The Girl of Ink and Stars is a middle grade novel that has recently been announced as the winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for 2017 and rightly so. 
 This book is so whimsical and the descriptions are almost visceral. Whilst reading I felt like I was on the Island with Isa as she tried to find Lupe. Bearing in mind this is aimed at the 9-13 age range it's beautifully written and at some points quite literary which I loved but a younger reader might not. 
 The characters weren't massively developed but this is a 200 pages book. It's definitely more plot driven though I still loved the characters. Isa's determination and initiative was wonderful to read about though she wasn't without her flaws. Isa was very quick to insult Lupe which resulted in her trying to prove Isa wrong and putting herself in harms way. 
 I would highly suggest that any parents considering this to bear in mind that this is a novel that bridges the gap between YA and middle grade. There are some very dark themes dealt with an discussed in this novel but it's done with great delicacy. 
 The story moved with good pace I never get bored reading it nor did it feel as though the book was started and finished within half an hour. The inclusion of folklore specific to the world created was excellent to. At first I thought it was just another layer of description to flesh out the world but theres so much more to it than that! More than I can say without spoiling the ending of the novel. 
 Overall, I loved this and still think about the story even though I finished it quite a while ago now. Ignore the label that its a children's book, its one for anyone who likes the sound of the story. 
 Thank-you for reading. 
 For more reviews head to my blog www.a-novel-idea.co.uk