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The Edge of Everything #1
The Edge of Everything
For the perfect love, what would you be willing to lose?
It’s been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who’s still reeling from her father's shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors’ mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods—only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.
X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe’s evil attacker and others like him. X is forbidden from revealing himself to anyone other than his prey, but he casts aside the Lowlands’ rules for Zoe. As they learn more about their colliding worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future.
It’s been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who’s still reeling from her father's shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors’ mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods—only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.
X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe’s evil attacker and others like him. X is forbidden from revealing himself to anyone other than his prey, but he casts aside the Lowlands’ rules for Zoe. As they learn more about their colliding worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,296 reviews
February 7, 2017
I'm going to talk more about this in a video review, but I really enjoyed this! It's a unique urban fantasy story full of heart wrenching & heart breaking moments!
February 20, 2017
I finished the Edge of Everything! There were a lot of things I really enjoyed about this book: the characters, the family dynamic, the sense of humor! I laughed a bunch. I wasn't a giant fan of the paranormal aspects, I much preferred the parts of the book that took place in our world. I'll go into more detail in video discussions to come (our booksplosion liveshow is march 2nd at 7:30 est) ! But it was a heartwarming read with unique lovable characters. I'd say it's a 3.8 for me!
June 27, 2017
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
This book was so disappointing it made me want to kick a kitten! Okay, that’s not true. It actually made me want to go adopt a few since it was “kitten weekend” at the local shelter . . . .
But I’m married to Mr. Poopy Butthole and he ixnayed that suggestion pronto.
The Edge of Everything got put on my radar due to my friend Rachel’s review which stated in the first line that it was “one of the more gruesome young adult novels I've ever come across” – a fairly accurate assessment, but unfortunately that didn’t help increase my enjoyment.
Other than reading the aforementioned review, I went in to this blind. The book opened up right before a blizzard was getting ready to set in with our female lead Zoe trapped at home with her little brother. When the snow really starts coming down and little brother is nowhere to be seen, Zoe is forced to venture out to find him. What she doesn’t expect is to run across a former “friend” of her father. At this point in the story I was like . . . .
And when the character “X” appeared stating he was there to take the bad man’s soul back to the Lowlands for eternity???????
A bounty hunter from hell? Double yes to that please. I also wasn’t sure what kind of world this was going to be. But then . . . . .
“She took a photo to put on Instagram later.”
Soooooo, it’s apparently not a different world and I am stupid. No biggie. I can make an adjustment. Until . . . .
“What did she even know apart from the fact that he radiated loneliness? And that she’d been drawn to him.��
At which point I started to ask myself . . . .
Low and behold my suspicions were confirmed when X stated . . . .
“He knew then that he loved her.”
After A MOTHEREFFING DAY. And then . . .
I wish. Noooooooo, I’m a glutton for punishment so I eyerolled my way through the entire thing wishing I would be granted a quick death in order to end my misery since I was forced to acknowledge that it is official . . . . .
As Zoe would say in all of her infinite wisdom, at this point in time I have no more evens to can’t when it comes to instalove and barfable bullshit when a REALLY SOLID STORY IS TAKING THE BACKBURNER AND BEGGING TO BE TOLD. Seriously. Zoe wasn’t even needed in this godblasted thing. X’s backstory was plenty on its own and he had THE BEST sidekicks in the form of Ripper . . . .
“Unfortunately, one’s children grow distant after they’ve seen one bash a servant’s skull with a teakettle.”
As well as Banger . . . . .
“Were you always this disgusting?” she asked him. “Oh, much, much more so.”
Two stars rather than one simply for those two characters. And of course this is the first in a series . . . . .
This book was so disappointing it made me want to kick a kitten! Okay, that’s not true. It actually made me want to go adopt a few since it was “kitten weekend” at the local shelter . . . .
But I’m married to Mr. Poopy Butthole and he ixnayed that suggestion pronto.
The Edge of Everything got put on my radar due to my friend Rachel’s review which stated in the first line that it was “one of the more gruesome young adult novels I've ever come across” – a fairly accurate assessment, but unfortunately that didn’t help increase my enjoyment.
Other than reading the aforementioned review, I went in to this blind. The book opened up right before a blizzard was getting ready to set in with our female lead Zoe trapped at home with her little brother. When the snow really starts coming down and little brother is nowhere to be seen, Zoe is forced to venture out to find him. What she doesn’t expect is to run across a former “friend” of her father. At this point in the story I was like . . . .
And when the character “X” appeared stating he was there to take the bad man’s soul back to the Lowlands for eternity???????
A bounty hunter from hell? Double yes to that please. I also wasn’t sure what kind of world this was going to be. But then . . . . .
“She took a photo to put on Instagram later.”
Soooooo, it’s apparently not a different world and I am stupid. No biggie. I can make an adjustment. Until . . . .
“What did she even know apart from the fact that he radiated loneliness? And that she’d been drawn to him.��
At which point I started to ask myself . . . .
Low and behold my suspicions were confirmed when X stated . . . .
“He knew then that he loved her.”
After A MOTHEREFFING DAY. And then . . .
I wish. Noooooooo, I’m a glutton for punishment so I eyerolled my way through the entire thing wishing I would be granted a quick death in order to end my misery since I was forced to acknowledge that it is official . . . . .
As Zoe would say in all of her infinite wisdom, at this point in time I have no more evens to can’t when it comes to instalove and barfable bullshit when a REALLY SOLID STORY IS TAKING THE BACKBURNER AND BEGGING TO BE TOLD. Seriously. Zoe wasn’t even needed in this godblasted thing. X’s backstory was plenty on its own and he had THE BEST sidekicks in the form of Ripper . . . .
“Unfortunately, one’s children grow distant after they’ve seen one bash a servant’s skull with a teakettle.”
As well as Banger . . . . .
“Were you always this disgusting?” she asked him. “Oh, much, much more so.”
Two stars rather than one simply for those two characters. And of course this is the first in a series . . . . .
May 19, 2016
Really solid book with an extremely unique plot. Super dark and somewhat scary at times. I was hooked from page one. And I really loved Zoe as a main character. She seemed like a very realistic and snarky teen and I loved her spirit. Also really adored the side characters too, her family, her school friends, X's friends in the Lowlands...they were all super interesting and fleshed out. Really good book, guys! It releases January 2017 and I highly suggest you add it to your TBR!
September 13, 2017
Full review up:
First off, let me say that I was shook and a half when I got my hands on the book and saw that ONE MORE SOUL was written across the pages like HOW COOL IS THAT
(not my pic)
Anyways, so from my rating you can see that I didn’t PARTICULARILY enjoy the book all that much.
Now it definitely HAD potential, but like damn, that instalove was creeping in every crevice and corner, setting any semblance of plot and character development and slow burn on FIRE. For the first 100 pages, I was actually REALLY invested in everything that I was OVERLOOKING the instalove but bro, I can only overlook so much.
So the basic outline of the story is that Zoe, a normal girl, meets with X, a bounty hunter from the ‘lowlands’ who is very secretive about his himself. But he gets to know her and he pulls the whole ‘I’ll-risk-my-life-and-everything-i-know-for-you’
But the problem is that he’s willing to do that AFTER KNOWING THE GIRL FOR 25 MINUTES THAT’S NOT HOW LOVE WORKS AAAAAAAAAAAAA
Listen, im not all stone hearted okay, in actuality, im a really big sap and im always the one crying at the end of cheesy movies okay I just have a really big heart. BUT (and there’s a big BUT here) I gotta get that slowburn man, we wanna see the relationship grow and develop and blossom, NOT COME INTO EXISTENCE WITH ONE GLANCE
Let. Me. Become. Invested. In. Them.
Basically, I just felt like this the whole time
I mean there were good points. Jonah is the sweetest most perfect little brother ever. Zoe is a pretty good mc, apart from the fact that she falls in love with lover boy here in 0.37 seconds. Her friendship with that-girl-whos-name-i-forgot-because-she-didn’t-get-as-much-page-time-as-she-deserved was really cute and funny too.
SO YOU SEE, THERE WAS POTENTIAL.
Even the sub-plot concerning her dad was good. It was tied together really well and I like how all the event connected to each other. Even the ending was relatively great.
BUT THAT DAMN INSTALOVE WAS SUFFOCATING EVERYTHING. WHYYYYY D:
If I do not return, it is only because not one but two worlds conspired to stop me.
2 stars!!
First off, let me say that I was shook and a half when I got my hands on the book and saw that ONE MORE SOUL was written across the pages like HOW COOL IS THAT
(not my pic)
Anyways, so from my rating you can see that I didn’t PARTICULARILY enjoy the book all that much.
Now it definitely HAD potential, but like damn, that instalove was creeping in every crevice and corner, setting any semblance of plot and character development and slow burn on FIRE. For the first 100 pages, I was actually REALLY invested in everything that I was OVERLOOKING the instalove but bro, I can only overlook so much.
So the basic outline of the story is that Zoe, a normal girl, meets with X, a bounty hunter from the ‘lowlands’ who is very secretive about his himself. But he gets to know her and he pulls the whole ‘I’ll-risk-my-life-and-everything-i-know-for-you’
But the problem is that he’s willing to do that AFTER KNOWING THE GIRL FOR 25 MINUTES THAT’S NOT HOW LOVE WORKS AAAAAAAAAAAAA
Listen, im not all stone hearted okay, in actuality, im a really big sap and im always the one crying at the end of cheesy movies okay I just have a really big heart. BUT (and there’s a big BUT here) I gotta get that slowburn man, we wanna see the relationship grow and develop and blossom, NOT COME INTO EXISTENCE WITH ONE GLANCE
Let. Me. Become. Invested. In. Them.
