The Edge of Anything
Author: Nora Shalaway Carpenter
Publication Date: March 24th, 2020
Publisher: Running Press Teen
Synopsis: Len is a loner teen photographer haunted by a past that’s stagnated her work and left her terrified she’s losing her mind. Sage is a high school volleyball star desperate to find a way around her sudden medical disqualification. Both girls need college scholarships. After a chance encounter, the two develop an unlikely friendship that enables them to begin facing their inner demons.
But both Len and Sage are keeping secrets that, left hidden, could cost them everything, maybe even their lives.
Set in the North Carolina mountains, this dynamic #ownvoices novel explores grief, mental health, and the transformative power of friendship.
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The Edge of Anything is such a powerful, deep, and encouraging read and I have to say, at times like this, this is the kind of book that I needed in my life.
I used to be really into photography. I can’t say I was ever a professional or anything like that, but I always took my trusty Nikon everywhere with me, and took pictures of pretty much everything you could think of. I loved it – I felt like I could capture the beauty of anything, even when others didn’t see any there. I still like taking photos, but these days they are usually of my kids or my cat, to be honest (but that’s not a bad thing!).
When I heard that this book was centered around a teen photographer, I honestly couldn’t wait to read it. I felt like this book might make me look back on my own teenage years, and I was right, it did.
The Edge of Anything is so much more than a book about a teen photographer, though. It is a story of an unlikely friendship, of grief and futures. I really loved the story here -it was practically an emotional rollercoaster that I enjoyed riding. I love books that make me feel all kinds of emotions and have my feeling in sync with the characters, and this really did just that.
Another part of this book that I absolutely loved was the character development. It was so pronounced and it was amazing to watch these two characters grow and transform – going from simple characters into more complex ones. As the story goes on, the characters do a lot of changing. I love this kind of development.
If you absolutely love character-driven YA novels, this is one you shouldn’t miss. Sure, there are some sad parts, but there are a lot of happy parts, too – and sometimes this kind of book is exactly the book you didn’t know you needed in your life.
Note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Nora Shalaway Carpenter holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Before she wrote books, she served as associate editor of Wonderful West Virginia magazine and has been a Certified Yoga Teacher since 2012. Originally from rural West Virginia, she currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband, three young children, and one not-so-young dog. Learn more at www.noracarpenterwrites.com or follow her on Instagram @noracarpenterwrites and Twitter @norawritesbooks.
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Prize: Win a hardcopy of THE EDGE OF ANYTHING by Nora Shalaway Carpenter, a character art postcard by kelsey Lecky of K. A. K. Lecky illustration, a bookmark and a pop-open card from Thoughtfulls (US Only)
Starts: 24th March 2020
Ends: 7th April 2020
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