ARC Review: The Edge of Everything

About The Book:

  Title: The Edge of Everything 

  Author: Jeff Giles  
  Pub. Date: January 31st, 2017 
  Publisher: Bloomsbury USA 
  Pages: 368 

  Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal 

  Rate: 3.5/5 stars 

Synopsis :

It's been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who's still reeling from her father's shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors' mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods--only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.

X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe's evil attacker and others like him. Forbidden to reveal himself to anyone other than his victims, X casts aside the Lowlands' rules for Zoe. As X and Zoe learn more about their different worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future. But escaping the Lowlands and the ties that bind X might mean the ultimate sacrifice for both of them.

Review:

This book initially drew me to it not because of the stunning cover, which I know attracted a lot of my blogging friends, but because of the description. Any type of fiction involving hell interests me to no end so I really wanted to dive in and see what The Edge of Everything was all about. While there were some parts I didn't care for, as a debuting YA author, I am impressed with Mr. Giles ability to craft a beautiful paranormal world with some characters that I absolutely loved.

I'm going to start with my favorite thing - the characters. I loved the characters more than just about anything in the book. X was so unique (and hot) and I really felt for him and what he going through throughout this entire book. He also had fabulously flawed friends who live in the Lowlands with him - Ripper and Banger who would do anything for him. I quickly became obsessed with them and I know you will too. They have tragic backstories and sad futures but they really make The Edge of Everything so much better.

Now, I didn't really like the main character, Zoe. She was constantly walking this line between being brave and making really dumb decisions. It turns out that most of the time she would jump over to the dumb decision side when it really mattered. Besides that, she also lacked common sense. And don't get me wrong, I don't need a main character to be so perfect that they are insufferably unrealistic. But Zoe would just get on my nerves so much because she was SO annoying. She had no regard for people around her and didn't care if they got hurt. Then when they did she acted like it was the end of the world, like what did you expect?? Zoe's brother, Jonah, was the exact opposite of her. He cared about everyone and he was the cutest thing ever. Definitely on my list of favorite literary siblings.

“I did not know, when I laced it up on that last morning, that I was dressing for eternity."

The setting takes place in Montana and in the Lowlands. When it was in Montana, it was ok but I was in LOVE with the book when it took place in the Lowlands. The entire mood of the book seemed like it shifted when the setting moved there - it was darker, scarier, and I was more interested in what was happening. I also felt like the writing was much richer. Regrettably, I tended to be bored with the book when it wasn't in the Lowlands or when X wasn't involved.

The romance between Zoe and X was pretty decent. But, it wasn't my favorite thing about The Edge of Everything. I think that Mr. Giles did a better job of perfecting amazing friendships than making a relationship. The dynamic between X, Ripper, and Banger is utterly mesmerizing and I can't wait to learn more about their life there.

“Who cares about odds?" he said. 

"What were the odds that he'd ever meet somebody like you?"

So I ended up enjoying the majority of The Edge of Everything but I didn't love it. This apparently is a series - which I didn't know initially. It didn't really note that on the ARC or on Goodreads. I'm pretty happy that it is, though. Maybe the relationship between X and Zoe will flourish more than it did in this book. In The Edge of Everything, Mr. Giles crafted a dramatic storyline that will always have you wondering what is happening in the Lowlands. Are you excited for The Edge of Everything? Is this a book that you might put on your Christmas list?

- Jocelyn