Basically, I just felt like this the whole time
I mean there were good points. Jonah is the sweetest most perfect little brother ever. Zoe is a pretty good mc, apart from the fact that she falls in love with lover boy here in 0.37 seconds. Her friendship with that-girl-whos-name-i-forgot-because-she-didn’t-get-as-much-page-time-as-she-deserved was really cute and funny too.
SO YOU SEE, THERE WAS POTENTIAL.
Even the sub-plot concerning her dad was good. It was tied together really well and I like how all the event connected to each other. Even the ending was relatively great.
BUT THAT DAMN INSTALOVE WAS SUFFOCATING EVERYTHING. WHYYYYY D:
If I do not return, it is only because not one but two worlds conspired to stop me.
2 stars!!
July 12, 2017
3 stars!
"If you kill him, you're as bad as he is," Zoe said. "It's not our job to punish people."
X lowered his head.
"Perhaps it is not yours."
The Edge of Everything is one of the more gruesome young adult novels I've ever come across. One of the more unique ones too. It's the story of a creature named X who is a sort of supernatural bounty hunter who encounters a family one night when he is sent to claim a soul. X becomes attached to them and the teenage Zoe and it changes everything about the world he knows.
First off, I enjoyed this book, but it was a little bit too grim and dark for me. I do think it will be a gigantic hit amongst many of those who read in the YA genre. It's very unique and very descriptive, Giles has a very cunning mind. There were moments when I actually felt nauseous from the descriptions and that's the mark of a fantastic writer!
I loved the character of X and his story, the creepy and harsh world he was raised in. X was the best part about this book for me. Zoe, well. She's a teenage girl and she was written like one, which means she grated my nerves a bit, but ultimately she was a very realistic teen character. I would have liked to see more growth from her throughout the progression of the story.
My other favorite parts were the characters Ripper and Banger, they were so much fun to read about and I kind of hope they get their own novellas and/or novels.
I do think a lot of people will love and embrace this book.
An ARC was provided
"If you kill him, you're as bad as he is," Zoe said. "It's not our job to punish people."
X lowered his head.
"Perhaps it is not yours."
The Edge of Everything is one of the more gruesome young adult novels I've ever come across. One of the more unique ones too. It's the story of a creature named X who is a sort of supernatural bounty hunter who encounters a family one night when he is sent to claim a soul. X becomes attached to them and the teenage Zoe and it changes everything about the world he knows.
First off, I enjoyed this book, but it was a little bit too grim and dark for me. I do think it will be a gigantic hit amongst many of those who read in the YA genre. It's very unique and very descriptive, Giles has a very cunning mind. There were moments when I actually felt nauseous from the descriptions and that's the mark of a fantastic writer!
I loved the character of X and his story, the creepy and harsh world he was raised in. X was the best part about this book for me. Zoe, well. She's a teenage girl and she was written like one, which means she grated my nerves a bit, but ultimately she was a very realistic teen character. I would have liked to see more growth from her throughout the progression of the story.
My other favorite parts were the characters Ripper and Banger, they were so much fun to read about and I kind of hope they get their own novellas and/or novels.
I do think a lot of people will love and embrace this book.
An ARC was provided
October 10, 2016
Jeff Giles has created a seamless, unique blend of fantasy, contemporary, romance with fairy tale qualities into a compelling tale that will leave you craving more. Take a journey with our heroine Zoe and the mysterious X as they face spine-chilling challenges, moral dilemmas in a plot filled with unpredictable twists and turns.
There's murder and quests:
There's romance!
THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING pops off the page with its brilliant characters, edge-of-your-seat plot, and easy-to-visualize settings. Travel to Montana and experience snowstorms, bitter cold, murder, scary forests, and dangerous caves. Travel to the dark Lowlands to experience hell and the characters who reside there. This novel will stay with you long after you finish it. I can't rave enough. Definitely put this on your must-read list!
Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC.
There's murder and quests:
There's romance!
THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING pops off the page with its brilliant characters, edge-of-your-seat plot, and easy-to-visualize settings. Travel to Montana and experience snowstorms, bitter cold, murder, scary forests, and dangerous caves. Travel to the dark Lowlands to experience hell and the characters who reside there. This novel will stay with you long after you finish it. I can't rave enough. Definitely put this on your must-read list!
Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC.
February 16, 2017
DNF @ 10%
I don't mind a good useless information dump, if it'll add to the plot later on. However, there were around four info dumb in just the first chapter. I was so excited to read this after the prologue, but that first chapter killed me. It took me around eight hours to finish.
For me, this book simply had too much telling and not enough showing through the writing. Then there was the fact I already hated the name of our main character - which is said frequently due to third person narrative - due to a girl named Zoe being a bitch to one of my favourite people (aka Caitlin, do I have any other friends?).
I don't mind a good useless information dump, if it'll add to the plot later on. However, there were around four info dumb in just the first chapter. I was so excited to read this after the prologue, but that first chapter killed me. It took me around eight hours to finish.
For me, this book simply had too much telling and not enough showing through the writing. Then there was the fact I already hated the name of our main character - which is said frequently due to third person narrative - due to a girl named Zoe being a bitch to one of my favourite people (aka Caitlin, do I have any other friends?).
March 18, 2017
1 star
Nope. Nope, nope, nope and no hell, no.
I can't believe that this was published, and I feel sorry for any unfortunate tree that had to die just to be turned into this book.
To say that I disliked it is to put it mildly.
There is instalove on page one, it's full of cliches, the characters are behaving completely irrationally and the plot and the world building are severely underdeveloped. Also, did I mention INSTALOVE??
I don't like to dnf books, but I had to admit to myself that I just can't do it this time around, so I stopped reading about halfway through.
Now, it might be absolutely amazing in the last 100 pages (which I higly doubt), but I'm not sticking around to find out. I just can't do this to myself, especially with so many other books waiting on my tbr pile to be read and loved.
So what exactly was so bad about this?
Well… how about everything. Let me explain.
The story begins when a blizzard hits the mountain on which Zoe lives with her mom and her ADHD younger brother. Her brother gets lost in the blizzard while playing with the dogs and Zoe goes out into the storm to find him. Enter an unlikely scenario with a killer on the loose, a frozen lake and a stranger who appears out of nowhere, trying to kill the killer (ironic much?).
The stranger, who Zoe calls X, is a bounty hunter from Lowlands (aka Hell), a prisoner sent on Earth to retrieve the soul of previously mentioned killer. X seems to be badly hurt, so Zoe and her family take him in and help him out despite his warnings that helping him would be dangerous for them.
→ Now this is where the real trouble begins.
First of all, what kind of a mother (who is described as being very protective of her kids) would let a random stranger into her house, especially after he himself warns them multiple times that by doing so, they are putting themselves in danger?
Also, the guy tells them that he is from Hell and they just roll with it?
Sorry, but when a person tells you that they are a bounty hunter from Hell, you don't believe them and fall in love with them, you put them into a freaking mental institution!
As for the romance in this story, I scoffed out loud and rolled my eyes so many times that it was becoming dangerous for my health.
As soon as X sees Zoe he's in luuurve, he ''has feelings about her that he never felt before and never even knew existed'' (excuse me while I go throw up)
They kiss and fall in lurve in 2 days, and the mom knows it and does nothing.
Please find me asane mother who would approve of her 17 year old daughter getting involved with a weird stranger who claims that he is an emissary from Hell.
The characters are completely bland, with no real thoughts or desires of their own, they are just there to do what the author wants them to do, which in turn feels forced and unrealistic.
The author always tells instead of shows, and that made me feel completely detached from the plot and the characters.
In conclusion, I would not recommend this book to anyone and I want those 3 hours of my life back.
Nope. Nope, nope, nope and no hell, no.
I can't believe that this was published, and I feel sorry for any unfortunate tree that had to die just to be turned into this book.
To say that I disliked it is to put it mildly.
There is instalove on page one, it's full of cliches, the characters are behaving completely irrationally and the plot and the world building are severely underdeveloped. Also, did I mention INSTALOVE??
I don't like to dnf books, but I had to admit to myself that I just can't do it this time around, so I stopped reading about halfway through.
Now, it might be absolutely amazing in the last 100 pages (which I higly doubt), but I'm not sticking around to find out. I just can't do this to myself, especially with so many other books waiting on my tbr pile to be read and loved.
So what exactly was so bad about this?
Well… how about everything. Let me explain.
The story begins when a blizzard hits the mountain on which Zoe lives with her mom and her ADHD younger brother. Her brother gets lost in the blizzard while playing with the dogs and Zoe goes out into the storm to find him. Enter an unlikely scenario with a killer on the loose, a frozen lake and a stranger who appears out of nowhere, trying to kill the killer (ironic much?).
The stranger, who Zoe calls X, is a bounty hunter from Lowlands (aka Hell), a prisoner sent on Earth to retrieve the soul of previously mentioned killer. X seems to be badly hurt, so Zoe and her family take him in and help him out despite his warnings that helping him would be dangerous for them.
→ Now this is where the real trouble begins.
First of all, what kind of a mother (who is described as being very protective of her kids) would let a random stranger into her house, especially after he himself warns them multiple times that by doing so, they are putting themselves in danger?
Also, the guy tells them that he is from Hell and they just roll with it?
Sorry, but when a person tells you that they are a bounty hunter from Hell, you don't believe them and fall in love with them, you put them into a freaking mental institution!
As for the romance in this story, I scoffed out loud and rolled my eyes so many times that it was becoming dangerous for my health.
As soon as X sees Zoe he's in luuurve, he ''has feelings about her that he never felt before and never even knew existed'' (excuse me while I go throw up)
They kiss and fall in lurve in 2 days, and the mom knows it and does nothing.
Please find me a
The characters are completely bland, with no real thoughts or desires of their own, they are just there to do what the author wants them to do, which in turn feels forced and unrealistic.
The author always tells instead of shows, and that made me feel completely detached from the plot and the characters.
