Amazon Journey Between Worlds Category:  Young Adult/Teen Publisher: Putnam ISBN-10:  0399245324 Type: Fiction Pages: 240 Copyright: May 2006 (orig. ed. 1970) A romance about the colonization of Mars, enjoyed by teens and adult women who don't usually read science fiction. When Melinda Ashley receives a ticket to Mars as a high school graduation gift from her dad, she isn't at all eager for the trip. But he is going himself, and because she hasn't had much opportunity to get to know him in the past, she agrees to accompany him. She has little interest in the Martian colonies until, aboard the ship, she meets Alex Preston, a second-generation colonist who is going home. During her stay on Mars she finds herself more and more drawn to Alex. She also enjoys the company of his family, and begins to understand why they believe so strongly in the future they are working toward. Ultimately, after she has faced tragedy and sorrow, a terrifying experience on the Martian moon Phobos shows Melinda what is really important to her. This is an updated edition that will be more meaningful to today's readers than the 1970 edition. Although the action of the story hasn't changed, sexist phrasing has been eliminated and references to computer technology have been added. Now also available in paperback from Firebird, ISBN 014240828X.

Inspiring
"Engdahl's return to the spotlight is long overdue ... Journey Between Worlds' theme of a human manifest destiny in space is by no means juvenile.... The veracity that Engdahl brings to Melinda’s fantastic adventure is pure sci-fi sense of wonder.... In a low-brow teen marketing world that seeks to mold young women into juggernauts of mass consumption it’s totally refreshing to witness the idealist spirit in this novel that is a fun read for younger audiences and an inspiring, hopeful and entertaining tale for older readers as well." --Carlos Aranaga, ScifiDimensions, May 2006

Heartwarming
"Journey Between Worlds is a beautifully-written, heartwarming, and scientifically plausible novel. What’s more, it's quite a lot of fun ... the sort of thing that's easy to devour in one sitting, and though short, it will leave you satiated afterward. On the other hand, now that I'm done with it, I want more." --John Joseph Adams, Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, April 2006

Unforgettable
"For some reason the public -- aside from a select group of aficionados -- largely ignored Engdahl’s work, and it’s only within the past few years that it’s been rediscovered as the treasure trove it is.... [Journey Between Worlds] is a beautifully written coming-of-age novel, as Melinda comes to realize that the proper place for the past is in the past, and that the future is something she wants to be a part of. Engdahl pulls you right into Melinda's life to make this an unforgettable and completely engrossing novel. --Fantasy Magazine No. 3