Book Review: The Girl in the Box by Janet Miller

Genre: Science Fiction, Romance

Word Count: 7,340 words

Average Smashwords Rating: 5/5 stars

Ammi is in love with a Gaian man named Ganth. But there's just one problem: they have never met in person. They have never even seen each other.

But Ammi wants to keep it that way. If Ganth knew her legs didn't work, and she was stuck in a box-like chair for the rest of her life, he would never want her. No one ever saw past the box and Gaian men were very particular about the human females they chose. But can she keep Ganth from finding out her secret forever?

This short story is remarkably well-written. World building in science fiction can be vague especially for quick reads, but Girl in the Box had the perfect amount of detail.

I love Ammi. She's strong and independent, but also self-conscious, which I can definitely relate to. I love that she's not helpless, even though she's disabled. She's able to get around perfectly fine, even when a crash breaks her chair.

Ganth... well, his heart's in the right place, I guess. He genuinely loves Ammi, and he's frustrated because he can't see her in person. At first he's really sweet. And then he cooks up a harebrained scheme to force her into marriage.

Never cool. Unless forces beyond their control are at work, characters should not ever try to force their crush into marriage or anything else. You know, unless their evil.

I lost a lot of respect for Ganth there, and as far as I'm concerned, he never really redeems himself. But I want to like him. Because it is a good story.

A lot of science fiction and romance fans will like Girl in the Box. Anyone who likes Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair will definitely enjoy this short and quick read.

You can read this book for free on Smashwords.