In conclusion, I would not recommend this book to anyone and I want those 3 hours of my life back.
April 11, 2017
DNF at page 92
There are many reasons as to why I could no longer read this book with the first being I absolutely hated it from the beginning. I didn’t get pretty far in the book so I can’t judge it completely and for all I know, it could have gotten much better but aren’t books supposed to draw you in from the beginning? To be honest I began this book with the lowest expectations ever. I predicted it was going to be terrible so I did not get my hopes up. Despite my expectations being very low they still were not met. The writing was so horrific that I think I could have written better and I am awful at creative writing. Right now I can’t even say I’m disappointed it because it wasn’t like I was expected much anyway.
I have no idea why I even picked this up. It was on my to-read list but other than that I had no idea what this book was about. I like going into books blind so I only read the synopsis at the back of the book and didn’t read the one on Goodreads and mind you the synopsis at the back of the book was so brief. The only reason I bought it was because of the cover and the fact that the edges of the book were orange. Now I know despite how beautiful a book may look that does not mean it is good. I was so confused while reading it and I refused to read what it was about and tried to carry on reading. I had no idea where the plot was going and now that I think about it I still don’t know what the book is about because I still haven’t read what Goodreads says, which I will do so now.
Sooo I just read the summary on Goodreads and now I’m thinking to myself ‘why the hell did I want to read this’. Normally if I DNF something I try to pick it back up later but I will not be doing that with this book.
Now on to the dreadful writing. The writing really irritated me and I’m not sure if I’m the only person who felt this way. In school, I was getting drilled with this idea of ‘showing not telling’ and I had to analyze past exam creative writing papers to see if people did that. They kept telling us to me implicit and not directly tell the reader what is going on. Because of that now when I read I keep thinking about showing not telling so throughout this book I was thinking about how I was just getting dumped with information. I was being told everything and nothing was being shown. The writing felt so basic and I just didn’t like it AT ALL. There also were many flashbacks that were confusing the hell out of me. I could never decipher whether it was a flashback or the present.
From the very beginning, I did not like the protagonist, Zoe, for reasons I am unaware of. I just did not like her and what made it worse was her stupidity. She sees the guy who she calls X and he’s fighting with another guy and the entire place is all magical. Like the lake is lighting up and all this weird stuff it going on and there was a video thing playing on X’s back so what does she do… she takes a picture and posts it on Instagram. Now you might think what’s wrong with that well she just allowed everyone to see some guy who clearly isn’t human and the police even saw it. Then she tries to convince them that he’s not human as if people let alone the police would believe her.
There also was animal abuse in this book and Zoe shows no emotion towards it and barely even cares. And because I didn't finish this book I still don't know why the animals had to be hurt.
I also heard that there’s insta-love in this book which for me is something that I find irritating. I didn’t read about the insta-love because I don’t think I got too far in but I still could see it forming and that adds to the endless reasons to why I didn’t like this book.
This book was not for me and I know I didn’t get too far into critic it completely. I could have ended up loving it but I feel like there’s a very low chance that could have happened because I don’t think the writing style is going to suddenly change halfway through and I didn’t like the plot either. I did not want to get into a reading slump and that usually happens when I force myself to read a book I really don’t like. Read this book if you want because you may like it but I definitely didn’t.
There are many reasons as to why I could no longer read this book with the first being I absolutely hated it from the beginning. I didn’t get pretty far in the book so I can’t judge it completely and for all I know, it could have gotten much better but aren’t books supposed to draw you in from the beginning? To be honest I began this book with the lowest expectations ever. I predicted it was going to be terrible so I did not get my hopes up. Despite my expectations being very low they still were not met. The writing was so horrific that I think I could have written better and I am awful at creative writing. Right now I can’t even say I’m disappointed it because it wasn’t like I was expected much anyway.
I have no idea why I even picked this up. It was on my to-read list but other than that I had no idea what this book was about. I like going into books blind so I only read the synopsis at the back of the book and didn’t read the one on Goodreads and mind you the synopsis at the back of the book was so brief. The only reason I bought it was because of the cover and the fact that the edges of the book were orange. Now I know despite how beautiful a book may look that does not mean it is good. I was so confused while reading it and I refused to read what it was about and tried to carry on reading. I had no idea where the plot was going and now that I think about it I still don’t know what the book is about because I still haven’t read what Goodreads says, which I will do so now.
Sooo I just read the summary on Goodreads and now I’m thinking to myself ‘why the hell did I want to read this’. Normally if I DNF something I try to pick it back up later but I will not be doing that with this book.
Now on to the dreadful writing. The writing really irritated me and I’m not sure if I’m the only person who felt this way. In school, I was getting drilled with this idea of ‘showing not telling’ and I had to analyze past exam creative writing papers to see if people did that. They kept telling us to me implicit and not directly tell the reader what is going on. Because of that now when I read I keep thinking about showing not telling so throughout this book I was thinking about how I was just getting dumped with information. I was being told everything and nothing was being shown. The writing felt so basic and I just didn’t like it AT ALL. There also were many flashbacks that were confusing the hell out of me. I could never decipher whether it was a flashback or the present.
From the very beginning, I did not like the protagonist, Zoe, for reasons I am unaware of. I just did not like her and what made it worse was her stupidity. She sees the guy who she calls X and he’s fighting with another guy and the entire place is all magical. Like the lake is lighting up and all this weird stuff it going on and there was a video thing playing on X’s back so what does she do… she takes a picture and posts it on Instagram. Now you might think what’s wrong with that well she just allowed everyone to see some guy who clearly isn’t human and the police even saw it. Then she tries to convince them that he’s not human as if people let alone the police would believe her.
There also was animal abuse in this book and Zoe shows no emotion towards it and barely even cares. And because I didn't finish this book I still don't know why the animals had to be hurt.
I also heard that there’s insta-love in this book which for me is something that I find irritating. I didn’t read about the insta-love because I don’t think I got too far in but I still could see it forming and that adds to the endless reasons to why I didn’t like this book.
This book was not for me and I know I didn’t get too far into critic it completely. I could have ended up loving it but I feel like there’s a very low chance that could have happened because I don’t think the writing style is going to suddenly change halfway through and I didn’t like the plot either. I did not want to get into a reading slump and that usually happens when I force myself to read a book I really don’t like. Read this book if you want because you may like it but I definitely didn’t.
April 3, 2018
2.75-3/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
Pros:
-This series has a lot of potential. I really liked what I read, it just needed to be more fleshed out in certain areas, and perhaps, slowed down a bit in others.
-The writing was good.
-The characters were likeable. I enjoyed reading from Zoe and X's point of view alike. There were also some really cool side characters. Just sayin' 💖
Cons:
-Without going into too much detail, certain things in this book progressed a lot quicker than I would have liked.*Cough there's insta love cough* 😬
-There were also times where I felt certain things were dragged out, that really didn't need to be.
Overall:
I definitely think, when the time comes, I'll be open to continuing this series. As I've said, it could use some work, but I look forward to seeing what will happen with these characters, and if things will improve from the first book.
"Silence, her mother liked to say, could heal you or it could make you crazy. It all depended on how you listened to it."
Pros:
-This series has a lot of potential. I really liked what I read, it just needed to be more fleshed out in certain areas, and perhaps, slowed down a bit in others.
-The writing was good.
-The characters were likeable. I enjoyed reading from Zoe and X's point of view alike. There were also some really cool side characters. Just sayin' 💖
Cons:
-Without going into too much detail, certain things in this book progressed a lot quicker than I would have liked.
-There were also times where I felt certain things were dragged out, that really didn't need to be.
Overall:
I definitely think, when the time comes, I'll be open to continuing this series. As I've said, it could use some work, but I look forward to seeing what will happen with these characters, and if things will improve from the first book.
February 7, 2017
3.5
Ughhhh the middle seriously lagged and I was so ready for it to be over. And then of course the end picks up and gets super exciting and I think "okay, ending on a high note, this is good." AND THEN THERE IS A CLIFFHANGER AND I REALIZE THERE'S GONNA BE A SEQUEL!!! I really wish this had ended here, it's not that I don't want to see more of these characters, it just felt like a very contained story. But now I'll have to wait...
Ughhhh the middle seriously lagged and I was so ready for it to be over. And then of course the end picks up and gets super exciting and I think "okay, ending on a high note, this is good." AND THEN THERE IS A CLIFFHANGER AND I REALIZE THERE'S GONNA BE A SEQUEL!!! I really wish this had ended here, it's not that I don't want to see more of these characters, it just felt like a very contained story. But now I'll have to wait...
February 7, 2017
3.5/5 stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/cKPkE3RDT9Q
If you didn't know this was one of my most anticipated book releases. I was super excited to read it and I was even more hyped up to get into the novel since I've been seeing such outstanding reviews for this book. I liked this book it had qualities that I very much enjoyed but it also had qualities that I didn't enjoy.
Jeff Giles is a great writer. I found he captured my full attention and within the first 50 pages there was even a moment where I got teary eyed because I was already that invested in the story. As you read the book you understand more about X and what exactly he is. I found that aspect was really well done and learning more about him was interesting. In this book, we have a prominent sibling relationship which I appreciated. I feel like sibling relationships aren't featured enough in books but I personally think they can be some of the most special relationships found in books. There is romance in the book and sadly I didn't love it. I found it was insta-lovey which was super disappointing. Also there is another element that is based on a relationship that I thought was sorta underwhelming. I found the beginning captured my full attention but as the book progressed I started losing my interest.
Overall, I can picture a lot of people enjoying this book. For me my expectations were SOOO high that sadly this didn't live up to them, but that doesn't make it a good book.
**Was sent a physical copy in exchange for an honest review**
Video Review: https://youtu.be/cKPkE3RDT9Q
If you didn't know this was one of my most anticipated book releases. I was super excited to read it and I was even more hyped up to get into the novel since I've been seeing such outstanding reviews for this book. I liked this book it had qualities that I very much enjoyed but it also had qualities that I didn't enjoy.
