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caitisbooked's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This story follows the life of Maddy, who is apart of the homeless community within San Francisco. She knows how to live – where to eat, where to sleep, where to shower, and most importantly, how to avoid the police. However, one day she witnesses the murder of a young man when chasing after her dog, and her world is changed for the worst. She has to face the killer, the police and the young man’s parents who want to know what happened to their son and how he came to be in the park. However, this ends up with Maddy being reunited with her lost family by the young man’s parents. This puts the question into Maddy’s thoughts about who her true family is.
This book was powerful from the beginning, but then began to lose some power for me as the story went on. In saying that, I did thoroughly enjoy this book a lot more than expected. I find mystery books to either be hit or miss for me. I truly couldn’t put the book down for over the first half of the book. I wanted to find out more about Maddy and her backstory, along with Ash and Fleet, and the other characters that were within the homeless community. It is definitely not an easy read, due to certain actions that the characters fulfil, that make you constantly be questioning them, but I also loved that aspect
The way that Seligman thrusts you into a world that not many people, myself included, would know not a lot about. This was definitely an eye opening reading experience, especially around that not all that live on the streets want to be saved from their current living situations, and trying to get them to live in a house, doesn’t always work for them best. I truly didn’t know what I was expecting, but this was everything and more. You can definitely tell that Seligman has done her research into the homeless community, as I felt like Maddy was incredibly well rounded and explained character. However, I did feel like Maddy’s character was the only one to be fully explored and explained under the superficial level. I wanted a further dive into Ash’s character and his backstory, along with Fleet as well.
I highly recommend this book to absolutely anyone and everyone due to the pure fact of pushing yourself out of your normal boundaries and reading and learning more about the homeless community, especially the fact that not everyone that lives on the streets wants to be saved.
Thank you very much to Algonquin Young Readers for providing me with a copy of this novel and allowing me to participate in the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Murder, Death, and Mental illness
Minor: Domestic abuse and Homophobia
aria_'s review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
At the Edge of the Haight is a fascinating book. It's very different from what I usually read, but I really enjoyed it.
What I loved the most in the book was the writing. Katherine Seligman uniquely brings to life the characters and tells the story in a concise yet descriptive way. There is nothing extra in the writing, nothing non-essential to the text. At the same time, the story itself is not difficult to understand, and the book pulls you through.
I was never bored reading this book, and it always kept my full attention. The book is about 20 year old Maddy, who is homeless and living in San Fransisco. One day, she comes across a boy who has been murdered and is there for the last moments of his life. Throughout the book, we get to know her friends who she lives with, and she ends up getting to know and spending time with Dave and Marva, the parents of the boy who was killed.
Maddy was a really interesting protagonist, and her story was very well thought out and developed. I loved reading about her past, and how we learned bits and pieces of her backstory, little by little throughout the book.
I thought that the author did a wonderful job creating a cast of characters who were all unique, and giving them life. Ash, Fleet, Hope, and Maddy were a great bunch, and Dave and Marva were very interesting as well.
I did want to know more about Dave and Marva though. They seemed to me as the characters with the least amount of information, with the least amount of depth, especially Marva, who didn't play as big a role in the story.
I definitely think that reading the book gave me more insight into what it would be like to be homeless and the book really sheds light on the struggles of homeless people that aren't often thought about. Whenever you see someone on the streets, your first thought isn't of their family or friends, but this book really dug into different scenarios, and what might be happening.
I think that At the Edge of the Haight is a very important book, and one that I recommend reading if this seems like a book you could enjoy.
Overall, it's an interesting book, with incredible writing, great characters, and a compelling plot.
What I loved the most in the book was the writing. Katherine Seligman uniquely brings to life the characters and tells the story in a concise yet descriptive way. There is nothing extra in the writing, nothing non-essential to the text. At the same time, the story itself is not difficult to understand, and the book pulls you through.
I was never bored reading this book, and it always kept my full attention. The book is about 20 year old Maddy, who is homeless and living in San Fransisco. One day, she comes across a boy who has been murdered and is there for the last moments of his life. Throughout the book, we get to know her friends who she lives with, and she ends up getting to know and spending time with Dave and Marva, the parents of the boy who was killed.
Maddy was a really interesting protagonist, and her story was very well thought out and developed. I loved reading about her past, and how we learned bits and pieces of her backstory, little by little throughout the book.
I thought that the author did a wonderful job creating a cast of characters who were all unique, and giving them life. Ash, Fleet, Hope, and Maddy were a great bunch, and Dave and Marva were very interesting as well.
I did want to know more about Dave and Marva though. They seemed to me as the characters with the least amount of information, with the least amount of depth, especially Marva, who didn't play as big a role in the story.
I definitely think that reading the book gave me more insight into what it would be like to be homeless and the book really sheds light on the struggles of homeless people that aren't often thought about. Whenever you see someone on the streets, your first thought isn't of their family or friends, but this book really dug into different scenarios, and what might be happening.
I think that At the Edge of the Haight is a very important book, and one that I recommend reading if this seems like a book you could enjoy.
Overall, it's an interesting book, with incredible writing, great characters, and a compelling plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Drug use
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Death
Minor: Homophobia
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