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cactuspunk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Drug abuse
grosegreen's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this overall. I loved the main character - FINALLY an autistic character who is actually *called* autistic. She was relatable to me and felt authentically written.
The book was a real page turner and the end of every chapter left me immediately wanting to start the next.
I will say though that the ending felt a little rushed especially in terms of the main characters reasoning. It felt like a jolt after the slow build up. I also think some messages (e.g. the classism/racism involved in ship Vs shelter) could have been elaborated on and also tied off better.
I LOVED that diversity was throughout the book even in characters you only meet once. There is a variety of gender ID, religion, ability and ethnicity in a way that doesn't feel forced.
I will certainly be reading more science fiction as well as more from this Corinne :)
The book was a real page turner and the end of every chapter left me immediately wanting to start the next.
I will say though that the ending felt a little rushed especially in terms of the main characters reasoning. It felt like a jolt after the slow build up. I also think some messages (e.g. the classism/racism involved in ship Vs shelter) could have been elaborated on and also tied off better.
I LOVED that diversity was throughout the book even in characters you only meet once. There is a variety of gender ID, religion, ability and ethnicity in a way that doesn't feel forced.
I will certainly be reading more science fiction as well as more from this Corinne :)
blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I quite liked this YA dystopian/sci-fi novel set in a near-future Amsterdam. It's tense, atmospheric, and compelling. The story's gripping enough that I wanted to keep reading I cared about the main character and wanted to know what was going to happen to her and her family.
A book blogger (I REALLY wish I could remember which one!) mentioned ON THE EDGE OF GONE in a post, saying that she liked it because its depiction of autism is so spot-on. I'm not autistic nor do I live with anyone who is, but the portrayal of autism in the novel does feel very authentic to me (in my limited experience). It gave me insight and empathy into how those I know with autism see the world and cope with stimuli that is sometimes too much for them. Denise's desire to prove herself useful and worthy of saving, in spite of the fact that she's not like other people, makes her sympathetic. While her forthrightness can be off-putting, her constant efforts to fit in and help people understand her, even though it's a struggle, make her relatable. She may not be the warmest, fuzziest of heroines, but she's likable in her compassion, determination, and courage. As I said, I came to care about her and her desperate plight.
Like many novels of this kind, ON THE EDGE OF GONE asks important questions. In a life-or-death situation, who is worth saving? What determines someone's worth? Are those with health and behavioral challenges as valuable as those without? If you were blasting off into an unknown future on another planet, who would YOU want to be on board? And how does one make such judgments, especially when being left behind means almost certain death? Definitely some good food for thought that would make for interesting discussion in a book club.
A book blogger (I REALLY wish I could remember which one!) mentioned ON THE EDGE OF GONE in a post, saying that she liked it because its depiction of autism is so spot-on. I'm not autistic nor do I live with anyone who is, but the portrayal of autism in the novel does feel very authentic to me (in my limited experience). It gave me insight and empathy into how those I know with autism see the world and cope with stimuli that is sometimes too much for them. Denise's desire to prove herself useful and worthy of saving, in spite of the fact that she's not like other people, makes her sympathetic. While her forthrightness can be off-putting, her constant efforts to fit in and help people understand her, even though it's a struggle, make her relatable. She may not be the warmest, fuzziest of heroines, but she's likable in her compassion, determination, and courage. As I said, I came to care about her and her desperate plight.
Like many novels of this kind, ON THE EDGE OF GONE asks important questions. In a life-or-death situation, who is worth saving? What determines someone's worth? Are those with health and behavioral challenges as valuable as those without? If you were blasting off into an unknown future on another planet, who would YOU want to be on board? And how does one make such judgments, especially when being left behind means almost certain death? Definitely some good food for thought that would make for interesting discussion in a book club.
meganlee3001's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. The only issues I had were with the narrator of the audiobook, at times I felt it was extremely well done and at others coulr have been improved but over all it was good. There was a lot of diversity in this book, the main character was a girl, she was mixed race/black, autistic, her sister was transgender and her mother was a drug user. At first I felt that it was too much and it was over the top. Having had the chance to think it over and reflect, im grateful for the level of diversity. Diversity is not black and white, it doesn't present itself in just one or two issues, so I am grateful to this book for that education.
dearestdorian's review against another edition
3.0
The stakes kept dropping.
The most tension this book has is in the first chapter or so, when the main character, Denise, is trying to get her mother to leave their apartment so they can reach their shelter. A comet is coming, the Earth is about to be blasted, and her mother just won't hurry up.
After that, the tension just keeps dropping. The stakes are lower, becoming more personal for the protagonists but also less interesting. After a mad rush to find shelter, it becomes more mundane - "Can she get a decent job on the ship, and be allowed to stay?"
Between all the major events in this book, it could probably be retitled "Assholes Making Bad Decisions".
Denise is the only one who seems to have a bit of sense. She does her best, tries to guarantee safety for herself and her family by following the rules, getting shit done, and making herself indispensable. Other characters jeopardise everybody for personal gain. I know it's human nature to become selfish in a disaster, but it felt ridiculous at times. Even her own family put her at risk.
All that said, this book gets points for other things. It has the most diversity I've seen in a long time, and it's refreshing. Denise is autistic, part-Surinamese and part-Dutch, her sister Iris is trans, there are Jewish and Muslim characters, and Max is chubby.
Because I found this book average at best, along with Duyvis' previous book - [b:Otherbound|16081758|Otherbound|Corinne Duyvis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400621980s/16081758.jpg|21881127] - I may hesitate to pick up another work by this author.
The most tension this book has is in the first chapter or so, when the main character, Denise, is trying to get her mother to leave their apartment so they can reach their shelter. A comet is coming, the Earth is about to be blasted, and her mother just won't hurry up.
After that, the tension just keeps dropping. The stakes are lower, becoming more personal for the protagonists but also less interesting. After a mad rush to find shelter, it becomes more mundane - "Can she get a decent job on the ship, and be allowed to stay?"
Between all the major events in this book, it could probably be retitled "Assholes Making Bad Decisions".
Denise is the only one who seems to have a bit of sense. She does her best, tries to guarantee safety for herself and her family by following the rules, getting shit done, and making herself indispensable. Other characters jeopardise everybody for personal gain. I know it's human nature to become selfish in a disaster, but it felt ridiculous at times. Even her own family put her at risk.
All that said, this book gets points for other things. It has the most diversity I've seen in a long time, and it's refreshing. Denise is autistic, part-Surinamese and part-Dutch, her sister Iris is trans, there are Jewish and Muslim characters, and Max is chubby.
Because I found this book average at best, along with Duyvis' previous book - [b:Otherbound|16081758|Otherbound|Corinne Duyvis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400621980s/16081758.jpg|21881127] - I may hesitate to pick up another work by this author.
wendiwoo1's review against another edition
4.0
Nice to see neurodivergent characters taking up more space in literature.
zu_reviews's review against another edition
5.0
This was a good and hard book. It really hit me, it was immersive, I laughed, I cried, I raged!!! Reading a sci-fi dystopian after the craze a decade ago with a fresh perspective and ideas was nice. I like seeing what was done new with the genre.