Jeff Giles is a great writer. I found he captured my full attention and within the first 50 pages there was even a moment where I got teary eyed because I was already that invested in the story. As you read the book you understand more about X and what exactly he is. I found that aspect was really well done and learning more about him was interesting. In this book, we have a prominent sibling relationship which I appreciated. I feel like sibling relationships aren't featured enough in books but I personally think they can be some of the most special relationships found in books. There is romance in the book and sadly I didn't love it. I found it was insta-lovey which was super disappointing. Also there is another element that is based on a relationship that I thought was sorta underwhelming. I found the beginning captured my full attention but as the book progressed I started losing my interest.
Overall, I can picture a lot of people enjoying this book. For me my expectations were SOOO high that sadly this didn't live up to them, but that doesn't make it a good book.
**Was sent a physical copy in exchange for an honest review**
November 1, 2016
(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and NetGalley.)
This was a YA fantasy story about a girl who falls in love with a boy born in hell.
I felt quite sorry for Zoe in this after the death of her father, and the problems surrounding retrieving his body, but X was a bit of a mystery.
The storyline in this was a bit complicated, but it basically involved X (who was born in a place called the ‘Lowlands’ which was a type of hell), trying to be free after falling in love with Zoe. The romance was pretty non-existent though, and they had barely even met each other before they were declaring their love! The rest of the story dragged, and I guessed the little twist we got thrown.
The ending to this was okay, but I wouldn’t want to read a sequel.
6 out of 10
“My boyfriend’s in hell.”
This was a YA fantasy story about a girl who falls in love with a boy born in hell.
I felt quite sorry for Zoe in this after the death of her father, and the problems surrounding retrieving his body, but X was a bit of a mystery.
The storyline in this was a bit complicated, but it basically involved X (who was born in a place called the ‘Lowlands’ which was a type of hell), trying to be free after falling in love with Zoe. The romance was pretty non-existent though, and they had barely even met each other before they were declaring their love! The rest of the story dragged, and I guessed the little twist we got thrown.
The ending to this was okay, but I wouldn’t want to read a sequel.
6 out of 10
May 12, 2017
Rating: 4.5/5
Best-YA-debut-alert! Remember my words, because since the very first moment I saw this book on Netgalley I knew it was destined for success. I don’t have a crystal ball, and honestly, it’s not like I can always trust my gut. But sometimes this feeling is just spot on and yes, I feel kind of witchy. Just for the record, I was approved for this ARC on August 2016 and I have been anticipating this read since then but saving it for a date closer to release. And that was hard *sigh*
Read full review in The Bibliothèque
*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Well, trust me on this one and keep this book on your radar. And expect hype.
The Edge of Everything is a nice fantasy/contemporary blend with a male-MC coming from the Lowlands to hunt for evil souls and a 17 year old female-MC that ends up being saved by this bounty hunter. I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. Everything about it got me engaged from top to bottom and start to end. I must admit that I have been drifting away from the YA-Fantasy genre, with a few exceptions, but this book reminded me how good YA-Fantasy really feels.
This book has a bit of everything: from my point of view, it will be enjoyed by hardcore fantasy readers but it can also be loved by contemporary readers that don’t usually venture into the Fantasy lands. For the ones on my team, that need romance to be hooked, well just our luck! This book has a strong love storyline, which I obviously loved. But there is a BUT coming.
Ironically, my only complain or reason why this is not a 5 stars read is the love story. Romance usually wakes up the shipper in me, you know that. I need very little to ship any OTP I encounter. However, in this case, I felt something was missing. So, X and Zoe’s love might be categorized as instalove, but it’s actually one of those “chosen“/”meant to be” kinds of love. On top of that it’s a Forbidden romance, so the author is playing with fire here. You know from the beginning that there’s a special connection between them. But authors must be very careful of this, instalove can be easy to handle… we’ve seen it plenty of times. But destined + instalove + forbidden in YA? Dude, that better be done well. Otherwise it feels like too much or too less. In my case, it was a bit too less. I wish the author would have given Zoe and X more chemistry, more magnetism and many more scenes together to build that connection.
In despite of that tiny complain, WOW. I seriously, seriously loved this book. The writing style was superb really, I was taken from a blizzard to the Lowlands in the blink of an eye. The world building was absolutely compelling, it had the perfect amount of dark and right quantity of fantasy. The Edge of Everything is also the perfect read for winter, as you will only want to hide under a blanket with a hot tea and read about snow blizzards. Don’t believe me?
It definitely is a very good first instalment of a series, and even a better debut. The Edge of Everything left me wanting more and the wait is going to be hard.
Best-YA-debut-alert! Remember my words, because since the very first moment I saw this book on Netgalley I knew it was destined for success. I don’t have a crystal ball, and honestly, it’s not like I can always trust my gut. But sometimes this feeling is just spot on and yes, I feel kind of witchy. Just for the record, I was approved for this ARC on August 2016 and I have been anticipating this read since then but saving it for a date closer to release. And that was hard *sigh*
Read full review in The Bibliothèque
*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Well, trust me on this one and keep this book on your radar. And expect hype.
The Edge of Everything is a nice fantasy/contemporary blend with a male-MC coming from the Lowlands to hunt for evil souls and a 17 year old female-MC that ends up being saved by this bounty hunter. I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. Everything about it got me engaged from top to bottom and start to end. I must admit that I have been drifting away from the YA-Fantasy genre, with a few exceptions, but this book reminded me how good YA-Fantasy really feels.
This book has a bit of everything: from my point of view, it will be enjoyed by hardcore fantasy readers but it can also be loved by contemporary readers that don’t usually venture into the Fantasy lands. For the ones on my team, that need romance to be hooked, well just our luck! This book has a strong love storyline, which I obviously loved. But there is a BUT coming.
Ironically, my only complain or reason why this is not a 5 stars read is the love story. Romance usually wakes up the shipper in me, you know that. I need very little to ship any OTP I encounter. However, in this case, I felt something was missing. So, X and Zoe’s love might be categorized as instalove, but it’s actually one of those “chosen“/”meant to be” kinds of love. On top of that it’s a Forbidden romance, so the author is playing with fire here. You know from the beginning that there’s a special connection between them. But authors must be very careful of this, instalove can be easy to handle… we’ve seen it plenty of times. But destined + instalove + forbidden in YA? Dude, that better be done well. Otherwise it feels like too much or too less. In my case, it was a bit too less. I wish the author would have given Zoe and X more chemistry, more magnetism and many more scenes together to build that connection.
In despite of that tiny complain, WOW. I seriously, seriously loved this book. The writing style was superb really, I was taken from a blizzard to the Lowlands in the blink of an eye. The world building was absolutely compelling, it had the perfect amount of dark and right quantity of fantasy. The Edge of Everything is also the perfect read for winter, as you will only want to hide under a blanket with a hot tea and read about snow blizzards. Don’t believe me?
It definitely is a very good first instalment of a series, and even a better debut. The Edge of Everything left me wanting more and the wait is going to be hard.
September 18, 2019
May I just say that the The Edge of Everything has been one of my most unique reads this year! The cover alone already looks cool. It has little people in it whom I assume are the characters (too cute) and the corner has “ONE MORE SOUL” printed in it. But what’s better is how I didn’t expect to enjoy the story this much. There’s something about the narrative that is so addictive to read. It’s a bit whimisical, sarcastic, funny and mystical. I couldn’t help but get transfixed by the pages of the novel. The middle became a little slow but it did pick up again towards the end.
I find the premise really brilliant even though the concept of hell has been exhausted in literature so many times now since the days of Mr. Alighieri. But this book offers a fresh and interesting take on the “inferno”. It’s downright imaginative, creative and honestly quite hilarious.
Maybe the only lame element of the novel is the sweeping, love-at-first-sight kind of romance but I don’t know, it didn’t really annoy me that much. I guess it is much needed for the plot to get going although I would have enjoyed it best if there were more time spent really exploring the “Lowlands”. Perhaps the second book will do just that.
The characters to me are really likable from Zoe, to Jonah, to their mom, even Zoe’s friends Dallas and Val and Zoe’s mom’s suitor, Rufus, and of course X and his friends Banger and Ripper. See how much impact the characters had on me? I remember all of their names. Even the vile, villainous lord Dervish, I remember because the characterization is simply spot on.
The irony of the story is very affecting and that twist, that “One More Soul” X must collect in order to gain his freedom, I kind of already knew that it was going to be that character and yet Mr. Jeff Giles was able to make the narrative buildup to that part very eventful . This book is a first to a duology but I’m thankful for its solid ending and at the same time, I’m still very much looking forward to the next installment.
I find the premise really brilliant even though the concept of hell has been exhausted in literature so many times now since the days of Mr. Alighieri. But this book offers a fresh and interesting take on the “inferno”. It’s downright imaginative, creative and honestly quite hilarious.
Maybe the only lame element of the novel is the sweeping, love-at-first-sight kind of romance but I don’t know, it didn’t really annoy me that much. I guess it is much needed for the plot to get going although I would have enjoyed it best if there were more time spent really exploring the “Lowlands”. Perhaps the second book will do just that.
The characters to me are really likable from Zoe, to Jonah, to their mom, even Zoe’s friends Dallas and Val and Zoe’s mom’s suitor, Rufus, and of course X and his friends Banger and Ripper. See how much impact the characters had on me? I remember all of their names. Even the vile, villainous lord Dervish, I remember because the characterization is simply spot on.
The irony of the story is very affecting and that twist, that “One More Soul” X must collect in order to gain his freedom, I kind of already knew that it was going to be that character and yet Mr. Jeff Giles was able to make the narrative buildup to that part very eventful . This book is a first to a duology but I’m thankful for its solid ending and at the same time, I’m still very much looking forward to the next installment.
