Review: The Edge of Over There by Shawn Smucker

June 3, 2019

Title: The Edge of Over There
Author: Shawn Smucker
Publisher: Revell
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780800735418
Publication Date: April 2nd, 2019 (Paperback)
Hardback (July 3rd, 2018)

About the Book:
The captivating sequel to the award-winning The Day the Angels Fell

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Abra Miller carries a secret and a responsibility she never expected.

Before the Tree of Life, everything in Abra Miller's life had been predictable. Safe. Normal. But after the Tree, everything has felt fragile . . . like holding a soap bubble in the palm of her hand. After years of fruitless searching for the next Tree, she begins to wonder if it was nothing more than a vivid dream.

Now sixteen, Abra finds a clue to the whereabouts of the next Tree of Life when an ominous woman--who looks exactly like a ghost from her past--compels her to travel to New Orleans where she'll find one of seven gateways between this world and Over There. But she's not the only one interested in finding the gateway. There's also a young man searching for his father and sister, who escaped through it years before. As Abra enters the Edge of Over There and begins her pursuit of the Tree once more, she doesn't know whom to fear or whom to trust.

She's also starting to think that some doorways should never be opened.

My Thoughts:
This is book 2 of this series, and you need to read the 1st book to know what is going on in this book. I had to book this book down, to read the first book, before I could read this one to give a good review. You probably could read this book by itself, but you would be missing out on a lot references that are very important!

This was the first book(s) I've read by Shawn Smucker and I have to say, they were so well done. Oh, my goodness. The world building, the character arcs and the vividness of these books was simply fabulous! Shawn was able to craft a world to escape into with such a unique feel.

The cover of this book is what drew me to the story. It is one of the most gorgeous covers I've seen this year, it pops and it really gives you an idea for the story you will read.

Arba is such a strong character. She was a bit of a side character in the first book, The Day the Angels Fell, but in The Edge of Over There, she is front and center.

This book took you to many places between the questions of is death is a gift, the supernatural aspects woven through, the adventure, mystery, and searching through this story. This was a book that was hard to put down. It kept me reading and listening (the audio was fantastic by the way and helped me to focus a little more on some of the more detailed areas of the story).

If you are a fan of YA, or you are a fan of the supernatural type stories, I really believe this is a story you will enjoy, but I will give warning, I found out the hard way, read the first book, first, you will be glad you did. These stories together give such an amazing saga of these characters that play off of each other so well. The first book feeds into the second book and keeps opening up this world to whole new levels.

It's hard to go into details with this book, because I really don't want to spoil aspects of either of these stories. So, I will say, the writing is on point. The story flowed for me without any lag. I enjoyed how Arba moved up into the lead. The different perspectives really gave the story a fresh feel when looking back and moving forward.

This was a good read!

4.5 out of 5

About the Author:
Shawn Smucker is the author of the young adult novels The Day the Angels Fell and The Edge of Over There, as well as the memoir Once We Were Strangers. He lives with his wife and six children in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
You can find him online at www.shawnsmucker.com.








Thank you to the publisher, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.


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