- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Collins Educational; School edition edition (20 Feb 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007178646
- ISBN-13: 978-0007178643
- Product Dimensions: 18.4 x 12.8 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,047,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Edge
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More About the Author
Product Description
Lindsey Fraser, Booktrusted News (Booktrust)
"Gibbons is passionate about making literature accessible to young people... He uses short, mini-chapters to tell his story and the effect is electric."
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Review
"Alan Gibbons is committed to writing books boys will read...No film or television could compete with the immediacy of this intense plotting." Sunday Herald
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The main charcters in this book are fifteen - year old Danny and his mother Cathy. Cathy is white, while Danny is mixed race. (His mother became pregnant a sixteen with him by a black man named Des who is introduced later on). In the beginning they both run away from Cathy's violent and abusive boyfriend Chris Kane to Cathy's Northern hometown, Edgecliff. When they arrive, they are made to feel unwelcome by Cathy's father who disapproves of mixed - race relationships and regards Danny as a 'mistake'. Elsewhere in the town, racism is a major issue and Danny starts to find himself in complicated webs; especially when he starts the local high school. And then Chris starts to track them down...
This book is FANTASTIC. Its characters are well-formed and fully believable, its plot is meaty yet easy to follow and it is consistently fast paced and exciting, which is rare. It investigates the capacities of humans for love, emotion, violence, prejudice and stereotypical behaviour amazingly well, and allows further expression for the different characters's views as the book is told in mini - sections, each titled with the name of the character concerned. Congratulations to Alan Gibbons for writing such an excellent book that in my opinion should win every award going.
This book is FANTASTIC. Its characters are well-formed and fully believable, its plot is meaty yet easy to follow and it is consistently fast paced and exciting, which is rare. It investigates the capacities of humans for love, emotion, violence, prejudice and stereotypical behaviour amazingly well, and allows further expression for the different characters's views as the book is told in mini - sections, each titled with the name of the character concerned. Congratulations to Alan Gibbons for writing such an excellent book that in my opinion should win every award going.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
`The Edge' is an enticing novel covering some of the main modern day issues and concerns such as domestic violence, single parenting, drugs, psychotic disorders and racism. The author uses short, sharp sentences to give a sense of a hurried and rushed opening to the book. The story is written by Alan Gibbons and is in a multi-narrative form which means that different characters can convey their different emotions about the same parts of the story. This is an unusual technique and it is very difficult to write in this way because you have to understand the characters yourself and also understand their emotions in order to express their feelings through yourself as the author. Alan Gibbons has done this very successfully because his technique gives you an insight into their previous lives, however, meeting Chris Kane, Cathy is not `allowed' a past because Chris thinks he is her past, present and future but she still refers back to her youth when he's not around. Cathy is not the main character in this story but she does give us some information about the way Chris behaved before the beginning of the book. You might be thinking that Chris Kane is the main character in the book, he does have a large part in the book but Cathy's son, Danny, is the main character. He is living with his mother and her ex-boyfriend who still loves her and will not let her go. In this novel Cathy is escaping from her deluded, `abusive' and extremely `possessive' ex-partner with Danny and they are venturing out of London to stay with Cathy's parents.
The characters in this novel have very different personalities because Danny is a traumatised, `insecure' and an `abused' teenager; Cathy is low in self-esteem, damaged but independent and Chris is a `psychotic', antisocial `animal'.
The tension builds and builds until it is finally released as a massive shock to all the readers so you will just have to find out what happens for yourselves!
For ages 12+
Rating 8.5/10
The characters in this novel have very different personalities because Danny is a traumatised, `insecure' and an `abused' teenager; Cathy is low in self-esteem, damaged but independent and Chris is a `psychotic', antisocial `animal'.
The tension builds and builds until it is finally released as a massive shock to all the readers so you will just have to find out what happens for yourselves!
For ages 12+
Rating 8.5/10
11 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I found this book to be one of the best I have ever read.
It kept me interested, intrigued and constantly wanting to find out what happened next. The book is set out as if it were a diary, each chapter being split up into each characters entry for that particular day.
The characters are well portrayed and each of the them show very different personalities but all coming together in the end, giving a dramatic scene and climax to the novel, sorting out the bad from the good.
I found the book carefully and perfectly written the whole way throughout; and I feel that other readers will think the same.
As this is the first book I have read by this particular author it definitely made me want to read other books and set a very good example.
An excellent book by an excellent author!
It kept me interested, intrigued and constantly wanting to find out what happened next. The book is set out as if it were a diary, each chapter being split up into each characters entry for that particular day.
The characters are well portrayed and each of the them show very different personalities but all coming together in the end, giving a dramatic scene and climax to the novel, sorting out the bad from the good.
I found the book carefully and perfectly written the whole way throughout; and I feel that other readers will think the same.
As this is the first book I have read by this particular author it definitely made me want to read other books and set a very good example.
An excellent book by an excellent author!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Just coz
Just coz i found it dull and boring
by me, helped by me, me, me, me, me, me, me, and me
by me, helped by me, me, me, me, me, me, me, and me
Published 5 months ago by Me
Gripping, Fast-Paced and utterly believable!
The Edge by Alan Gibbons.
A gripping and exciting read this book will have you glued to your seat and wanting more at the end. Read more
A gripping and exciting read this book will have you glued to your seat and wanting more at the end. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Tom
Real life gets a real working in Gibbons shocking novel
Danny and his mother Cathy have been living in fear from Chris and one day they make a break for freedom, only the Promised Land has its own problems. Read more
Published on 4 Aug 2009 by Stampy
Gripping, vivid and insightful
This book had both me and my sons gripped from beginning to end. It is the story of a boy and his mother who move out to a small village to escape the mother's violent... Read more
Published on 11 Dec 2007 by Jaybird
VERY GOOD
The Edge By Alan Gibbons is a story about bullies and life in abbuse.
It's a great book and it's easy to read for Young Adult. Read more
It's a great book and it's easy to read for Young Adult. Read more
Published on 20 April 2007 by Al Thraves
Amazing
`We've got to go!'
These are the first words Danny hears in the morning from his mum. They are running away from her boyfriend, Chris, who is violent and cruel to them. Read more
These are the first words Danny hears in the morning from his mum. They are running away from her boyfriend, Chris, who is violent and cruel to them. Read more
Published on 5 Jun 2006 by Tom123
Wonderful
I'm reading this at school (I picked it out to read before lessons). Let me just say, I haven't read a book as entertaining and thrilling as this in years. Read more
Published on 15 Mar 2006 by Laurie B.
An older readers view
I bought this book for my teenage daughter, however after reading the first page I was hooked!
The moving story of a boy and his mother escaping domestic violence sets off a... Read more
The moving story of a boy and his mother escaping domestic violence sets off a... Read more
Published on 31 July 2004 by "janeab38"
A simply fantastic book! So easy to read!
After reading this book (The Edge - Alan Gibbons) I felt uplifted by the struggle of a young mother and her teenage son. Read more
Published on 24 Jan 2004 by Ben
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