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On the Edge of Gone
January 29, 2035.
That’s the day the comet is scheduled to hit—the big one. Denise and her mother and sister, Iris, have been assigned to a temporary shelter near their hometown of Amsterdam to wait out the blast, but Iris is nowhere to be found, and at the rate Denise’s drug-addicted mother is going, they’ll never reach the shelter in time.
Then a last-minute encounter leads them to something better than a temporary shelter: a generation ship that’s scheduled to leave Earth behind and colonize new worlds after the comet hits. But each passenger must have a practical skill to contribute. Denise is autistic and fears that she’ll never be allowed to stay. Can she obtain a spot before the ship takes flight? What about her mother and sister?
When the future of the human race is at stake, whose lives matter most?
That’s the day the comet is scheduled to hit—the big one. Denise and her mother and sister, Iris, have been assigned to a temporary shelter near their hometown of Amsterdam to wait out the blast, but Iris is nowhere to be found, and at the rate Denise’s drug-addicted mother is going, they’ll never reach the shelter in time.
Then a last-minute encounter leads them to something better than a temporary shelter: a generation ship that’s scheduled to leave Earth behind and colonize new worlds after the comet hits. But each passenger must have a practical skill to contribute. Denise is autistic and fears that she’ll never be allowed to stay. Can she obtain a spot before the ship takes flight? What about her mother and sister?
When the future of the human race is at stake, whose lives matter most?
456 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2016
189 people are currently reading
12603 people want to read
About the author
Corinne Duyvis
17 books735 followersTo prevent my Goodreads friends list from becoming unwieldy, I only accept friend requests from people I know.
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Corinne Duyvis is the critically acclaimed author of the YA sci-fi/fantasy novels Otherbound, which Kirkus called “a stunning debut;” On the Edge of Gone, which Publishers Weekly called “a riveting apocalyptic thriller with substantial depth;” and The Art of Saving the World, which Kirkus called “impossible to put down.” She is also the author of the original Marvel prose novel Guardians of the Galaxy: Collect Them All. Corinne hails from the Netherlands.
She’s a co-founder and editor of Disability in Kidlit as well as the originator of the #ownvoices hashtag.
* * *
Corinne Duyvis is the critically acclaimed author of the YA sci-fi/fantasy novels Otherbound, which Kirkus called “a stunning debut;” On the Edge of Gone, which Publishers Weekly called “a riveting apocalyptic thriller with substantial depth;” and The Art of Saving the World, which Kirkus called “impossible to put down.” She is also the author of the original Marvel prose novel Guardians of the Galaxy: Collect Them All. Corinne hails from the Netherlands.
She’s a co-founder and editor of Disability in Kidlit as well as the originator of the #ownvoices hashtag.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 748 reviews
March 13, 2016
“The first time my future vanished was July 19, 2034."
On the Edge of Gone does a lot of really great things and, for the first 25%, I thought it was going to be a new favourite. Perhaps I expected all the wrong things from it, and maybe this review will prevent others from doing the same.
Let's start with all the positive stuff. Duyvis opens with a writing style that draws you in. Her narrator - an autistic, mixed race, Dutch girl - has an immediately sympathetic and likable narrative voice. Set before, during and after the apocalypse (a comet colliding with Earth), the stakes are huge from the very beginning as Denise attempts to find a safe place for herself, her mother and sister on a generation ship, scheduled to leave Earth.
The book is exceptionally diverse. I long for the day when people will look back at reviews like this one and think how strange it is that I had to point out diversity, but it is sadly still uncommon. In On the Edge of Gone, we have our mixed race, autistic narrator, a bisexual trans black girl, as well as other gay, Muslim and Jewish characters.
Duyvis draws from her own experiences for this tale, choosing to set it in her home country - The Netherlands - and portraying autism with the honesty and sensitivity of someone autistic herself.
I also really like the complex relationships. Particularly Denise's struggle to understand and sympathize with her drug addict mother, whom she finds frustrating. All characters in this book are allowed to be selfish and make decisions we may not necessarily like, which feels like a realistic part of the "end of the world".
So what went wrong?
Well... at 200 pages in I made a quick note saying "we're 200 pages in and nothing has really happened". When I passed the 300-page marker, I changed it to "300 pages in and the story hasn't gotten off the ground". When I got to 400 pages and still felt the same way, I realised this book actually wasn't going anywhere.
I feel like I need to stress this, because On the Edge of Gone belongs in the hands of readers who know what they're getting. It is not a fast-paced dystopian novel, or a space adventure. In fact, if you're looking for space, look elsewhere right now.
What it is, however, is a very technical survival story. It has diverse characters and interesting relationships, but plot-wise it doesn't offer much. The book follows Denise as she tries to convince the captain of the generation ship that she is needed. She goes from collecting supplies to engineering, trying to find a place for herself.
And, if I'm being honest, nearly 500 pages of nothing happening was too much for me. No matter how much I loved the diversity and the relationships. No matter how much I wanted to rate it 5 stars.
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March 6, 2017Some quick details people have been curious about:
Yes, the whole thing is set in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Nothing like destroying your hometown in a book.
Yes, there's a generation ship, but no, the book is not set in space. The generation ship is still firmly planted on Earth, getting ready to leave.
No, it's not a dystopian. The government is no more or less dodgy than it is right now, and the book is set only eighteen years into the future.
Whether it's post-apocalyptic depends on your definition. I call it straight-up apocalyptic, given that the comet hits in the first few chapters and the book covers the immediate aftermath.
Yes, it's sci-fi, purely by virtue of there being a spaceship and the book being set in the future. There's some advanced tech to account for the fact that twenty years have passed, but this tech doesn't play a huge role, and several readers said the book felt very contemporary to them.
Yes, it's a standalone. (There is a companion short story in Defying Doomsday. The short story stands alone as well. They can be read in either order.)
Yes, the protagonist is autistic. (As am I.) She's also biracial, identifying as part-Dutch part-Surinamese Black girl. The story also features a prominent bisexual trans Black girl, as well as lesbian, Muslim, and Jewish characters, among others.
Anything else you want to know? Hit me up! :)
Yes, the whole thing is set in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Nothing like destroying your hometown in a book.
Yes, there's a generation ship, but no, the book is not set in space. The generation ship is still firmly planted on Earth, getting ready to leave.
No, it's not a dystopian. The government is no more or less dodgy than it is right now, and the book is set only eighteen years into the future.
Whether it's post-apocalyptic depends on your definition. I call it straight-up apocalyptic, given that the comet hits in the first few chapters and the book covers the immediate aftermath.
Yes, it's sci-fi, purely by virtue of there being a spaceship and the book being set in the future. There's some advanced tech to account for the fact that twenty years have passed, but this tech doesn't play a huge role, and several readers said the book felt very contemporary to them.
Yes, it's a standalone. (There is a companion short story in Defying Doomsday. The short story stands alone as well. They can be read in either order.)
Yes, the protagonist is autistic. (As am I.) She's also biracial, identifying as part-Dutch part-Surinamese Black girl. The story also features a prominent bisexual trans Black girl, as well as lesbian, Muslim, and Jewish characters, among others.
