Reviews with content warning for Drug use - On the Edge of Gone

ON THE EDGE OF GONE is tense and well-crafted. It hits the ground running by proclaiming that the characters are already under the particular sort of doom that accompanies setting off for a 45-minute drive with only 30 minutes to get there. Except their destination is a shelter to preserve their lives when the comet hits, and there’s no way they’ll make it in time. In fact, they don’t. Instead they take a chance and help some strangers who are just as late, but for a different shelter that offers a more immediately obtainable but ultimately precarious hope: that of exiting the planet on a generation ship. There’s a limited number of spots, Denise’s sister didn’t meet up with them before the comet, and her mom wasn’t able to get clean before things got bad.

The end of the world is never a great place to be, and this focuses on the concerns of someone who isn't obviously in a position to make big decisions or changes. She contributes in crucial ways, but none of them are from being some big damn hero, but just being a person who sees something needs doing and tries to take care of it as best she can.

The opening is one of the most viscerally stressful things I've read, while making me need to keep reading.

I instantly related to Denise because as a kid I had years of hearing "just 10 more minutes" from the person who was my ride somewhere. It instantly connected me to the character and made the rest of the stakes relatable in a way that leaving on time but having an obstacle afterwards simply would have missed, even though the eventual outcome would be the same.

Denise’s autism is inextricable from the story, shaping her reactions and how the other characters react to her. Hers is just one way that being autistic can appear and feel, and the descriptions of what she thinks versus what she can get herself to actually say contribute to the tension in the narrative. The plot is driven by social interactions, both in the attempts to navigate this newly-formed community aboard the docked ship and in interactions with scattered survivors foraging amongst the wreckage of the old world. Some misunderstandings come from allistic and autistic communication differences (especially early on when more of the characters are strangers), but it never felt like that gap was cheaply used.

Content Warnings

penofpossibilities's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The first half of this book is slow and stiff, plotwise. The side-characters are not as developed as I would have liked to see, but I liked their potential. I loved Denise, the main character- the autism rep is immaculate and spot on! You can tell this is an own-voices book. I adored the trans rep as well, and the sibling relationship was very well written. A lot of Denise's experiences are very relatable and it makes me happy and emotional to know that alot of people might feel less alone because of this book and this character :') <3.

Towards the end of the book, the pacing of the plot picks up as well, which was a relief and I'd dare say that this book is worth it for the last few chapters alone.
However, the majority of this book was rather on the boring side, and the storyline cliché enough that it could not intrigue me that much. I did like the writing style, allthough it might have been a bit too inconsitent in places (from plain to very flowery in a heartbeat..).

Overall I do recommend this, perhaps on audiobook 2x speed this would be better suited though (?)

Content Warnings

puttingwingsonwords's review

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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

plumpaperbacks's review

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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

autistic Dutch-Surinamese Black protagonist
bisexual trans Black side character
lesbian side character
Muslim side characters
Jewish side characters

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