Review: The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles

Publication: February 1st 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
Pages:  368 pages
Source: Bookmobile
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
My Rating: ⛤⛤

“Everything he knew about loveliness began and ended with her” (Giles 122).

Well this was one weird book. It’s hard to even think about where to start with this review because it was NOTHING like how I expected the story to be and it was just so weird.

Some people on Goodreads thought this book was going to be a Contemporary, I thought it was going to be a Contemporary turned Dystopian, or a recent Dystopian society that hasn’t turned into full Dystopia yet, but it’s none of the above! Instead The Edge of Everything is a strange paranormal fantasyish romance.

Zoe’s had a tough year. Her dad recently died on a caving expedition, and her next door neighbours, a sweet old couple, were murdered. Now, in the midst of a snowstorm, she and her younger brother get disoriented in the snow, and run into Stan, a dangerous foe from their father’s past. But just as things start to look at their worst, a bounty-hunter, X, shows up and saves them. But X isn’t from Montana, he isn’t even from this planet, he’s from a place called the Lowlands, and as Zoe learns more about X their feelings for each other grow stronger and stronger, and things become even more dangerous.

The book alternates between Zoe and X’s perspective, and alternating between the two characters just didn’t work. Giles really should have chosen one or the other. While both characters were annoying and flat, and I really didn’t care about reading either of their perspectives, X’s was definitely the more interesting point-of-view to follow. I mean, he’s the only known person to be born in the Lowlands (born from dead people? Demons? Devils? We don’t know yet), he’s a bounty hunter, and is from a world that we as readers know nothing about. The only reason I liked X’s perspective was to get some understanding of his world, but not enough was given. If the book had solely been on X’s perspective and shown him living in the Lowlands, to getting his task to get Stan and shown how X and Zoe’s paths were connected in that sense, I think it would have made it a bit more interesting.

Zoe’s perspective just felt like a guy trying to guess at what teenage girls think and feel. One of the most ridiculous parts in the book was the fact that Zoe took a picture of X when he was shirtless and turned the frozen lake on fire so that she could post it on Instagram later, and then she ACTUALLY POSTED IT ON INSTAGRAM LATER! And she never takes down the picture?! Zoe’s perspective also felt like it was written by who hasn’t lost a parent or experienced some sort of tragedy at a young age. I know it isn’t exactly a common thing, and I know that everyone grieves in different ways, but as someone who has lost a parent at a young age Zoe’s grief just didn’t seem real. I know that her dad wasn’t the most present guy in the world, but…your dad died. I know the feelings would be conflicted, but it just seemed…weird. Though I will say, I’ve never lost a parent who was absentee or had an absentee parent, so I really can’t comment on Zoe’s feelings fully.

And HOLY INSTALOVE BATMAN I HAVE NOT READ A YA BOOK WITH SUCH INSTALOVE IN A LONG TIME! Zoe and X literally stare at each other from a distance and do a weird mind-melding thing that X has never done with anyone before (obviously) and are in love. I just…I can’t even explain how ridiculous the romance in this book was because X and Zoe literally knew each other for maybe two days and knew NOTHING about each other, but hey they’re in love so I guess it doesn’t matter.

But here’s the thing, I really don’t know what to think about this book because it was just (I’m going to say it again) WEIRD! It wasn’t a bad book, and I kept reading because their were parts of it that were compelling and made me want to read more, but with all my above criticism I just don’t know what to think!

The Edge of Everything is an interesting an unexpected start to what seems to be a strange series. I’m glad I read it since it was on so much 2017 Hype Books, but I don’t think it’s a series I’ll be continuing with.

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