Anything else you want to know? Hit me up! :)
September 16, 2016
A comet is going to hit Earth and Denise, her mom and her sister have to survive.
Denise is autistic and I feel sorry for her to have to go through the world possibly ending. But let me tell you, Denise is smart as a whip and figures so many things out and she is freaking awesome. She saves people, she figures things out to save more people. She is smart as a whip!
Denise's mom is a drug addict which sucks, especially right now. They are supposed to get to a temporary shelter that's supposed to withstand the comet hitting. Denise doesn't know where her sister Iris is and she's freaking out because her and her mom are late to the shelter. They do come into contact with some people (one of whom Denise knows) and they end up on board the Nassau, it's a generation ship.
The Nassau was supposed to have already left but they are working on some mechanics. They tell Denise and her mom that they can't stay because you have to be on a lottery or be very useful to stay on the ship. Only so many can be on board. They tell Denise and her mom they can stay until after the comet hits and then they have to get out. I would have done keeled over so it wouldn't matter one way or the other.
The comet hits. . .
As you can imagine, stuff is totaled but they are safe inside the ship. After a couple of days they are allowed to go back out and start working on the ship again. Denise and her mom are sent on their way. They end up staying at the airport. Denise made some friends from the ship and she ends up helping them salvage for stuff to see if she can get back on the ship. Well, when she saves most of them from the tsunami, she is back on board.
Denise starts going back out looking for her sister, first in a raft and then she trades with some people for a water scooter. Denise is just so smart. I know I already said that but still. She gets a lot of things done for the people and the ship. I won't say, I will let you enjoy reading about that.
I just really loved Denise and she found a way for her family to get on board but one of them decided to stay on Earth and try to get things going there again. Denise talks the commander of the ship into doing something pretty cool so that they don't have to leave Earth totally alone.
I really enjoyed this book as it was so different. There isn't a lot of stuff going on and sometimes you want to smack people. Okay, you want to smack people quite a lot but overall it's good.
I give all the starts to Denise :-)
When we've broken through the dust, when gravity releases its hold on the ship and then latches back on, we unstrap ourselves and stumble onto the walkways, into the park, into the crop fields ringing the ship. We look up. We cheer at the sun. We send videos and invitations into the far black, to the ships that went before us.
It's February 13, 2035
We welcome our future, whatever it may be.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
Denise is autistic and I feel sorry for her to have to go through the world possibly ending. But let me tell you, Denise is smart as a whip and figures so many things out and she is freaking awesome. She saves people, she figures things out to save more people. She is smart as a whip!
Denise's mom is a drug addict which sucks, especially right now. They are supposed to get to a temporary shelter that's supposed to withstand the comet hitting. Denise doesn't know where her sister Iris is and she's freaking out because her and her mom are late to the shelter. They do come into contact with some people (one of whom Denise knows) and they end up on board the Nassau, it's a generation ship.
The Nassau was supposed to have already left but they are working on some mechanics. They tell Denise and her mom that they can't stay because you have to be on a lottery or be very useful to stay on the ship. Only so many can be on board. They tell Denise and her mom they can stay until after the comet hits and then they have to get out. I would have done keeled over so it wouldn't matter one way or the other.
The comet hits. . .
As you can imagine, stuff is totaled but they are safe inside the ship. After a couple of days they are allowed to go back out and start working on the ship again. Denise and her mom are sent on their way. They end up staying at the airport. Denise made some friends from the ship and she ends up helping them salvage for stuff to see if she can get back on the ship. Well, when she saves most of them from the tsunami, she is back on board.
Denise starts going back out looking for her sister, first in a raft and then she trades with some people for a water scooter. Denise is just so smart. I know I already said that but still. She gets a lot of things done for the people and the ship. I won't say, I will let you enjoy reading about that.
I just really loved Denise and she found a way for her family to get on board but one of them decided to stay on Earth and try to get things going there again. Denise talks the commander of the ship into doing something pretty cool so that they don't have to leave Earth totally alone.
I really enjoyed this book as it was so different. There isn't a lot of stuff going on and sometimes you want to smack people. Okay, you want to smack people quite a lot but overall it's good.
I give all the starts to Denise :-)
When we've broken through the dust, when gravity releases its hold on the ship and then latches back on, we unstrap ourselves and stumble onto the walkways, into the park, into the crop fields ringing the ship. We look up. We cheer at the sun. We send videos and invitations into the far black, to the ships that went before us.
It's February 13, 2035
We welcome our future, whatever it may be.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
March 13, 2019
Most apocalypse writers know that the readers who enjoy the end-of-the-world are looking for stories about survival, either individual or communal. On the Edge of Gone sidesteps this and focuses on Denise and her mom trying to get accepted on a 'generation' ship, which will offer the opportunity to escape the meteor-wrought destruction on Earth. It's an intriguing premise, but in this case, the apocalypse is a backdrop more than an integrated setting.
One of the issues for me could be that the story is told from Denise's point of view. Denise is sixteen and she is focused on three things: coping with the disaster (which means a place on the ship once they discover it); dealing with her mother, a drug addict; and finding her missing sister, Iris. She's also autistic, and I can't decide if Duyvis is brilliant or limited, because it allows Denise to be hyper-concerned with her topics of choice and incurious about others. It also allows for info-dumping during the few moments Denise needs to share information about the comet or generation ships or or whatever. As I said, brilliant. Of course, I mean 'brilliant' in the same way I mean whoever invented drive-through windows was 'brilliant.'
Though the story opens with a quick window six months before disaster, the reader doesn't get much insight into the tech or culture of 2035, except the ubiquitous 'tabs,' that seem like tiny smartphones. Then it jumps into the day of the projected impact, when Denise and her mother are supposed to be heading to their assigned public shelter, and her mother is dithering, waiting for Iris. Here there are hints of how society has changed in six months (which sound somewhat familiar from The Last Policeman), but not many. It sounds like people are hoping to go to the shelter and then come out after (which also reminded me of the evacuation in London: Survival). But mostly Denise is working out her feelings about her mother, her own anxiety, and her own mixed feelings about waiting for Iris.
The writing feels very young adult, direct, with a lack of sophisticated words and concepts. The oft-quoted phrase, supposedly reflective of autism and the generational ship's focus on functionality: "Whether someone is useful only matters if you value people by their use" is fortune-cookie level writing, a mawkish sentiment that the book fails to stand behind. I'll also note--though I'm not the originator--the author didn't stick the ending, Denise having been
The solution at the end was intriguing, I think the Netherlands setting interesting (and so orderly in their adaptation to the apocalypse!), and the dialogue felt real. It was just the wrong focus for me--ugh, let's develop independence from an addict and learn to accept our ability levels--and even a comet couldn't save it.
