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puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, Blood, and Gore
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Car accident, Racism, Transphobia, and Xenophobia
ramunepocky's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I really liked reading this book, it was very character driven and very much about them, especially Denise, whose perspective it was from. It was very refreshing to read a book centred around an autistic character, written by an autistic author, that depicts the reality and struggles of life with autism, especially in a world that has ended and more changes than it is possible to cope with. I admired Denise’s ability to cope, because I would have done a lot worse than she did. Autistic rep is so incredibly important to me, esp own voice autistic rep, and I forever need more!! I also love the fact that Denise is obsessed with cats and finds so much comfort in learning about them and their anatomy, and how much volunteering at the shelter before was a big part of her life. I liked the other characters too, and I liked how casually diverse it was; there were multiple BIPOC characters, Denise’s sister, Iris, was transgender, there was a married lesbian couple, and other background LGBT characters.
I liked how the ending was open ended, but hopeful!!
I probably would have given this book 5*, but the bit where all the cats had to be put down absolutely broke my heart and made me bawl like a little bitch so
I liked how the ending was open ended, but hopeful!!
I probably would have given this book 5*, but the bit where all the cats had to be put down absolutely broke my heart and made me bawl like a little bitch so
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Animal death
there’s a scene where they have to put down all the cats in the animal shelter that made me bawl like a lil bitchplumpaperbacks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was my introduction to Duyvis’ work, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. While the book’s concept was certainly intriguing, the execution, unfortunately, fell flat.
One positive is that the short chapters made this a very quick read despite the story’s rather slow pace. I also liked that it was set in Amsterdam and featured an autistic protagonist, as neither of those are elements I’ve seen in a science fiction book prior to this one.
Aside from those few things, though, I can’t think of much else I liked. The state of this futuristic world wasn’t entirely clear; I still don’t know what tabs are, or why some technology worked but not all. I’m also curious about what the world is like outside of the comet’s impact zone, as it’s never mentioned. Sure, it’s not truly important, but inquiring minds want to know.
Lastly, I found the last third of the book quite confusing. What was likely intended to be a conflict for the protagonist felt more like Duyvis going back and forth trying to decide how to end the story, and then ignoring those imperfections while editing. The very end was satisfying, I admit, but I wasn’t a fan of the path that led to it.
On the Edge of Gone wasn’t my cup of tea, but it might be yours. If you’re looking for more autism representation in non-contemporary novels, or a sci-fi that isn’t quite so focused on technology, I recommend this. Just don’t go in with super high expectations. Personally, I plan to read more from Duyvis, and hopefully will enjoy those stories much more.
Representation
One positive is that the short chapters made this a very quick read despite the story’s rather slow pace. I also liked that it was set in Amsterdam and featured an autistic protagonist, as neither of those are elements I’ve seen in a science fiction book prior to this one.
Aside from those few things, though, I can’t think of much else I liked. The state of this futuristic world wasn’t entirely clear; I still don’t know what tabs are, or why some technology worked but not all. I’m also curious about what the world is like outside of the comet’s impact zone, as it’s never mentioned. Sure, it’s not truly important, but inquiring minds want to know.
Lastly, I found the last third of the book quite confusing. What was likely intended to be a conflict for the protagonist felt more like Duyvis going back and forth trying to decide how to end the story, and then ignoring those imperfections while editing. The very end was satisfying, I admit, but I wasn’t a fan of the path that led to it.
On the Edge of Gone wasn’t my cup of tea, but it might be yours. If you’re looking for more autism representation in non-contemporary novels, or a sci-fi that isn’t quite so focused on technology, I recommend this. Just don’t go in with super high expectations. Personally, I plan to read more from Duyvis, and hopefully will enjoy those stories much more.
Representation
- autistic Dutch-Surinamese Black protagonist
- bisexual trans Black side character
- lesbian side character
- Muslim side characters
- Jewish side characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Death
Minor: Transphobia, Animal death, and Ableism
also includes a few instances of accidentally misgendering a trans character and graphic depictions of natural disasters
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