The Girl Who Outgrew the World By Zoje Stage
By Zoje Stage
Lilly is eleven years old and she can't stop growing. In no time she grows even taller than her father, James, who worries about Lilly's health and the consequences of growing too tall for her heart too handle. James looks for help from a bunch of doctors who want to have Lilly admitted for a series of tests, like a lab animal. When Lilly learns of this she decides to run away to a land she heard about in a poem, where she can be herself amongst others like her.
This is a modern fairy tale with Stage's signature unease. It is a brutal portrayal of what it's like to be a girl, to have the fate of your body decided by others, and the objectification that comes with being female. Lilly's height and body changes are the excuses others use to violate her, and what causes her father to not only think differently about her but to fear her as well. This is a book that displays the fear men have of women and femininity, and the power women possess in their minds and bodies. Ultimately, the tale is both tragic and beautiful.
The Girl Who Outgrew the World is in some ways a departure form Stage's usual dark and sinister adult fare, but for me it seems like the natural evolution of a great storyteller stretching her legs (and wings) into new and exciting realms. It is a beautiful and heartbreaking story full of danger and magic that is deliciously satisfying. I give it 5 stars!
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