One of the issues for me could be that the story is told from Denise's point of view. Denise is sixteen and she is focused on three things: coping with the disaster (which means a place on the ship once they discover it); dealing with her mother, a drug addict; and finding her missing sister, Iris. She's also autistic, and I can't decide if Duyvis is brilliant or limited, because it allows Denise to be hyper-concerned with her topics of choice and incurious about others. It also allows for info-dumping during the few moments Denise needs to share information about the comet or generation ships or or whatever. As I said, brilliant. Of course, I mean 'brilliant' in the same way I mean whoever invented drive-through windows was 'brilliant.'
Though the story opens with a quick window six months before disaster, the reader doesn't get much insight into the tech or culture of 2035, except the ubiquitous 'tabs,' that seem like tiny smartphones. Then it jumps into the day of the projected impact, when Denise and her mother are supposed to be heading to their assigned public shelter, and her mother is dithering, waiting for Iris. Here there are hints of how society has changed in six months (which sound somewhat familiar from The Last Policeman), but not many. It sounds like people are hoping to go to the shelter and then come out after (which also reminded me of the evacuation in London: Survival). But mostly Denise is working out her feelings about her mother, her own anxiety, and her own mixed feelings about waiting for Iris.
The writing feels very young adult, direct, with a lack of sophisticated words and concepts. The oft-quoted phrase, supposedly reflective of autism and the generational ship's focus on functionality: "Whether someone is useful only matters if you value people by their use" is fortune-cookie level writing, a mawkish sentiment that the book fails to stand behind. I'll also note--though I'm not the originator--the author didn't stick the ending, Denise having been
The solution at the end was intriguing, I think the Netherlands setting interesting (and so orderly in their adaptation to the apocalypse!), and the dialogue felt real. It was just the wrong focus for me--ugh, let's develop independence from an addict and learn to accept our ability levels--and even a comet couldn't save it.
May 7, 2016
The Earth is about to be hit by a comet, which will drastically change the face of the planet. A few lucky people secure places in permanent shelters or on generation ships headed away from the devastation. For most people, like autistic Denise and her drug addicted mother, the best they can hope for is a temporary shelter during the impact and for a few days following.
But Denise her mother don't even make it as far as their temporary shelter on time. They are delayed, first because they are waiting for Denise's sister Iris, who has failed to return home, and then when they stop to help a pair of ailing women on the road who can't make it to their own shelter without assistance. It turns out that the women are in fact headed for a generation ship whose take-off has been delayed.
As Denise tries to make herself useful and convince the Captain of the generation ship to let them stay aboard she is confronted with the failings of her mother as both a parent, and a person totally unable to cope with the reality of their new situation. Over and over again the calculus of human worth is brought up, and for a young woman who is only just learning to find value in who she is, it is a stuggle she has to come to terms with very quickly.
Whether someone is useful only matters if you value people by their use.
Obviously a generation ship needs young people, but what does a young autistic woman still in high school bring to the table? What about a transgendered woman with no special technical skills? A drug addicted mother who could not hold down a job? Why these three and not three other people? The question of how to measure value in people and make choices in times of scarcity is not new and the issues are familiar.
Told from Denise's point of view, the book takes these issues and gives them a fresh perspective. It does a good job of portraying one individual's experience of autism without suggesting that this is what autism looks like for everyone in every circumstance. The family and social dynamics give the story a sense of painful realism, but still coveys hope. Overall I was impressed with my first book by Corrine Duyvis, and I'll be looking to read more from her.
But Denise her mother don't even make it as far as their temporary shelter on time. They are delayed, first because they are waiting for Denise's sister Iris, who has failed to return home, and then when they stop to help a pair of ailing women on the road who can't make it to their own shelter without assistance. It turns out that the women are in fact headed for a generation ship whose take-off has been delayed.
As Denise tries to make herself useful and convince the Captain of the generation ship to let them stay aboard she is confronted with the failings of her mother as both a parent, and a person totally unable to cope with the reality of their new situation. Over and over again the calculus of human worth is brought up, and for a young woman who is only just learning to find value in who she is, it is a stuggle she has to come to terms with very quickly.
Whether someone is useful only matters if you value people by their use.
Obviously a generation ship needs young people, but what does a young autistic woman still in high school bring to the table? What about a transgendered woman with no special technical skills? A drug addicted mother who could not hold down a job? Why these three and not three other people? The question of how to measure value in people and make choices in times of scarcity is not new and the issues are familiar.
Told from Denise's point of view, the book takes these issues and gives them a fresh perspective. It does a good job of portraying one individual's experience of autism without suggesting that this is what autism looks like for everyone in every circumstance. The family and social dynamics give the story a sense of painful realism, but still coveys hope. Overall I was impressed with my first book by Corrine Duyvis, and I'll be looking to read more from her.
May 2, 2016
There's a comet coming. The end of the world is here. So when you're an autistic half-Dutch half-Surinamese girl in a country that averages metres below sea level, and you're mother is a drug addict, things aren't exactly looking up.
In this version of 2035 there are spaceships and artificial gravity and a lot of people have already fled the Earth on hastily built generation-ships. So when Denise and her mother, on their way to an impact shelter, come across the last generation ship that hasn't taken off yet, they're very surprised.
But is there a place for an autistic girl? Or her family?
Setting expectations here: this isn't a space book. This is Denise's story. It's about her trying to save herself, her family and ultimately anyone she can, while just having to deal with her problems while in the middle of an apocalypse. Denise's autism is told from an authentic viewpoint as the author is on the spectrum as well. I got a very similar sense of this variance as I did with the character in Planetfall who also shared a condition with its author.
Denise is a compelling character. She has a terrific voice and is single-minded about the things she needs which constantly puts her in situations that conventional wisdom would say she shouldn't be able to cope with. And sometimes she doesn't, and that feels authentic too.
Highly recommended.
In this version of 2035 there are spaceships and artificial gravity and a lot of people have already fled the Earth on hastily built generation-ships. So when Denise and her mother, on their way to an impact shelter, come across the last generation ship that hasn't taken off yet, they're very surprised.
But is there a place for an autistic girl? Or her family?
Setting expectations here: this isn't a space book. This is Denise's story. It's about her trying to save herself, her family and ultimately anyone she can, while just having to deal with her problems while in the middle of an apocalypse. Denise's autism is told from an authentic viewpoint as the author is on the spectrum as well. I got a very similar sense of this variance as I did with the character in Planetfall who also shared a condition with its author.
Denise is a compelling character. She has a terrific voice and is single-minded about the things she needs which constantly puts her in situations that conventional wisdom would say she shouldn't be able to cope with. And sometimes she doesn't, and that feels authentic too.
Highly recommended.
May 5, 2016
This one is just a beautiful character study, full of hope and heartbreak amidst chaos.
April 4, 2017
Tof en spannend post-apocalyptisch verhaal dat zich afspeelt in Amsterdam. Een zeer onvoorspelbaar plot, een fijne schrijfstijl en levensechte personages maken Op de rand van het niets tot een heerlijk boek!
Mijn complete recensie lees je op Oog op de Toekomst.
Mijn complete recensie lees je op Oog op de Toekomst.