February 10, 2017
What a very cool concept! Wholly original and incredibly interesting. I didn't know it was a series when I started but I'm really glad it is because i definitely want to know so much more about these characters and their worlds! Thanks to Bloomsbury for the review copy!! I got so invested in the end and there were some great twists and surprises. Can't wait to learn about about X and The Lowlands!
Full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 1/11/17: I was fortunate enough to read THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING incredibly early when Bloomsbury asked me to include a blurb for the ARC! (Eee!) it’s a weird thing to sit on a review for half a year but I knew I had to write some things down after reading, otherwise I’d never be able to form coherent thoughts when reviewing!
THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING was a really unique novel for me. If you’re looking for a feel, I’d thrown out EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton (the Underworld aspect) meets DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor (the forbidden romance). THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING is about Zoe, the quirky yet girl-next-door type who meets a bounty hunter from hell — literally. When Zoe meets X, her entire world is turned upside down in so many ways and it was incredibly interesting to see the ways that she and her family were affected by X’s appearance.
The book started off a little slow for me, but not in a bad way. X appears on the scene and Zoe can clearly see that he’s not quite human so after the first few chapters, the first half of the book is a lot more character development and set-up before it hits some of that world-building that I love. The delay in action really had me focused on the characters and their clear pull towards each other which was definitely important for some plot points down the road! It was also a bit slower, I think, because the concept took a bit of figuring out. This really wasn’t like many books I’ve read before so I was trying to place it into a genre (Fantasy? Paranormal? Mystery?) and figure out how everything really worked. My advice is to just let the book take you where it will and don’t try to put this one in a box! There are lots of elements at work and things came together really well in the second half of the book!
I was hoping for a bit more world-building regarding the Lowlands earlier on the book but I’m such a sucker for that kind of stuff that I was just dying to know what it was all about. It’s not quite Hell or the Underworld as we “know” it so I was so curious to explore the different rules and regulations, functionality, and why it was so important in Zoe’s story line. There was a lot to explore there and I was curious to investigate this dark side and how it maintained balance in the world. I will admit that I was hoping for a bit more in this book BUT there is still a lot to explore in upcoming novels which I’m pretty excited for!
I didn’t know this was a series when I started since I read it so early but I’m actually really glad it is! Once I really got into the book, I was so curious about really everything and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next! There’s so much more exploring that I want to do and I’m really excited to see where Jeff Giles takes his readers. I see so much potential for even more development and I can’t wait to see where this story goes!
Full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 1/11/17: I was fortunate enough to read THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING incredibly early when Bloomsbury asked me to include a blurb for the ARC! (Eee!) it’s a weird thing to sit on a review for half a year but I knew I had to write some things down after reading, otherwise I’d never be able to form coherent thoughts when reviewing!
THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING was a really unique novel for me. If you’re looking for a feel, I’d thrown out EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton (the Underworld aspect) meets DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor (the forbidden romance). THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING is about Zoe, the quirky yet girl-next-door type who meets a bounty hunter from hell — literally. When Zoe meets X, her entire world is turned upside down in so many ways and it was incredibly interesting to see the ways that she and her family were affected by X’s appearance.
The book started off a little slow for me, but not in a bad way. X appears on the scene and Zoe can clearly see that he’s not quite human so after the first few chapters, the first half of the book is a lot more character development and set-up before it hits some of that world-building that I love. The delay in action really had me focused on the characters and their clear pull towards each other which was definitely important for some plot points down the road! It was also a bit slower, I think, because the concept took a bit of figuring out. This really wasn’t like many books I’ve read before so I was trying to place it into a genre (Fantasy? Paranormal? Mystery?) and figure out how everything really worked. My advice is to just let the book take you where it will and don’t try to put this one in a box! There are lots of elements at work and things came together really well in the second half of the book!
I was hoping for a bit more world-building regarding the Lowlands earlier on the book but I’m such a sucker for that kind of stuff that I was just dying to know what it was all about. It’s not quite Hell or the Underworld as we “know” it so I was so curious to explore the different rules and regulations, functionality, and why it was so important in Zoe’s story line. There was a lot to explore there and I was curious to investigate this dark side and how it maintained balance in the world. I will admit that I was hoping for a bit more in this book BUT there is still a lot to explore in upcoming novels which I’m pretty excited for!
I didn’t know this was a series when I started since I read it so early but I’m actually really glad it is! Once I really got into the book, I was so curious about really everything and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next! There’s so much more exploring that I want to do and I’m really excited to see where Jeff Giles takes his readers. I see so much potential for even more development and I can’t wait to see where this story goes!
December 28, 2016
4.5 stars
I went into this completely blind and was pleasantly surprised.
I loved Zoe and X. They're both great characters and the scenes with them together were some of the best. I loved Zoe's brother, Jonah and her BFF, Val as well. There were a few quirky characters and some from X's side that I'm intentionally leaving out because they were fun to discover.
The plot is definitely intriguing. You are sort of thrown into what seems to be the middle of the story, but it levels out quickly. And even though it didn't feel like anything was really explained, it somehow worked. My main complaint {and reason it's not 5 stars} is that I was irritated with the ending and wanted something more.
Overall, I was captivated right from the beginning and hope hope hope there will be more to this book.
**Huge thanks to Bloomsbury for providing the arc free of charge**
I went into this completely blind and was pleasantly surprised.
I loved Zoe and X. They're both great characters and the scenes with them together were some of the best. I loved Zoe's brother, Jonah and her BFF, Val as well. There were a few quirky characters and some from X's side that I'm intentionally leaving out because they were fun to discover.
The plot is definitely intriguing. You are sort of thrown into what seems to be the middle of the story, but it levels out quickly. And even though it didn't feel like anything was really explained, it somehow worked. My main complaint {and reason it's not 5 stars} is that I was irritated with the ending and wanted something more.
Overall, I was captivated right from the beginning and hope hope hope there will be more to this book.
**Huge thanks to Bloomsbury for providing the arc free of charge**
February 7, 2017
This was a cool novel. It had some romance, fantasy, mystery and action elements which all came together to weave an interesting and entertaining story. Pair that story with enjoyable writing and a decent pace and you have yourself a good book. The only real negative thing I have to say about this book was that it was a bit too predictable and I wish it didn't go with the obvious options.
I didn't really know what to expect before I read this book but the description really intrigued me. More than anything, I just hoped that the romance wouldn't be the only thing happening in this book and fortunately, it wasn't. This wasn't just about a normal girl falling in love with a hot, mysterious bounty hunter from hell, it was two people with two completely different lives meeting at chance and falling in love but then their worlds and lives become intertwined in unexpected ways. Was it insta-love? Perhaps but I didn't hate it, mainly because they did have some kind of a connection. At the start I felt like the dialogue between Zoe & X was so off but gradually it got better. The rest of the dialogue between the characters was perfect.
Overall, I liked the characters and how they were done. Zoe was really likeable at the start but then I kind of started disliking her and her irrational behaviour. Then again, she is young so it's understandable. I liked X. I think it was a good idea to make some of the chapters in his perspective because not only did it give an insight into his history and the Lowlands but it also allowed the readers to get to know him and he was a good character who offered up something to the novel. The rest of the characters were a bit one-dimensional. I wanted to get to know them more, especially Zoe's best friend and Zoe's mother. I thought the friendship between Zoe and her best friend was extremely well done but I wanted more.
I liked the writing. It wasn't profound or complicated, it was just nice and easy to read. The pacing was a little slow in some places but overall it was good and I didn't feel like it was dragged out at all. I expect there will be a second book so that we can get more answers and see where the story goes and I would definitely read that.
I do recommend this book to everyone, I expect this book will be a popular book in 2017 and I would read something else by Jeff Giles.
*I received an ARC from the publishers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Zoe tried to push that thought down, too. But the box at the back of her brain could only hold so much, and everything began seeping out."
"Silence, her mother liked to say, could heal you or it could make you crazy. It all depended on how you listened to it."
"He was so unused to talking that forming even the simplest sentence felt like building a wall. Every word was a stone he had to weigh in his hands."
"She felt disconnected from the world, like she was floating in space without a tether."
"When he fell into the cave, it was like he’d pulled all of them down with him."
"Love felt like a blanket someone was bound to yank away. The warmer he got now, the colder he would be later."
I didn't really know what to expect before I read this book but the description really intrigued me. More than anything, I just hoped that the romance wouldn't be the only thing happening in this book and fortunately, it wasn't. This wasn't just about a normal girl falling in love with a hot, mysterious bounty hunter from hell, it was two people with two completely different lives meeting at chance and falling in love but then their worlds and lives become intertwined in unexpected ways. Was it insta-love? Perhaps but I didn't hate it, mainly because they did have some kind of a connection. At the start I felt like the dialogue between Zoe & X was so off but gradually it got better. The rest of the dialogue between the characters was perfect.
Overall, I liked the characters and how they were done. Zoe was really likeable at the start but then I kind of started disliking her and her irrational behaviour. Then again, she is young so it's understandable. I liked X. I think it was a good idea to make some of the chapters in his perspective because not only did it give an insight into his history and the Lowlands but it also allowed the readers to get to know him and he was a good character who offered up something to the novel. The rest of the characters were a bit one-dimensional. I wanted to get to know them more, especially Zoe's best friend and Zoe's mother. I thought the friendship between Zoe and her best friend was extremely well done but I wanted more.
I liked the writing. It wasn't profound or complicated, it was just nice and easy to read. The pacing was a little slow in some places but overall it was good and I didn't feel like it was dragged out at all. I expect there will be a second book so that we can get more answers and see where the story goes and I would definitely read that.
I do recommend this book to everyone, I expect this book will be a popular book in 2017 and I would read something else by Jeff Giles.
