views on homosexuality, race mixing, women’s roles, etc. also felt VERY progressive for a sheltered Mormon girl in the 1800s who’s lived in Utah her whole life. That felt inauthentic to me. As far as Elizabeth’s romance with Samuel, I didn’t feel any sparks between the two of them.
Plot-wise, BEYOND THE MAPPED STARS is a slow read, with bland characters and glacial plotting. The prose also fe
I’m not saying there aren’t good things about this novel. There are. I like its emphasis on women in science (even though I have little interest in the subject myself), its examination of female work/life balance, and its exploration of the relationship between religion and science. As I said above, I also enjoyed its focus on Mormonism. Unfortunately, though, the characters didn’t speak to me much and the story plods along so slowly that I got bored with it. I wanted to love this novel so much and I just…didn’t. In the end, it turned out to be just an okay read for me. Bummer.