March 20, 2016
**This book was sent to me for review by Abrams, the publisher, but that in no way affects my opinions**
I was happy to accept this when asked to review it as I have recently been reading and enjoying a lot of YA sci-fi and this was no exception to that rule. This book is set at the start of the end of the world in a highly advanced society, but one which is doomed. We follow the character of Denise and her family (her mother and the search for her sister) over the course of the book. Whilst the family is split up an incoming comet is announced and Earth is not as prepared as they could have been. Denise and her mother are waiting for her sister Iris to come back instead of heading to their temporary shelter, but they know that they are running a big, big risk and that they, along with millions of others, will die if they do not get to safety...
The story of this book did not take me long to read, I read this in two sessions on two separate days and it was intense and filled with drama both times. What I liked about this was the diversity we have shown in the characters and the set up. Instead of this being an 'escape from the planet, quick' scenario as you may expect, this turns into a search and rescue for people all around where Denise and her mother end up. I fully enjoyed seeing some of the realisations our main character has, and also seeing the way that she sees and thinks about this disaster Earth faces.
The characters are diverse, as I mentioned. We have LGBTQ+ characters, autistic characters, drug-addicted characters and people from all sorts of backgrounds. This is also set in the Netherlands rather than the UK or US, which made for a nice change from the 'typical' Western book setting. I thought all of these themes were well integrated into the book as part of the story, and I felt as though it actually had some great messages about understanding and effort needed to connect with others. It's got some great messages, and it's a well written read right from page 1.
Overall this book gripped me. The story pulled me and and made me excited to keep reading, and the characters and format kept me listening. I felt for the survivors of such a huge disaster, and I was rooting for them to just be okay and get through the end of the world (quite a big ask). This book was wonderful, and I definitely want to pick up more by Duyvis as I have no doubt that she's a fabulous writer. I would certainly recommend this, particularly if you do want to see a book with good representation of some of these diverse characters. 4*s overall.
I was happy to accept this when asked to review it as I have recently been reading and enjoying a lot of YA sci-fi and this was no exception to that rule. This book is set at the start of the end of the world in a highly advanced society, but one which is doomed. We follow the character of Denise and her family (her mother and the search for her sister) over the course of the book. Whilst the family is split up an incoming comet is announced and Earth is not as prepared as they could have been. Denise and her mother are waiting for her sister Iris to come back instead of heading to their temporary shelter, but they know that they are running a big, big risk and that they, along with millions of others, will die if they do not get to safety...
The story of this book did not take me long to read, I read this in two sessions on two separate days and it was intense and filled with drama both times. What I liked about this was the diversity we have shown in the characters and the set up. Instead of this being an 'escape from the planet, quick' scenario as you may expect, this turns into a search and rescue for people all around where Denise and her mother end up. I fully enjoyed seeing some of the realisations our main character has, and also seeing the way that she sees and thinks about this disaster Earth faces.
The characters are diverse, as I mentioned. We have LGBTQ+ characters, autistic characters, drug-addicted characters and people from all sorts of backgrounds. This is also set in the Netherlands rather than the UK or US, which made for a nice change from the 'typical' Western book setting. I thought all of these themes were well integrated into the book as part of the story, and I felt as though it actually had some great messages about understanding and effort needed to connect with others. It's got some great messages, and it's a well written read right from page 1.
Overall this book gripped me. The story pulled me and and made me excited to keep reading, and the characters and format kept me listening. I felt for the survivors of such a huge disaster, and I was rooting for them to just be okay and get through the end of the world (quite a big ask). This book was wonderful, and I definitely want to pick up more by Duyvis as I have no doubt that she's a fabulous writer. I would certainly recommend this, particularly if you do want to see a book with good representation of some of these diverse characters. 4*s overall.
September 7, 2021
4.0 Stars
This was such a fascinating, well written piece of science fiction that offered a unique perspective on a terrifying future where humanity would have to make some difficult moral choices. The author explored how people might be selected to survive the end of the world, highlighting the moral issues that would possibly arise, given societal values. Avoiding the usual tropes and romances, this is kind of young adult novel that could actually appeal to a wider adult audience. I thought this was one of the best young adult novel I had read in a very long time
This was also an own voices story with the author sharing the main character’s diagnosis of autism. Beyond the neurodiverse representation, the novel also included a biracial character as well as a trans character. These diverse elements were woven into the story in a very organic manner.
This would be considered soft science fiction since it had very little description of the science or technology surrounding the generational ships. Instead, this was very much a character focused novel. The narrative was very slow paced, yet I found the story compelling enough to keep me engaged..
I would highly recommend this young adult novel to science fiction readers of all ages who enjoy character centric narratives that explore social issues and moral complexities.
This was such a fascinating, well written piece of science fiction that offered a unique perspective on a terrifying future where humanity would have to make some difficult moral choices. The author explored how people might be selected to survive the end of the world, highlighting the moral issues that would possibly arise, given societal values. Avoiding the usual tropes and romances, this is kind of young adult novel that could actually appeal to a wider adult audience. I thought this was one of the best young adult novel I had read in a very long time
This was also an own voices story with the author sharing the main character’s diagnosis of autism. Beyond the neurodiverse representation, the novel also included a biracial character as well as a trans character. These diverse elements were woven into the story in a very organic manner.
This would be considered soft science fiction since it had very little description of the science or technology surrounding the generational ships. Instead, this was very much a character focused novel. The narrative was very slow paced, yet I found the story compelling enough to keep me engaged..
I would highly recommend this young adult novel to science fiction readers of all ages who enjoy character centric narratives that explore social issues and moral complexities.
April 4, 2017
The blurb gives you the essence of the story: this is a survival story that essentially begins as the comet hits and continues for the next two weeks. The big question is whether Denise and her family will make it on the last generation ship left in Amsterdam (and possibly the world). That remains the question for the book–so if you’re looking for interstellar travel or space pirates or anything of the sort, a quick expectations adjustment will give you a much more enjoyable read. This isn’t an action-packed tale, this is something between a gritty story of survival and an absolutely amazing character study.
Denise is strong, focused, and capable, and just the sort of person I want to be with if NASA tells us tomorrow that there’s a comet headed straight for the earth. She’s also female (obv), biracial, and autistic. Her identity plays into her life in complex and real ways. She has developed coping mechanisms to manage the things that are difficult, and they work brilliantly until they don’t. Frankly, Denise copes so much better than her mother, who cannot find her way to giving up her drug addiction.
In fact, this book has all my heart for an incredible, seamless read that is brilliantly diverse. Denise’s sister is a trans woman, the couple she meets who are trying to help the emergency shelters are Muslims of Moroccan heritage. Our potential love interest happens to be Jewish. There are people of different faiths, gender orientations, races and ethnicities, and it is completely natural because it is completely real. It isn’t trying too hard, it’s just precisely what the world looks like. And, just as in the real world, each person’s identity naturally effects their lives over the course of the story.
I suppose what was frustrating for me in this read was waiting for “something to happen” rather than letting myself stay in the moment with all the small twists and turns. This is very much a story of ground gained and then lost again. Progress is not about the progress of action, per se, as the progress and development of our characters.
Overall, a deep and insightful read. Highly recommended.