*I received an ARC from the publishers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Zoe tried to push that thought down, too. But the box at the back of her brain could only hold so much, and everything began seeping out."
"Silence, her mother liked to say, could heal you or it could make you crazy. It all depended on how you listened to it."
"He was so unused to talking that forming even the simplest sentence felt like building a wall. Every word was a stone he had to weigh in his hands."
"She felt disconnected from the world, like she was floating in space without a tether."
"When he fell into the cave, it was like he’d pulled all of them down with him."
"Love felt like a blanket someone was bound to yank away. The warmer he got now, the colder he would be later."
June 15, 2016
Zoe Bissell has just been through hell - the sudden, mysterious death of her father along with the heinous murders of her beloved neighbors. When a dangerous stranger threatens both Zoe and her brother in the middle of a fierce snowstorm, help appears in the form of a hot, bounty hunter from the bowels of hell itself. The attraction between Zoe and X is immediate. What unfolds is one wild ride of a story as Zoe works through her grief over her father while falling in love with her supernatural boyfriend.
Simply put - Jeff Giles is a superb storyteller. The Edge of Everything has...well, everything: unique premise, brilliant descriptions, emotion, pacing and vivid characters. Giles especially shines at giving us some of the best, most kick-ass female characters I've ever come across. I don't remember one woman in this book who appeared stereotypical or trope-like. Zoe, Mom, Ripper and Val - all strong and smart and self-reliant. A surprising aspect of this book was the incredibly sharp, sarcastic, laugh-out-loud humor - despite some dark topics. There are so many lines and dialogue exchanges that are bleeping hysterical. But the one thing that really sets this book apart is Giles' stunning writing - it is smooth, elegant and effortless and an absolute joy to read.
You will love this book for many reasons! DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!! IT'S GOING TO BE HUGE! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
Simply put - Jeff Giles is a superb storyteller. The Edge of Everything has...well, everything: unique premise, brilliant descriptions, emotion, pacing and vivid characters. Giles especially shines at giving us some of the best, most kick-ass female characters I've ever come across. I don't remember one woman in this book who appeared stereotypical or trope-like. Zoe, Mom, Ripper and Val - all strong and smart and self-reliant. A surprising aspect of this book was the incredibly sharp, sarcastic, laugh-out-loud humor - despite some dark topics. There are so many lines and dialogue exchanges that are bleeping hysterical. But the one thing that really sets this book apart is Giles' stunning writing - it is smooth, elegant and effortless and an absolute joy to read.
You will love this book for many reasons! DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!! IT'S GOING TO BE HUGE! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
July 7, 2016
The edge is a place where you fall.
And those who have fallen--both literally and spiritually--are a primary focus of this intense, cinematic, wildly original novel.
With true, tangible characters you can't help but care about, and a plot that twists together taut suspense and surprising humor with romance and sweeping dark fantasy, this book succeeds on every level. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel--it all seems so real and so effortless. The pace was breakneck fast, and kept me reading all night till I hit the end. (Sequel, please!)
I fell really hard for THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING.
You will, too.
So, if you're teetering over your decision on this one...consider yourself pushed.
And those who have fallen--both literally and spiritually--are a primary focus of this intense, cinematic, wildly original novel.
With true, tangible characters you can't help but care about, and a plot that twists together taut suspense and surprising humor with romance and sweeping dark fantasy, this book succeeds on every level. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel--it all seems so real and so effortless. The pace was breakneck fast, and kept me reading all night till I hit the end. (Sequel, please!)
I fell really hard for THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING.
You will, too.
So, if you're teetering over your decision on this one...consider yourself pushed.
February 11, 2017
Like, seriously, this is sooo totally, frigging awesome. There are, like, so many stereotypes jammed into the first 100 pages (did not read past 102) that, like, are totally fetch! Oh, wait, Regina’s telling me to not make fetch happen – it’s not gonna happen. Oh, teens don’t talk like this? Texting and speaking are two different things? Oooohhhhh…..insert shit emoji.
I can understand if “bae” was being used in this teeny-pop drivel, but "dawg"? Really? Okay, here are the stereotypes and painfully flat characters:
The annoying bestfriend:
“And he’s so hot I can’t even,” she [Zoe] said.
“You can’t even?” said Val.
“I can’t even begin to even,” said Zoe. “Ask me about his shoulders. Ask me about his arms. I mean it – pick a body part!”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” said Val. “Just because I think heterosexual sex is gross and immoral doesn’t mean I don’t understand what a hot guy is.”
Zoe laughed. “It’s immoral now, too,” she said.
“Hello, overpopulation! Hello, world poverty!” Val said. “But I’m trying to be open-minded. Say more about the alien.”
Now imagine the shitstorm if that one word was changed to homosexual. Not so funny now, is it, Zoe?
The “other” guy who is a total dumbass (and who acts like a perpetual pothead):
He was a good guy. He was muscly and dimply in a baseball-player kind of way – cute, but not exactly Zoe’s type. Also, he had a tattoo that used to kill the mood whenever he took his shirt off. He’d apparently gone back and forth between Never Stop! and Don’t Ever Stop!, and the tattoo artist had gotten confused and the tat wound up reading, Never Don’t Stop! Dallas, being Dallas, loved it and high-fived the guy on the spot.
Except for the shitty tattoo guy, I hold out hope that this is what would have happened if he had tried to high-five someone who isn't a lamebrain:
Zoe texted him back in Dallas-speak: I’m solid, dawg! Thx for checking. You rock on the reg. (Did I say that right?).
WHY? Why would you create two total morons like this?
The brother who serves no purpose (other than to have the rugrat be in harm’s way so we can see how heroic the main character is):
Zoe wasn’t thrilled to be in charge. It was partly because Jonah was a spaz, though she was not allowed to call him that…
Right. Nice word to refer to your brother, who has ADHD. But I suppose it’s because she tries to be funny on every page, spewing sarcasm and sass, that it somehow makes her jump off the page as a well-rounded, super-interesting, complex character? Err, no.
The best friend mother (who cannot “parent” for the life of her):
Dear Lord, the woman has no parenting skills whatsoever. She treats Zoe like her best friend and ONLY her best friend. Even X has to step in at one point to take the motherly/fatherly/parenting-ly role.
So the police are there, it’s a serious case, and the mum says stuff such as you are pissing me off and “This is totally unacceptable,” she told Baldino. “You’re harassing a girl who’s talking to you of her own free will. You think because I do yoga, I can’t find a lawyer who will kick your ass?”
Aw, did your precious snowflake daughter melt upon police questioning? Aw, diddums. And why the fuck is she talking like a teen?
And we get more adults, in this case a 27-year-old (who will literally always be 27), talking like a teenager:
“Or what?” said Banger. “You gonna hit me? Oh, that’s right: you can’t. Because your job suuucks. Do you even get health care? You obviously don’t get dental.”
Sigh. He’s in a prison cell in hell…at least I think it’s so, but I have no idea now. This is hell to me.
“Bad dream, dude?” he [Banger] said. “Heard you freaking out.” "Dude", you’re 27!
“Jeez,” said Banger. “Way to be a dick.” Way to be a grown-ass man talking like a little prick.
But we do find a character that sees through this bullshit:
Baldino shook his head and said, quietly for once and to no one in particular, “These people are not normal.”
“First of all,” her mother told her, “I would never tell you to shut up, because those are uncool words.”
Please. Please can we have someone acting and speaking like they’re not twelve?
“Stop it, Mom,” said Zoe.
“Do not censor your mother on my account,” said X. “This is her home. She has shown me nothing but kindness.”
“Thank you, X, “said Zoe’s mother.
Do not? Surely, when addressing this princess, you should use “please do not” or “It would be kind of you not to” since her own mother failed to grow a backbone.
And she supposedly tells her mum everything, yet when asked what happened, she strangely misses out the story about the dead people? Witnessing it (albeit not first-hand) really has not affected her in the slightest? The girl may as well team up with Stan the Man and go on an epic hunting spree. Speaking of…
Mwahhaha killer; AKA Stan the Man:
Yes, a middle-aged man also talks like a prepubescent boy. He calls himself Stan the Man!
He talks like this: “I came here lookin’ for money, but apparently I gotta kick a little doggy ass first.” And no, he really isn’t speaking on the phone to a girl from babestation. He also says motherfreakin’…A middle age man says this? He had no problem using “shit” numerous times – mostly with “chickenshit.”
It’s also important to know that he ran over a dog that didn’t die. Zoe didn't die either, even though she sweated profusely in the blistering cold and started to go crazy. Neither did the little boy who lay unconscious in the snow.
“Hey there, little guy, I’m Stan the Man,” he said.
And then, as if this guy doesn’t sound crazy enough, what does this dumb bitch do? She shouts: “DO NOT TALK TO MY BROTHER, YOU PSYCHOTIC DICK!” Ah, yes. Just scream at the guy and hope he doesn’t kill you right there and then, you little twerp.
And she gets even dumber.
Zoe couldn’t help it; she took a photo to put on Instagram later.
1) Why take a photo of a magical man on a lake, especially doing crazy shit which you’d have to explain later?
2) You say you were going to put it on Insta later. It is never mentioned that you did upload it – and why would you? What on earth was spiralling around that chicken-shit brain of yours?
3) The police officer just happens to have a daughter a year older/younger than you. And, because the stereotype is that police sit around eating donuts all day, he has time to stalk (or follow – which is worse) his daughter on Insta to find that she just happened to comment on the picture of the "superhot" guy. And what did she comment? YASSSS.
So, Zoe witnessed a killing of a couple and everything is hunky-dory after that. No mental scars. No, shit, that image, those screams, damn…Nope. Just pretty much an “I don’t give a shit about those irrelevant characters.” They served no purpose other than to make Stan the Man look like a bad person; he isn’t. He didn’t even try to kill Zoe, her brother, her mother, and all the other punch-worthy characters.
