ARC Review : The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heillig

Title : The Girl from Everywhere
Author : Heidi Heilig
Genre : YA fantasy
Release Date : March 3rd, 2016
Publisher : Hot Key Books

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It was the kind of August day that hinted at monsoons, and the year was 1774, though not for very much longer.

Sixteen-year-old Nix Song is a time-traveller. She, her father and their crew of time refugees travel the world aboard The Temptation, a glorious pirate ship stuffed with treasures both typical and mythical. Old maps allow Nix and her father to navigate not just to distant lands, but distant times - although a map will only take you somewhere once. And Nix's father is only interested in one time, and one place: Honolulu 1868. A time before Nix was born, and her mother was alive. Something that puts Nix's existence rather dangerously in question...

Nix has grown used to her father's obsession, but only because she's convinced it can't work. But then a map falls into her father's lap that changes everything. And when Nix refuses to help, her father threatens to maroon Kashmir, her only friend (and perhaps, only love) in a time where Nix will never be able to find him. And if Nix has learned one thing, it's that losing the person you love is a torment that no one can withstand. Nix must work out what she wants, who she is, and where she really belongs before time runs out on her forever.

I will admit, I rarely read time-travel books. In fact, The Girl from Everywhere is the first time-travel book I've read in a few years. Do you know what I thought when someone say a book about time travel? I imagine a person who created a portal and then jumped through the portal and find himself in a different era. I know, I know, it's so old. That's why I'm so glad I pick The Girl from Everywhere, because it changes my opinion about time travel.

16 year old Nix is a crew in The Temptation, which captain is her own father. Her father, Slate, is a time-traveler whose sole purpose in life is to get a map of 1868 Hawaii, an era where Nix's mother is alive. But what would happen to Nix if they got back to that time? Would Nix vanish?

Frankly, I didn't love nor hate Nix at first. She's okay, I guess. But the more I read, the more I understand her, the more I know about her struggle, and the more I understand her hate/love relationship with her father. Nix is such a complex character, that I couldn't help but admire her. Also, she's half American-half Chinese, and since it's very rare back then in 1868, I appreciate what Heidi did.

Beside Nix, there's also Kashmir, who's the love interest. Kash is definitely my favorite in this book! Kash is a Persian guy who can speak English, France, Arabic and Persian. He's funny and quirky (I have a thing for funny guy). I'm also happy to say that the romance in this one is not the main focus. That doesn't mean that the chemistry between Nix and Kash is only a little though, because there's a lot.

One last thing that I love about this book is the map. In each destination (mythical or not), there will be a map of said destination. Have I told you that I love maps? Because I do! I just wish they'd gone to more places. Also, I love the idea of time-travelling in pirate style (not that they're a pirate, just similar to pirate).

Overall, I really love The Girl from Everywhere. I'm definitely excited for the second book. If you love time-travel books, you really should pick up this one, and even if you didn't like time travel, I still recommend this one to you.