Denise is strong, focused, and capable, and just the sort of person I want to be with if NASA tells us tomorrow that there’s a comet headed straight for the earth. She’s also female (obv), biracial, and autistic. Her identity plays into her life in complex and real ways. She has developed coping mechanisms to manage the things that are difficult, and they work brilliantly until they don’t. Frankly, Denise copes so much better than her mother, who cannot find her way to giving up her drug addiction.
In fact, this book has all my heart for an incredible, seamless read that is brilliantly diverse. Denise’s sister is a trans woman, the couple she meets who are trying to help the emergency shelters are Muslims of Moroccan heritage. Our potential love interest happens to be Jewish. There are people of different faiths, gender orientations, races and ethnicities, and it is completely natural because it is completely real. It isn’t trying too hard, it’s just precisely what the world looks like. And, just as in the real world, each person’s identity naturally effects their lives over the course of the story.
I suppose what was frustrating for me in this read was waiting for “something to happen” rather than letting myself stay in the moment with all the small twists and turns. This is very much a story of ground gained and then lost again. Progress is not about the progress of action, per se, as the progress and development of our characters.
Overall, a deep and insightful read. Highly recommended.
February 6, 2017
I've been meaning to read this book for aaaaaaaaaaages, and so when Diverseathon rolled around for the second time, it seemed like the perfect time to pick this one up.
It's a sci-fi/dystopian YA book in which a comet is about to strike the earth. The main character, Denise, is autistic and biracial, which YES OMG YES. I mean, a character who is a) autistic, b) female and c) biracial? So, like, basically the group LEAST likely to be diagnosed as autistic because doctors are far more likely to think that girls and children of colour are just being difficult.
Anywho. It's an Own Voices book in that Corinne Duyvis is herself autistic, so the representation of autism was FABULOUS and far superior to that of the only other book I've read with an autistic narrator, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.
So. This comet is about to strike the planet. And Denise is freaking out because they NEED to get to their assigned shelter, but her mother is insisting that they wait for her sister to return from a concert in Belgium. And as a result of leaving incredibly late, a twist of fate has them end up on the last remaining generation ship in Amsterdam.
So the majority of the book is Denise looking for her sister (a trans woman of colour, incidentally. YAAAAAS), trying to keep her drug-addicted mother from doing anything stupid, and trying to prove that she deserves a place on the ship, all while dealing with new people and a new environment and not having a meltdown.
As I said, the representation in this book was absolutely fabulous. The writing was great, and I sped through it. Really, my only gripe is that the ending felt sliiiiightly rushed? Like, I was at the 90% mark and still had no idea how things were going to wrap up. But wrap up they did, albeit in a slightly more hurried fashion than I would have liked.
But on the whole, I'd DEFINITELY recommend this one.
It's a sci-fi/dystopian YA book in which a comet is about to strike the earth. The main character, Denise, is autistic and biracial, which YES OMG YES. I mean, a character who is a) autistic, b) female and c) biracial? So, like, basically the group LEAST likely to be diagnosed as autistic because doctors are far more likely to think that girls and children of colour are just being difficult.
Anywho. It's an Own Voices book in that Corinne Duyvis is herself autistic, so the representation of autism was FABULOUS and far superior to that of the only other book I've read with an autistic narrator, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.
So. This comet is about to strike the planet. And Denise is freaking out because they NEED to get to their assigned shelter, but her mother is insisting that they wait for her sister to return from a concert in Belgium. And as a result of leaving incredibly late, a twist of fate has them end up on the last remaining generation ship in Amsterdam.
So the majority of the book is Denise looking for her sister (a trans woman of colour, incidentally. YAAAAAS), trying to keep her drug-addicted mother from doing anything stupid, and trying to prove that she deserves a place on the ship, all while dealing with new people and a new environment and not having a meltdown.
As I said, the representation in this book was absolutely fabulous. The writing was great, and I sped through it. Really, my only gripe is that the ending felt sliiiiightly rushed? Like, I was at the 90% mark and still had no idea how things were going to wrap up. But wrap up they did, albeit in a slightly more hurried fashion than I would have liked.
But on the whole, I'd DEFINITELY recommend this one.
April 28, 2020
This review was written by an #ActuallyAutistic person.
Diving into this book was a bit scary for me because it was given to me by the author herself, and what if I didn’t love it? Luckily for both of us, I did love it, and I’m very glad to have a signed, personalized, inside joke-ified copy on my shelves.
Not only is the main character biracial, which you don’t see much in YA, but she’s also autistic. (!!!) This is already exceptionally diverse, and I haven’t even gotten started on the side characters. It’s amazing that there’s a book out there that biracial and autistic people can see themselves in — and not as a quirky best friend character, but the hero.
Denise loves cats, and that made me love Denise. But that’s not all that I loved about her. She’s a strong female character, one of the best. She fights her butt off to not let her disability stand in the way of getting to where she needs to be, but the book also shows that it's not always easy. She doesn’t usually tell people that she’s autistic because she doesn’t want them to treat her any differently, which unfortunately results in people thinking she’s lazy and crazy. (I rhymed. It feels weird to not acknowledge that.)
On the Edge of Gone is very much about what it means to be useful, what it means to be worthy of survival. The last line of the synopsis describes it very well: “When the future of the human race is at stake, whose lives matter most?” Many apocalyptic and dystopian novels deal with this subject, but none as well as this one did. I really liked reading about what the world outside of the generation ship was like, what people did to help each other, how they functioned trying to survive.
Especially recommended to people living in or familiar with the city of Amsterdam and its surroundings! Who knew it was so fun to read about your city being destroyed?
Diving into this book was a bit scary for me because it was given to me by the author herself, and what if I didn’t love it? Luckily for both of us, I did love it, and I’m very glad to have a signed, personalized, inside joke-ified copy on my shelves.
Not only is the main character biracial, which you don’t see much in YA, but she’s also autistic. (!!!) This is already exceptionally diverse, and I haven’t even gotten started on the side characters. It’s amazing that there’s a book out there that biracial and autistic people can see themselves in — and not as a quirky best friend character, but the hero.
Denise loves cats, and that made me love Denise. But that’s not all that I loved about her. She’s a strong female character, one of the best. She fights her butt off to not let her disability stand in the way of getting to where she needs to be, but the book also shows that it's not always easy. She doesn’t usually tell people that she’s autistic because she doesn’t want them to treat her any differently, which unfortunately results in people thinking she’s lazy and crazy. (I rhymed. It feels weird to not acknowledge that.)
On the Edge of Gone is very much about what it means to be useful, what it means to be worthy of survival. The last line of the synopsis describes it very well: “When the future of the human race is at stake, whose lives matter most?” Many apocalyptic and dystopian novels deal with this subject, but none as well as this one did. I really liked reading about what the world outside of the generation ship was like, what people did to help each other, how they functioned trying to survive.
Especially recommended to people living in or familiar with the city of Amsterdam and its surroundings! Who knew it was so fun to read about your city being destroyed?
April 18, 2017
3.5 stars
Loved the main character and seeing her handling all these different situations in her own way. But the story itself and the writing/pacing just weren't for me. (Might've also been the reading slump I was in...)