Because the story has a hero-complex. There are many references to heroes in the first 100 pages.
Stan the Man really is the man. He says what we’re thinking:
Zoe heard Stan’s voice spreading like dye in her brain: “You barely knew who he was. And then he died in some goddamn cave? And nobody even bothered to go get his body? What the hell kind of people are you?”
THANK YOU, Stan! And dead bodies have been retrieved in some very difficult places, so why did the police not bother getting the body out? Gets in the way of the plot? I assume there is a reason as to why they did not want to retrieve the body, other than the "too dangerous" excuse, but still. Everyone goes shouting out to the papers now. They could have easily gotten other people involved. Plus they give up too easily and bleat, It’s a filter, it must be a filter, there really can’t be anything more sinister going on here even though I’m well aware that two people have died and the main lead to this case is a suspicious-looking brat...
By the way, get used to seeing similes everywhere!
The “romance”:
It happens all in the first 100 pages. They even admit that they trust each other. Here are some quotes:
Why wasn’t X chasing him, Zoe wondered. Why was he doing what she wanted? Why would he care what she wanted?
Err, I dunno. Beats me. You have a vagina? He’s a straight man. Boom. I now pronounce you Lustful X and Lustful Y. You may continue piling on the cheese.
“Who are you? What are you?” said Zoe, after an agonizing silence. She paused, and laughed to herself. “Do you skateboard?”
Hargh. Hargh. Hargh. We’re all laughing here, I promise.
Her excuse is “Sorry, I have a blurting problem.” Oh fuck off already.
And then right after:
“Zoe,” said X, wondering if had the energy to speak the words swarming in his head. You must abandon me. I am not like you. You have seen what I am capable of – and creatures even more dangerous will come after me soon. They will demand that I recapture [name], and they will destroy anyone whose shadow falls across their path. Zoe, truly, I can offer you nothing but peril.”
DUN, DUN, DUUUUUUNNNN! Where have we read this before?
“Are you bailing on us?” she [Zoe] said.
“Bailing?” said X.
“Leaving. Are you leaving?”
“No, I assure you I am not.”
Zoe seemed not to believe him.
“Because enough people have left us already,” she said. “And Jonah likes you.”
What? None of you know anything about this guy! I can understand the kid liking him, but come on!
“I told you because I trust you.”
“And I you,” said X. “Yet still I stand here, dumb as a stump.”
A match made in Heaven, then!
After they nurse him back to health, they write questions on bits of paper, put them in a hat, and make him pluck them out and answer them. Yeah…or you could, you know, just ask him the question? Which they have to do anyway, since he can’t read…
Every single character in this book talks and acts like a stereotypical teen. Even this Rufus guy, who's some other adult, says “Carving ice is epic, man” he said. “It’s a rad, rad journey.”
She also calls her dog “girlfriend” which I’m a little worried about...
So yeah, unrealistic dialogue. Flat characters. Dodgy villain(s). Boring romance. Utterly devoid of any complexity…Shocking.
I can understand if “bae” was being used in this teeny-pop drivel, but "dawg"? Really? Okay, here are the stereotypes and painfully flat characters:
The annoying bestfriend:
“And he’s so hot I can’t even,” she [Zoe] said.
“You can’t even?” said Val.
“I can’t even begin to even,” said Zoe. “Ask me about his shoulders. Ask me about his arms. I mean it – pick a body part!”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” said Val. “Just because I think heterosexual sex is gross and immoral doesn’t mean I don’t understand what a hot guy is.”
Zoe laughed. “It’s immoral now, too,” she said.
“Hello, overpopulation! Hello, world poverty!” Val said. “But I’m trying to be open-minded. Say more about the alien.”
Now imagine the shitstorm if that one word was changed to homosexual. Not so funny now, is it, Zoe?
The “other” guy who is a total dumbass (and who acts like a perpetual pothead):
He was a good guy. He was muscly and dimply in a baseball-player kind of way – cute, but not exactly Zoe’s type. Also, he had a tattoo that used to kill the mood whenever he took his shirt off. He’d apparently gone back and forth between Never Stop! and Don’t Ever Stop!, and the tattoo artist had gotten confused and the tat wound up reading, Never Don’t Stop! Dallas, being Dallas, loved it and high-fived the guy on the spot.
Except for the shitty tattoo guy, I hold out hope that this is what would have happened if he had tried to high-five someone who isn't a lamebrain:
Zoe texted him back in Dallas-speak: I’m solid, dawg! Thx for checking. You rock on the reg. (Did I say that right?).
WHY? Why would you create two total morons like this?
The brother who serves no purpose (other than to have the rugrat be in harm’s way so we can see how heroic the main character is):
Zoe wasn’t thrilled to be in charge. It was partly because Jonah was a spaz, though she was not allowed to call him that…
Right. Nice word to refer to your brother, who has ADHD. But I suppose it’s because she tries to be funny on every page, spewing sarcasm and sass, that it somehow makes her jump off the page as a well-rounded, super-interesting, complex character? Err, no.
The best friend mother (who cannot “parent” for the life of her):
Dear Lord, the woman has no parenting skills whatsoever. She treats Zoe like her best friend and ONLY her best friend. Even X has to step in at one point to take the motherly/fatherly/parenting-ly role.
So the police are there, it’s a serious case, and the mum says stuff such as you are pissing me off and “This is totally unacceptable,” she told Baldino. “You’re harassing a girl who’s talking to you of her own free will. You think because I do yoga, I can’t find a lawyer who will kick your ass?”
Aw, did your precious snowflake daughter melt upon police questioning? Aw, diddums. And why the fuck is she talking like a teen?
And we get more adults, in this case a 27-year-old (who will literally always be 27), talking like a teenager:
“Or what?” said Banger. “You gonna hit me? Oh, that’s right: you can’t. Because your job suuucks. Do you even get health care? You obviously don’t get dental.”
Sigh. He’s in a prison cell in hell…at least I think it’s so, but I have no idea now. This is hell to me.
“Bad dream, dude?” he [Banger] said. “Heard you freaking out.” "Dude", you’re 27!
“Jeez,” said Banger. “Way to be a dick.” Way to be a grown-ass man talking like a little prick.
But we do find a character that sees through this bullshit:
Baldino shook his head and said, quietly for once and to no one in particular, “These people are not normal.”
“First of all,” her mother told her, “I would never tell you to shut up, because those are uncool words.”
Please. Please can we have someone acting and speaking like they’re not twelve?
“Stop it, Mom,” said Zoe.
“Do not censor your mother on my account,” said X. “This is her home. She has shown me nothing but kindness.”
“Thank you, X, “said Zoe’s mother.
Do not? Surely, when addressing this princess, you should use “please do not” or “It would be kind of you not to” since her own mother failed to grow a backbone.
And she supposedly tells her mum everything, yet when asked what happened, she strangely misses out the story about the dead people? Witnessing it (albeit not first-hand) really has not affected her in the slightest? The girl may as well team up with Stan the Man and go on an epic hunting spree. Speaking of…
Mwahhaha killer; AKA Stan the Man:
Yes, a middle-aged man also talks like a prepubescent boy. He calls himself Stan the Man!
He talks like this: “I came here lookin’ for money, but apparently I gotta kick a little doggy ass first.” And no, he really isn’t speaking on the phone to a girl from babestation. He also says motherfreakin’…A middle age man says this? He had no problem using “shit” numerous times – mostly with “chickenshit.”
It’s also important to know that he ran over a dog that didn’t die. Zoe didn't die either, even though she sweated profusely in the blistering cold and started to go crazy. Neither did the little boy who lay unconscious in the snow.
“Hey there, little guy, I’m Stan the Man,” he said.
And then, as if this guy doesn’t sound crazy enough, what does this dumb bitch do? She shouts: “DO NOT TALK TO MY BROTHER, YOU PSYCHOTIC DICK!” Ah, yes. Just scream at the guy and hope he doesn’t kill you right there and then, you little twerp.
And she gets even dumber.
Zoe couldn’t help it; she took a photo to put on Instagram later.
1) Why take a photo of a magical man on a lake, especially doing crazy shit which you’d have to explain later?
2) You say you were going to put it on Insta later. It is never mentioned that you did upload it – and why would you? What on earth was spiralling around that chicken-shit brain of yours?
3) The police officer just happens to have a daughter a year older/younger than you. And, because the stereotype is that police sit around eating donuts all day, he has time to stalk (or follow – which is worse) his daughter on Insta to find that she just happened to comment on the picture of the "superhot" guy. And what did she comment? YASSSS.
So, Zoe witnessed a killing of a couple and everything is hunky-dory after that. No mental scars. No, shit, that image, those screams, damn…Nope. Just pretty much an “I don’t give a shit about those irrelevant characters.” They served no purpose other than to make Stan the Man look like a bad person; he isn’t. He didn’t even try to kill Zoe, her brother, her mother, and all the other punch-worthy characters.
Because the story has a hero-complex. There are many references to heroes in the first 100 pages.
Stan the Man really is the man. He says what we’re thinking:
Zoe heard Stan’s voice spreading like dye in her brain: “You barely knew who he was. And then he died in some goddamn cave? And nobody even bothered to go get his body? What the hell kind of people are you?”
THANK YOU, Stan! And dead bodies have been retrieved in some very difficult places, so why did the police not bother getting the body out? Gets in the way of the plot? I assume there is a reason as to why they did not want to retrieve the body, other than the "too dangerous" excuse, but still. Everyone goes shouting out to the papers now. They could have easily gotten other people involved. Plus they give up too easily and bleat, It’s a filter, it must be a filter, there really can’t be anything more sinister going on here even though I’m well aware that two people have died and the main lead to this case is a suspicious-looking brat...
By the way, get used to seeing similes everywhere!
