I am very excited to share my review of The Edge of Everywhen by A.S. Mackey. I interviewed A.S. Mackey on this very blog last year when I first ran into her and her work. Now, I am so pleased to get to review her finished book!
Quick note: I received this book for free from Lifeway in exchange for a review.
The Review
Before reading the book, I didn’t really have expectations about the story. I jumped right in blind! Yet from the beginning, I was struck by its captivating style. Mackey does a phenomenal job at bringing you into the world of the book (and books in general–more on that below) from the get-go. Immediately, there are mysteries that pull you in.
As I continued reading I kept waiting for the traditional “witch’s hat” structure–the conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, ect. Refreshingly, however, the book defies these usual structures. Instead, it plays out more like a “slice of life.” Rare for this age range based on what I’ve read, I appreciated it as a more realistic and “literary” approach to storytelling. With underlying mysteries keeping me going, I didn’t bemoan the loss of a clear-cut conflict or antagonist. Instead, I enjoyed peering into their lives and feelings things as they did.
One of my favorite parts about opening a fiction book is the chance to step into the shoes of someone else, someone new with their own unique perspective. In Edge of Everywhen, I looked through the eyes of a young girl, but I also experienced–through her eyes–the lives of parents, people with deep pain, an autistic boy, and a dyslexic woman. Her honest portrayal of people with real-life struggles is an admirable feat, especially for Christian literature!
Edge of Everywhen is a book-lovers dream come true. I told my wife that this is ideal for a middle school girl who loves to read (my wife replied: “So, me in middle school.”). Mackey praises other great works of literature and brings them into the story–I must admit, she hit me with a heavy dose of nostalgia on more than one occasion. This good book appreciates good books!
Finally, I want to comment on the book’s message and themes. Mackey approached the moral lesson in a unique and fascinating way. The book isn’t pedantic where the children “learn a lesson;” I feel instead they experience a lesson. One of the adult characters, Mr. Greene, is certainly one with whimsical wisdom–he is a believer in God who delivers some masterful lines (I quoted this character’s wisdom in an article about finding God in everything, a theme of this book). Yet there are never any hit-you-over-the-head-with-a-Bible moments. In fact, when I finally put down The Edge of Everywhen I had a jarring moment where I asked myself “What am I supposed to learn?” The plot is wrapped up, but the message isn’t as clear–I am forced to continue reflecting on the material, to continue to ask myself about my own story. Though different than other children’s literature, the open-ended message make it, to me, much more powerful.
Who’s it for?
I’d recommend this book for children ages 10 to 14. Avid readers, especially those that have read many classic children’s books like Harry Potter or Bridge to Terabithia, will probably appreciate it more. Though there is discussion of death and loss, Mackey smoothly navigates emotions in a way that could benefit a child who experienced similar things.
Also–I’m a 23 year old man and I enjoyed it. So while it meant be geared toward a younger audience, any parent should sneak in a few chapters when their kid as gone to bed.
Buy it from Amazon or Lifeway (Lifeway currently has a really good sale on this book as of 5/18/2020).
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