Loved the main character and seeing her handling all these different situations in her own way. But the story itself and the writing/pacing just weren't for me. (Might've also been the reading slump I was in...)
October 1, 2019
Çılgınca kedisever bir karaktere sahip bu kitabı sevmemek gibi bir lüksüm yok maalesef. Harikaydı! 😍
May 12, 2019
Çok sıkıcı, zaman kaybıydı benim için...
May 13, 2018
!!!! excellent!!! a really beautiful story about humanity & hope at the end of the world
representation: the main character is black & autistic, her sister is black & trans, there are jewish + muslim side characters
representation: the main character is black & autistic, her sister is black & trans, there are jewish + muslim side characters
February 22, 2016
Five Things About On the Edge of Gone
ON THE EDGE OF GONE reminded me of all the things I enjoy about the sci-fi genre. I have a weird interest in end of the world books because something like this could definitely happen someday in reality. Above all, I liked how the situation of the world ending naturally progressed and how we were there almost every step of the way, trying to survive right along with the rest of humanity. Overall, this was a really great read.
It has diversity without blatantly pointing out that it has diversity.
Nothing is more frustrating than having a book point out a character’s skin color or mental condition every few pages, so it was awesome that ON THE EDGE OF GONE didn’t do that. All of these topics need to be talked about and more widely accepted, instead of just being made a point out of.
Denise, the main character, is awesome.
She just might be the most realistic heroine I’ve ever read about. Denise shows every side of her character: her flaws, her strengths, her vulnerability, and everything else that makes her character feel like a real person. Denise has autism and it was incredibly eye-opening to read from her POV.
The side characters could have been developed a little further.
While some effort was made to make them likable, I felt like they could have been used more and I would have liked to know more about their backstories. Some characters were introduced only to never make another appearance.
Some plotlines were left open-ended.
Open endings are either a hit or miss for me and this one worked pretty well overall. However, there were some smaller events that I wish could have been tied up for a more complete conclusion. (I wouldn’t say no to a sequel!)
It’s so easy to read.
Although this is almost a five-hundred page novel, it doesn’t feel too long. Every page flows well and I had read one-hundred pages before I even knew it. Still, I’m not entirely sure this one couldn’t have been trimmed down.
--
ON THE EDGE ON GONE is definitely worth checking out, it has so many great elements. I can’t wait to read Corinne Duyvis’ other novels now, she definitely can tell an impressive story.
Quotes are from an ARC and should be checked against a final copy. You can find more of my reviews on Readers in Wonderland!
ON THE EDGE OF GONE reminded me of all the things I enjoy about the sci-fi genre. I have a weird interest in end of the world books because something like this could definitely happen someday in reality. Above all, I liked how the situation of the world ending naturally progressed and how we were there almost every step of the way, trying to survive right along with the rest of humanity. Overall, this was a really great read.
It has diversity without blatantly pointing out that it has diversity.
Nothing is more frustrating than having a book point out a character’s skin color or mental condition every few pages, so it was awesome that ON THE EDGE OF GONE didn’t do that. All of these topics need to be talked about and more widely accepted, instead of just being made a point out of.
Denise, the main character, is awesome.
She just might be the most realistic heroine I’ve ever read about. Denise shows every side of her character: her flaws, her strengths, her vulnerability, and everything else that makes her character feel like a real person. Denise has autism and it was incredibly eye-opening to read from her POV.
The side characters could have been developed a little further.
While some effort was made to make them likable, I felt like they could have been used more and I would have liked to know more about their backstories. Some characters were introduced only to never make another appearance.
Some plotlines were left open-ended.
Open endings are either a hit or miss for me and this one worked pretty well overall. However, there were some smaller events that I wish could have been tied up for a more complete conclusion. (I wouldn’t say no to a sequel!)
It’s so easy to read.
Although this is almost a five-hundred page novel, it doesn’t feel too long. Every page flows well and I had read one-hundred pages before I even knew it. Still, I’m not entirely sure this one couldn’t have been trimmed down.
--
ON THE EDGE ON GONE is definitely worth checking out, it has so many great elements. I can’t wait to read Corinne Duyvis’ other novels now, she definitely can tell an impressive story.
Quotes are from an ARC and should be checked against a final copy. You can find more of my reviews on Readers in Wonderland!
Read
April 20, 2017That was super good, and a great example of how diversity makes a book stronger: being autistic means Denise has loaded fears about whether she'll be able to earn her space on the generation ship that would save her life; her sister being trans and therefore unable to procreate means the same. They add hugely to the plot without being the plot, which is something it's really nice to be able to actively expect now from a Corinne Duyvis novel.
December 12, 2015
On the Edge of Gone broke me apart. Every other chapter I was either clutching my chest or short of breath. It doesn't have action on its entirety like fight scenes - but it has this fundamental and OMFG moments that left me feeling really nervous. It has running-for-your-life, can't-believe-this-is-happening scenes that took years out of my life. Corinne Duyvis you made my last three days reading this book amazing.
There is not a lot of YA books that have an autistic main character. Add that she is half-Surinamese. Denise was - is - wonderful and so inteligent, and to see the world from her eyes was something I really really liked and was incredibly lucky to read about. But most of all, I enjoyed the situations she was thrust upon throughout the book and how she decided to figure out how to go through them. There is a full cast of diverse characters with their own distinct personalities. It was great to see them interact with each other.
Corinne Duyvis's books are now something I will look out for. She gave us an apocalyptic, diverse, intriguinig book. I wonder what more things she has on store!
*Full review closer to release date*
There is not a lot of YA books that have an autistic main character. Add that she is half-Surinamese. Denise was - is - wonderful and so inteligent, and to see the world from her eyes was something I really really liked and was incredibly lucky to read about. But most of all, I enjoyed the situations she was thrust upon throughout the book and how she decided to figure out how to go through them. There is a full cast of diverse characters with their own distinct personalities. It was great to see them interact with each other.
Corinne Duyvis's books are now something I will look out for. She gave us an apocalyptic, diverse, intriguinig book. I wonder what more things she has on store!
*Full review closer to release date*
August 28, 2017
Zo'n goed boek! Ik vond de combinatie van het einde van de wereld en een autistisch hoofdpersonage ijzersterk: het boek is spannend en meeslepend, maar Denises worstelingen en gedachten maken het ook heel heftig en realistisch. Een verhaal dat je echt aan het denken zet, knap geschreven. Uitgebreide recensie: http://thebookreview.nl/recensies/sci...
June 26, 2017
It was really slow at times but overall I enjoyed it. Denise's narrative voice is really compelling, and the ending definitely left me impacted. An interesting look into a world post-apocalypse, with a biracial black autistic girl, and tons of casual diversity? I definitely do recommend despite the slow pace.
June 30, 2017
Dit boek vind maar niks. Het was een ontzettend traag verhaal, omdat er steeds maar weer hetzelfde gebeurde. Denise (en haar autisme) was wel heel goed uitgewerkt, en er zat veel diversiteit in, daarom geef ik het boek alsnog 2,5 sterren.
