I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles Published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA on January 31st 2017
Pages: 368
Amazon-Indiebound
Goodreads
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.
My Thoughts:
I first heard about this book around BEA. It sounded like something that would totally be up my alley. I love contemporary with a dash of the paranormal and moral ambiguity!
This story really drew me in. It starts off with an incredibly intense life or death situation and never slows down. Each new scene had me wanting to know more and more and more. Giles has a very compelling storytelling style.
The question of what makes a monster (literally or figuratively) is one of my favorites to read about (think Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone series.) I loved seeing this play out in The Edge of Everything. X is a bounty hunter and has done terrible things… but only to “bad” people. These people in turn become bounty hunters to pay for their deeds. Is there ever redemption? How “bad” do you have to be to become a bounty hunter? Why is X bound to that fate? All of these questions really get the reader thinking about the story (and life in general.)
Zoe’s part of the story is intriguing as well. Her family has been rocked by tragedy more than once and they are just trying to keep going. Zoe is doing everything she can to hold herself together and help her brother and mother (I loved her mother!) The family dynamic was well developed and gave the book much of it’s heart. Zoe’s friends are A+ as well.
The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles was an interesting and intense read. Once I picked it up I couldn’t stop reading until the end.
Note: For some reason I thought that this book was a stand alone. It’s not. That didn’t have any bearing on my enjoyment… just don’t expect everything to be resolved at the end!
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