Judith L. (jlautner) reviewed The Edge of Nowhere (Edge of Nowhere, Bk 1) on + 105 more book reviews
The first in a series of four progressive YA novels featuring the same characters. Elizabeth George is well known for her complex, multi-focused adult mysteries, set in England. She was born and lives in the U.S. but has spent a great deal of time in the UK. This set of novels is a departure both because of the location - Whidbey Island, a narrow island in Puget Sound in Washington, and because they are aimed at young readers and those who enjoy Young Adult novels.
In this novel we meet Becca King, age 14. Becca, with her mother, has left her home in San Diego to escape her stepfather, who has committed a murder. They fear he will cause harm to them because of what they know. Becca is using an assumed name and took a ferry alone to Whidbey Island while her mother seeks a safe home for them both elsewhere. All does not go as planned and Becca finds herself alone on the island, having to rely on the kindness of strangers. Fortunately, she does find kind strangers who become friends.
Becca is alone in this world not only because of her escape, about which she is determined not to tell anyone, but also because she has an unusual gift: she hears "whispers" from others. Something like mindreading, she hears snatches of thoughts. At times the cacophany of whispers from others is too much for her, so she has a device that creates a kind of white noise to shut it out.
Becca takes other measures to keep her stepfather from locating or recognizing her. She wears heavy makeup and baggy, unflattering clothes. She does things with her hair. She wears unflattering glasses. So she becomes someone else, in essence.
Keeping her wits about her she finds places to stay and friends to talk to - but doesn't tell others that she is on the run - except for Seth, a 19-year-old dropout and musician who is kind and helpful. She also tracks the moves of her stepfather and, toward the end of the book, discovers that he is on the island looking for her.
In this novel we meet Becca King, age 14. Becca, with her mother, has left her home in San Diego to escape her stepfather, who has committed a murder. They fear he will cause harm to them because of what they know. Becca is using an assumed name and took a ferry alone to Whidbey Island while her mother seeks a safe home for them both elsewhere. All does not go as planned and Becca finds herself alone on the island, having to rely on the kindness of strangers. Fortunately, she does find kind strangers who become friends.
Becca is alone in this world not only because of her escape, about which she is determined not to tell anyone, but also because she has an unusual gift: she hears "whispers" from others. Something like mindreading, she hears snatches of thoughts. At times the cacophany of whispers from others is too much for her, so she has a device that creates a kind of white noise to shut it out.
Becca takes other measures to keep her stepfather from locating or recognizing her. She wears heavy makeup and baggy, unflattering clothes. She does things with her hair. She wears unflattering glasses. So she becomes someone else, in essence.
Keeping her wits about her she finds places to stay and friends to talk to - but doesn't tell others that she is on the run - except for Seth, a 19-year-old dropout and musician who is kind and helpful. She also tracks the moves of her stepfather and, toward the end of the book, discovers that he is on the island looking for her.