March 8, 2016
I want everyone to read this. Full video review (and giveaway running 3/8-3/15/16) available at https://t.co/Q9UiqxrVEL.
July 26, 2018
Muy interesante la voz de la narradora y su punto de vista, además de la trama. Partiendo de la base de que el autismo de la protagonista está bien tratado (responde a la experiencia personal de la autora, al fin y al cabo), consigue hacer que te replantees algunas ideas previas sobre esa condición. Además, forma parte importante de la historia y es uno de sus aspectos originales. Desde el punto de vista de la ciencia ficción, plantea una situación (fin del mundo por impacto de cometa y preparación de naves generacionales para abandonar el planeta, con lo que ello conlleva de decidir quién se salva… Y quién no.) ya vista pero la trata de forma novedosa, sin enfatizar lo chungo de la especie humana. En ese sentido pide cierta complicidad por parte del lector. Lo importante aquí es cómo se relaciona la gente, con lo que el prisma personal de Denise, la prota, cobra más importancia.
Hay cosas que querría comentar y sin spoilers no puedo.
Es fácil que a los aficionados al género les pase desapercibida, pero sería una lástima. Recomiendo perseguirla, disfrutarla y hablar de ella. De hecho, lo recomiendo guste o no la ciencia ficción. Vale la pena.
Hay cosas que querría comentar y sin spoilers no puedo.
Es fácil que a los aficionados al género les pase desapercibida, pero sería una lástima. Recomiendo perseguirla, disfrutarla y hablar de ella. De hecho, lo recomiendo guste o no la ciencia ficción. Vale la pena.
August 9, 2020
4.5* re-read
There are quite a few books out there focusing on the End of the World, each more horrific than the previous. On the Edge of Gone is quite a different creature, dealing mostly with psychology. How do you decide who is worth saving and who is not? And what would you do to survive?
Duyvis’s story tackles these huge themes in a brilliant and individual manner through the eyes of an autistic teenager. A comet is about to hit Earth. Denise and her mother have no way of reaching their temporary shelter before impact, but by a turn of fate they find themselves on the last generation ship scheduled to leave the planet. But here lies the problem - they can only stay onboard until the departure when they’ll have to return to the surface where survival is sketchy at best. How can Denise prove her usefulness to get a spot on the ship when she is autistic and her mother is a drug addict? And where is her beloved sister Iris?
How do you define ‘worth'? And should this be linked to survival when you take into consideration the fate of humanity? Tough questions! By the means of a great cast, the author shows various ways of dealing with such an impossible situation, and astonishingly not all are horrible. Yes, many of the actions and things the characters say are beyond harsh, but however shocking they did ring true. From the first page, I was hooked in this tense narrative, but mostly by the amazing voice of Denise. Not only is she a great character, full of depth, intelligence and strength, but her autistic perception was a fascinating foray into her way of seeing the world, which is really not that different from the 'norm'. It did make me think of the narrator in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time but I feel Duyvis has gone much further here (understandable since she is autistic herself). Denise is a complex protagonist that shouldn’t be reduced to just one label. In fact, I found it very easy to identify with her. The plot is also surprising. Without going into it, Duyvis succeeded in creating an unexpected end (well, to me, and that doesn’t happen very often).
This novel might be shelved under the science fiction genre but don’t let this deter you from reading it if you don’t like this label. It is all about human interactions.
There are quite a few books out there focusing on the End of the World, each more horrific than the previous. On the Edge of Gone is quite a different creature, dealing mostly with psychology. How do you decide who is worth saving and who is not? And what would you do to survive?
Duyvis’s story tackles these huge themes in a brilliant and individual manner through the eyes of an autistic teenager. A comet is about to hit Earth. Denise and her mother have no way of reaching their temporary shelter before impact, but by a turn of fate they find themselves on the last generation ship scheduled to leave the planet. But here lies the problem - they can only stay onboard until the departure when they’ll have to return to the surface where survival is sketchy at best. How can Denise prove her usefulness to get a spot on the ship when she is autistic and her mother is a drug addict? And where is her beloved sister Iris?
How do you define ‘worth'? And should this be linked to survival when you take into consideration the fate of humanity? Tough questions! By the means of a great cast, the author shows various ways of dealing with such an impossible situation, and astonishingly not all are horrible. Yes, many of the actions and things the characters say are beyond harsh, but however shocking they did ring true. From the first page, I was hooked in this tense narrative, but mostly by the amazing voice of Denise. Not only is she a great character, full of depth, intelligence and strength, but her autistic perception was a fascinating foray into her way of seeing the world, which is really not that different from the 'norm'. It did make me think of the narrator in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time but I feel Duyvis has gone much further here (understandable since she is autistic herself). Denise is a complex protagonist that shouldn’t be reduced to just one label. In fact, I found it very easy to identify with her. The plot is also surprising. Without going into it, Duyvis succeeded in creating an unexpected end (well, to me, and that doesn’t happen very often).
This novel might be shelved under the science fiction genre but don’t let this deter you from reading it if you don’t like this label. It is all about human interactions.
July 13, 2015
On the Edge of Gone starts with a comet about to hit Earth at any moment, and follows the after effects of an immediate apocalypse: no internet or reliable communication, flooding, dust potentially dimming the sun's rays for a year, food running out. Some people have already abandoned earth, others are about to, and some are stuck on the Earth's surface and have to hope for the best. Set in Amsterdam, Denise is an autistic, half-Surinamese girl trying to hold it together as her world turns upside down. Really good interpersonal relationships and just a great read.
One chapter will make you cry, FYI.
One chapter will make you cry, FYI.
April 20, 2017
I was bored to death with this book. Full review soon!
January 25, 2022
Dit is toch iets minder mijn ding dan verwacht eigenlijk.
Hoe dan ook, ik ben blij dat ik het gelezen heb. Het algemene beeld van het boek is ook wel goed. Het is ook fijn om over een personage met autisme te lezen en hoe goed dit tot stand komt in alles wat Denise doet.
Hoe dan ook, ik ben blij dat ik het gelezen heb. Het algemene beeld van het boek is ook wel goed. Het is ook fijn om over een personage met autisme te lezen en hoe goed dit tot stand komt in alles wat Denise doet.
March 30, 2016
This book was really good. I'm giving it 4 stars because it was slow at times, some of the characters were all over the place and sometimes I felt there was something missing...an answer or a scene I felt needed to be filled out a bit more. This arc was an uncorrected proof so maybe the published book will be more fleshed out or maybe not. I'm not sure.
On to the review, On the Edge of Gone is about the end of the world after a comet hits the eastern part of Europe. Denise is a 16 year old dark skinned autistic girl from the lower class of Amsterdam. She loves cats and all she wants is to leave on a generation ship with her sister Iris and maybe her drugged out mom.
That is a simplistic synopsis. It also has a lot to do with struggling and finding yourself.
I enjoyed reading this book because it portrays autism well. My son is autistic and I work with autistic children at an elementary school I am a 1:1 instructional aide. I could go on a tangent about how much I loved the way things were explained about her disability and the way she handled herself. At one point a character says "She's just being difficult. Have you ever seen an autistic kid?" That right there shows how much people are ignorant and gives stereotypes to autistic people. There is a wide spectrum for autism. Some kids are at the higher end. They can function for the most part in society, but that doesn't mean it's easy for them and that they are comfortable with it. They still have to worry about sensitivity to touch, taste, hearing, sight. Denise demonstrates this sensitivity through out the book. And it just reminded me of my son the whole time. He too is high functioning. He can read and write and do math, but he is slower and who knows how far he can go if he is encouraged. I'm sad that Denise was looked over as lazy. Because of the color of her skin she was looked down upon as not worth the time and effort to help her. The fact that she kept her autism secret to her own school made it worse for her academically. There was so many times I felt so much love and fear for Denise and the struggles everyday she had to face and the decisions she had to make.
Denise's mother is a side character that gets mentioned a lot because Denise wants her on board the generation ship. Mostly because she is her mom. She would also like to leave her on Earth because Denise's mom is a drug addict. Drug addiction is another thing I have a lot of experience with. It is something I had to live with my whole life. My mother was a drug addict and my father is an alcoholic. They are wonderful loving people, but their addiction gets in their way. In this story Denise wants to have her mom in her life, but at the same time she is emotionally drained. Her mom never gets clean, never gets better. She is always high and can't be counted on. Even at the end of the world when Denise needs her mom the most, her mom isn't mentally there. She has already escaped to a fog. That was frustrating to watch and read about. The desperation in the mom's eyes, the pleading for Denise to help even though she could get in serious trouble. The mom is so focused on herself she doesn't see the big picture. As a parent I would make sure my kids were taken care of first. Their lives are more important then my own. Yet Denise's mom is scared and lonely.
Lastly there is Iris, Denise's sister. Iris is trans. Born a boy, but always knowing deep down that she was a girl. Iris is also a fighter and a survivor. The whole book Denise is on a mission to find her sister and when she finally does...it's one set back after another. I loved that Iris was the only one that actually truly understood her sister. She knew how to calm her down. She knew what Denise could and could not handle. She was the only one that paid any attention to Denise when she was panicky and stressed. She also stood up for Denise whenever she needed it. A rock in Denise's life. That made me incredible happy-sad knowing that Denise at least had one person in her life that cared. Not out of selfish reasons or felt obligated to, but because she loved her in every way. Sibling love makes me crazy with happiness.
The book has a bunch of other characters that aren't very important for this review, but help the story along and a few characters that were shady and villainous, but I guess out of desperation and grief. It's the end of the world after all. Every man for himself.
With characters out of the way, what did I think about plot and world building... there was enough twists and turns in the plot to make me hyperventilate a lot. I mean it took me 2 weeks to read this book because I was overly anxious all the time. Do they live....do they die? Just tell me so I can know what kind of emotion I need. I was on the threshold emotionally. I couldn't take the anticipation of doom or happy endings. It was so scary. The world building seemed put together well. I am not familiar with Amsterdam and its surrounding areas. I did like the way Corinne talked about the devastation and rubble of the city. And about the aftermath of the comet and what it did to the Earth with the earthquakes and then the Tsunami....flooding everything.
Overall this was a great story. I would love to read more books by this author.
On to the review, On the Edge of Gone is about the end of the world after a comet hits the eastern part of Europe. Denise is a 16 year old dark skinned autistic girl from the lower class of Amsterdam. She loves cats and all she wants is to leave on a generation ship with her sister Iris and maybe her drugged out mom.
That is a simplistic synopsis. It also has a lot to do with struggling and finding yourself.
I enjoyed reading this book because it portrays autism well. My son is autistic and I work with autistic children at an elementary school I am a 1:1 instructional aide. I could go on a tangent about how much I loved the way things were explained about her disability and the way she handled herself. At one point a character says "She's just being difficult. Have you ever seen an autistic kid?" That right there shows how much people are ignorant and gives stereotypes to autistic people. There is a wide spectrum for autism. Some kids are at the higher end. They can function for the most part in society, but that doesn't mean it's easy for them and that they are comfortable with it. They still have to worry about sensitivity to touch, taste, hearing, sight. Denise demonstrates this sensitivity through out the book. And it just reminded me of my son the whole time. He too is high functioning. He can read and write and do math, but he is slower and who knows how far he can go if he is encouraged. I'm sad that Denise was looked over as lazy. Because of the color of her skin she was looked down upon as not worth the time and effort to help her. The fact that she kept her autism secret to her own school made it worse for her academically. There was so many times I felt so much love and fear for Denise and the struggles everyday she had to face and the decisions she had to make.
Denise's mother is a side character that gets mentioned a lot because Denise wants her on board the generation ship. Mostly because she is her mom. She would also like to leave her on Earth because Denise's mom is a drug addict. Drug addiction is another thing I have a lot of experience with. It is something I had to live with my whole life. My mother was a drug addict and my father is an alcoholic. They are wonderful loving people, but their addiction gets in their way. In this story Denise wants to have her mom in her life, but at the same time she is emotionally drained. Her mom never gets clean, never gets better. She is always high and can't be counted on. Even at the end of the world when Denise needs her mom the most, her mom isn't mentally there. She has already escaped to a fog. That was frustrating to watch and read about. The desperation in the mom's eyes, the pleading for Denise to help even though she could get in serious trouble. The mom is so focused on herself she doesn't see the big picture. As a parent I would make sure my kids were taken care of first. Their lives are more important then my own. Yet Denise's mom is scared and lonely.
Lastly there is Iris, Denise's sister. Iris is trans. Born a boy, but always knowing deep down that she was a girl. Iris is also a fighter and a survivor. The whole book Denise is on a mission to find her sister and when she finally does...it's one set back after another. I loved that Iris was the only one that actually truly understood her sister. She knew how to calm her down. She knew what Denise could and could not handle. She was the only one that paid any attention to Denise when she was panicky and stressed. She also stood up for Denise whenever she needed it. A rock in Denise's life. That made me incredible happy-sad knowing that Denise at least had one person in her life that cared. Not out of selfish reasons or felt obligated to, but because she loved her in every way. Sibling love makes me crazy with happiness.
The book has a bunch of other characters that aren't very important for this review, but help the story along and a few characters that were shady and villainous, but I guess out of desperation and grief. It's the end of the world after all. Every man for himself.
With characters out of the way, what did I think about plot and world building... there was enough twists and turns in the plot to make me hyperventilate a lot. I mean it took me 2 weeks to read this book because I was overly anxious all the time. Do they live....do they die? Just tell me so I can know what kind of emotion I need. I was on the threshold emotionally. I couldn't take the anticipation of doom or happy endings. It was so scary. The world building seemed put together well. I am not familiar with Amsterdam and its surrounding areas. I did like the way Corinne talked about the devastation and rubble of the city. And about the aftermath of the comet and what it did to the Earth with the earthquakes and then the Tsunami....flooding everything.
Overall this was a great story. I would love to read more books by this author.
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