The “romance”:
It happens all in the first 100 pages. They even admit that they trust each other. Here are some quotes:
Why wasn’t X chasing him, Zoe wondered. Why was he doing what she wanted? Why would he care what she wanted?
Err, I dunno. Beats me. You have a vagina? He’s a straight man. Boom. I now pronounce you Lustful X and Lustful Y. You may continue piling on the cheese.
“Who are you? What are you?” said Zoe, after an agonizing silence. She paused, and laughed to herself. “Do you skateboard?”
Hargh. Hargh. Hargh. We’re all laughing here, I promise.
Her excuse is “Sorry, I have a blurting problem.” Oh fuck off already.
And then right after:
“Zoe,” said X, wondering if had the energy to speak the words swarming in his head. You must abandon me. I am not like you. You have seen what I am capable of – and creatures even more dangerous will come after me soon. They will demand that I recapture [name], and they will destroy anyone whose shadow falls across their path. Zoe, truly, I can offer you nothing but peril.”
DUN, DUN, DUUUUUUNNNN! Where have we read this before?
“Are you bailing on us?” she [Zoe] said.
“Bailing?” said X.
“Leaving. Are you leaving?”
“No, I assure you I am not.”
Zoe seemed not to believe him.
“Because enough people have left us already,” she said. “And Jonah likes you.”
What? None of you know anything about this guy! I can understand the kid liking him, but come on!
“I told you because I trust you.”
“And I you,” said X. “Yet still I stand here, dumb as a stump.”
A match made in Heaven, then!
After they nurse him back to health, they write questions on bits of paper, put them in a hat, and make him pluck them out and answer them. Yeah…or you could, you know, just ask him the question? Which they have to do anyway, since he can’t read…
Every single character in this book talks and acts like a stereotypical teen. Even this Rufus guy, who's some other adult, says “Carving ice is epic, man” he said. “It’s a rad, rad journey.”
She also calls her dog “girlfriend” which I’m a little worried about...
So yeah, unrealistic dialogue. Flat characters. Dodgy villain(s). Boring romance. Utterly devoid of any complexity…Shocking.
May 30, 2016
Jeff Giles' THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING has been getting a lot of early buzz--and for good reason. The book is fast-paced, thrilling, but more than that, the characters are achingly real.
The story starts with a bang in the middle of a Montana winter: Zoe has gone in search of her missing brother, only to find something more terrifying even than the blizzard--a sick-minded, dangerous man. (Seriously, my pulse still skyrockets just thinking about those opening scenes). On the plus side, this encounter also leads her to X, a bounty-hunter from a place called the Lowlands, who's been sent to harvest the stranger's soul.
Zoe and X come from very different worlds, but they can't seem to forget each other, even as their involvement endangers both of them and the things they love. Part love-story, part thriller, this book is a terrific read. But I have to admit that my favorite part wasn't the love story or the gripping plot, but the lovely, deftly-drawn relationship between Zoe and her little brother.
The story starts with a bang in the middle of a Montana winter: Zoe has gone in search of her missing brother, only to find something more terrifying even than the blizzard--a sick-minded, dangerous man. (Seriously, my pulse still skyrockets just thinking about those opening scenes). On the plus side, this encounter also leads her to X, a bounty-hunter from a place called the Lowlands, who's been sent to harvest the stranger's soul.
Zoe and X come from very different worlds, but they can't seem to forget each other, even as their involvement endangers both of them and the things they love. Part love-story, part thriller, this book is a terrific read. But I have to admit that my favorite part wasn't the love story or the gripping plot, but the lovely, deftly-drawn relationship between Zoe and her little brother.
November 2, 2017
why X and Zoe falls in love? It does not say in the book. Because of lacking explanation on this question, I can not sympathize with two of them. My heart can not cry, break or feel their love. This book is actually have a lot of promises. But lacking on the main ingredient.
May 21, 2016
This is one of those books you can't stop reading once you pick it up. There's so many things I loved about THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING and I'll list a few here: Dogs named after Star Trek characters, Montana, ice fishing, crazy prisoners you can't help but love, caving, lots and lots of snow, and of course, the characters! I loved every single character in this book (except maybe that one from VA). They each had unique and outstanding personalities that made them stick with me even after I finished reading. Jeff Giles sure has a way with words and you won't want to miss this one!
June 7, 2017
The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles is the first book in a new YA urban fantasy series about a girl and her paranormal love interest. We've all heard that one before, amiright? Giles, however, puts an interesting twist on this age-old YA trope. The "paranormal lover" in this case is actually X, a bounty hunter from a hell called the Lowlands. Whenever he is summoned by the lords, he must hunt a person of evil doings on earth and drag them to the lowlands, where they must be imprisoned for all eternity and trained to be bounty hunters themselves.
This sounds intriguing enough. Unfortunately, I found this book to be quite cliched and dull, especially when X meets our main character, Zoe. The romance between them is very much an "insta-love" situation that I feel a lot of readers have moved past since YA books like Twilight grazed the market. I, for one, have always been turned off by those kinds of romances so this was not a welcome plot point.
Also, I felt Giles tried way too hard to write "hip" teen dialogue, to the point that I was cringing the whole time. The story does have potential and begins to create some interesting points, but it just never really explores those territories. If it had tried harder in this area, the story itself could have had some power behind it. In the end though, it fell flat for me and I won't be reading the second book.
OVERALL: 1.5 stars
This sounds intriguing enough. Unfortunately, I found this book to be quite cliched and dull, especially when X meets our main character, Zoe. The romance between them is very much an "insta-love" situation that I feel a lot of readers have moved past since YA books like Twilight grazed the market. I, for one, have always been turned off by those kinds of romances so this was not a welcome plot point.
Also, I felt Giles tried way too hard to write "hip" teen dialogue, to the point that I was cringing the whole time. The story does have potential and begins to create some interesting points, but it just never really explores those territories. If it had tried harder in this area, the story itself could have had some power behind it. In the end though, it fell flat for me and I won't be reading the second book.
OVERALL: 1.5 stars
May 23, 2016
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Jeff Giles' 2017 novel, THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING. I found myself thinking of it as a supernatural Romeo and Juliet. Scary and suspenseful, true-love thwarted; I found the plot twists unpredictable and totally believable. I was sucked into the worlds of Zoe and X, both the earth world and the dark Lowlands. Giles' superb sense of timing guides you through the mixture of teenage everyday life and the supernatural world that collides. I loved the shots of humor: the doofus ex-boyfriend who works for the fast food chain "House of Huns," the charming breakfast of French toast, chocolate cake, bacon and onion rings, X brings Zoe on his first trip to order take-out.
THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING has many strong capable female characters. I loved Zoe but I was particularly attached to Ripper, a murderer soul-hunter who died in 1832. The stories of the underworld and its rules juxtaposed with subtle commentary on straight boy/girl communication was particularly effective. The multi-layered good/bad characters reminded me of "The Night Circus" with its skilled writing and ambiguous moralities.
This book is coming out 2017. Look for it; it's going to be BIG.
THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING has many strong capable female characters. I loved Zoe but I was particularly attached to Ripper, a murderer soul-hunter who died in 1832. The stories of the underworld and its rules juxtaposed with subtle commentary on straight boy/girl communication was particularly effective. The multi-layered good/bad characters reminded me of "The Night Circus" with its skilled writing and ambiguous moralities.
This book is coming out 2017. Look for it; it's going to be BIG.
July 3, 2016
Well. I started this book late Friday night and that was it- I was a goner. From the first page I was sucked into the story of Zoe, her family, and the mysterious bounty hunter X. First: I am leaving this review purposefully vague. There is so much amazing world-building and plots twists and characters I've never seen before that were I to describe them to you, I would spoil the fun. What I will say is every character is believable and every twist so interesting, that you are forced to keep turning the page because you can't wait to see what happens! Fans of Michael Scott's The Alchemist will devour this, as will Neil Gaiman fans. The imagery is glorious and the action non- stop. I'm glad I've met Jeff Giles early in his novel writing career; he is going to be big and I am going to be a faithful reader of them all. Wonderful book!
September 8, 2016
The writing in this book is absolutely gorgeous. I wanted to eat so many of Giles' thoughtful, evocative lines with a spoon. Take the very first line, for example: "Zoe met X on a Sunday in February, when there was a storm on its way from Canada and the sky was so dark it looked like someone was closing a giant coffin lid over Montana."
The story is original and the relationship between the characters is pitch-perfect: my two very favorites were Zoe and her younger brother, and Zoe and her best friend, Val. The dialogue crackles and shines and each character has a developed, distinct voice; their own smattering of flaws; and endearing quirks, such as calling bedhead "hair salad."
Giles is an immensely talented writer and his lifelike characters--the way they themselves speak, and the way Giles' own words spark on the page--will stick with me for quite some time.
The story is original and the relationship between the characters is pitch-perfect: my two very favorites were Zoe and her younger brother, and Zoe and her best friend, Val. The dialogue crackles and shines and each character has a developed, distinct voice; their own smattering of flaws; and endearing quirks, such as calling bedhead "hair salad."
Giles is an immensely talented writer and his lifelike characters--the way they themselves speak, and the way Giles' own words spark on the page--will stick with me for quite some time.
August 3, 2016
From the opening pages, it's apparent that The Edge of Everything is something special. Its unique, otherworldly elements blend with a full, memorable cast to create a memorable and surprising debut. If you haven't yet, you're going to be seeing a lot of hype for this book. Expect comparisons to Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. Giles is a true talent with an exceptional knack for setting. I honestly didn't think anything could make me crave winter, but even as TEoE depicts the season's most brutal moments, I legitimately wanted to visit Zoey's blizzard-ridden hometown. While the second half of the book gives us a good look into the horrifying and intriguing Lowlands, I'm still eager for another look. Truly can't wait for book 2. This isn't one you want to miss.
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