Rebecca Serle's winning writing style engages the reader in this tale of redemption. Although it might be considered a YA novel, there is enough adult depth in The Edge of Falling to make this a must read for Rebecca Serle fans. ( )

between 2.5 and 3 stars. this starts off with an epigraph that is my favorite quote from giovanni's room by james baldwin. so a very auspicious beginning.

it's well written (there are a few outstanding lines, even) and thoughtful about grief and guilt, self-blame and secrets, moving forward and friendship. it didn't go quite where i expected it to, and the fire scene that seemed more thriller - will astor hurt her? has he lured her there to kill her? - was too much and took away too much from the rest of the book, in its point and in its tone. it made it less thoughtful on grief and more about tension building, which seemed much more beside the point.

but in spite of that, this was still good, and overall well done. ( )

Grief effects everyone differently , there is no right or wrong way to grieve as long as you don't let it over power you. Caggs is grieving the loss of a loved one , holding a huge secret tight to her heart and not as close to her friends and loved ones as she used to be. She meets Astor a mentally disturbed young man who has one foot in the grave dreaming of the past and her life takes a dangerous spiral downward. Such an amazing book and I loved the ending! ( )

2.5
I wanted to read The Edge of Falling because I love a good contemporary and this has all of the ingredients Guilt over being on watch when her sister drowned, the saving of a suicide that's not all it seems, and a mysterious boy with a past that sounds dark. So, I was glad to grab it when it was available for review on Edelweiss.
I got right into the story, liking Caggie's voice and learning about the important things in her life. But can we talk about the nickname? Points for originality, but man, it rubbed me the wrong way. I just didn't like it maybe because I've never heard in real life or maybe because it is something I would never want to be called. But anyways, name rant over.
I really wanted to get to the bottom of the dynamics with her and Trevor. He seemed to still care so much and try to talk to her, so I suspected early on that it was because she had pushed him away while grieving for her sister, and that was something that he couldn't handle. Not that a teenage boy would necessarily know how to help or be there anyways, just not enough life experience I guess. I liked her memories of them dating and was rooting for him with the information I had, provided there wasn't some big twist where he was a jerk or did something with big consequences.
I didn't care much for Laila, Caggie's best friend. It seemed that Caggie never portrayed her in the best light and I didn't feel that sense of bonding and love that I usually get from best friends in high school.
I thought that this story would be more about the events of her sister drowning, and what happened on the roof, but there was a lot of mundane drama that sandwiched the events that got my attention in the synopsis, and it felt like, especially at first, it was a deli ultra thin slice of meat we were given about the traumatic events, and the emotions.
I connected with her some, but mostly Caggie was really detached. And trust me I get that in grieving or with depression that numbness and detachment are part of it, to keep us alive and going. But when I am reading, I need to be let under the surface a little more to connect before the character goes all detached.
What I did love was how Caggie came to life when her brother Peter was there. She laughed, teased and opened up, feeling like it was okay to feel how she does, and hope of working things out. But that was only a tiny slice again, and while I loved what I saw, I wanted more of the brother and sister dynamics.
The ending was more where it finally picked up, I understood Caggie more and the pieces came together.

Bottom Line: Great premise just a little short on execution on top of detached protagonist. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: The Edge of Falling is a heartwarming story about loss, guilt, and redemption. The beginning is really slow, but the ending more than makes up for it.

Opening Sentence: Most great works of literature have a hero at their core, but this story is an exception.

The Review:

It is the beginning of Mcalister Caulfield’s, or better known as Caggie, senior year of high school and things aren’t going how she planned. Nothing has been quite the same since her younger sister drowned while she was supposed to be watching her. The grief has eaten Caggie up inside and she has become a shell of who she once was. Her longtime boyfriend broke up with her and her parents don’t look at her the same anymore. Then a few months after the horrible incident with her sister, Caggie supposedly saves a fellow students life, but that’s not what really happened. Now everyone thinks she is a hero, but if they really knew the truth everyone would look at her differently and she just can’t handle that.

Lost in her pain and grief Caggie just continues to pull away from everyone until she meets the mysterious Astor. He is the new boy in school and he may be the only person that is able to understand how Caggie is really feeling. Astor has also experienced a devastating loss in his life and the pain he feels is a mirror image of how Caggie feels every day. But the more time Caggie spends with Astor the more she realizes she really doesn’t know him at all.

Caggie was a very interesting character that for the most part was very likeable. She is completely ridden with guilt for what happened to her sister and even though it really wasn’t her fault she can’t help but feel that it was. I really felt bad for Caggie and for the most part, I understood her. But she does make some terrible decisions and I found that to be a little bit annoying at times. She understandably has a somewhat negative attitude towards life, but the way she pushes everyone away was frustrating. With that all being said, I ended up really liking Caggie and found her story to be heartwarming and beautifully done.

The Edge of Falling is full of heartache, love, and grief. I’m not going to lie, the first half of this book was pretty boring and I actually contemplated not finishing it. But I decided to keep reading it and I am so glad I did because the second half of this book ended up being really good. While I found the plot to be pretty predictable, I felt that the message that Serle gives is one of hope and understanding, which really helped me to connect with the story. There is a lot of emotion expressed through the writing and I really thought that Serle did a wonderful job making me feel for the characters. Overall, I ended up really enjoying this book and would highly recommend it to anyone that is looking for a heartfelt story about grief and loss.

Notable Scene:

So I step forward. It only takes one step for Mr. Bar Man to come toward me. As he gets closer, I see that I’m right: He’s about my age, maybe a little bit older. He’s dressed well— tailored shirt, black pants—and he’s got dark, dark hair and eyes. Even inside, in this poorly lit music hall, it’s easy to spot that they’re so brown they’re almost black.

“Well,” he says when we’re within speaking distance. “This is a surprise. Nice to see you.” I frown. “Excuse me?”

He doesn’t answer, just keeps looking at me. It makes the back of my neck feel hot.

“Do we know each other?” I ask.

I cross my arms. He runs his tongue over his top lip. “We used to.”

I feel my heartbeat quicken. I hadn’t actually expected him to say yes. I thought he meant that he was surprised I came over. Or that I wasn’t Claire.

“You look perturbed,” he says.

I shake my head. “I don’t think we do.”

He takes a sip of his drink. Sets it down. Exhales. “We do.”

“Well, I have no idea who you are. No offense or anything.”

He smiles. “I wouldn’t expect you to. It was a long time ago. You’re Mcalister, right?”

More heart pounding. “Yes.”

“Of the Caulfields?”

Ah. Yes. “Do you know me, or have you just heard of me?”

FTC Advisory: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Edge of Falling. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )