A beautiful story following two sisters as they navigate grief. This story takes us on a journey as they find healing and closure.

This is a great read about a young girl, Cayenne, whose family has a history of dying young due to cancer, at least the women do. After losing her mother to breast cancer, Cayenne decides to live life to the fullest and dangerously since she figures she will die young, too. She is given videos that her mother recorded prior to dying and at first rejects them. When her Aunt Tee finds she has the same mutation of cells that her mother had, she decides to get a mastectomy to reduce her chances of getting cancer. Cayenne has depended on Tee, as she is the mother figure in her life, so she is struggling and decides to watch her mother's videos. The journey that follows will make you weep as you read.

How to Live on the Edge by Sarah Lynn Scheerger is such an emotional rollercoaster so buckle in before you start this one! It was a beautifully written book with such an emotional draw!

Cayenne and Saffron lost their mother to breast cancer when they were young, leaving them to live with Aunt Tee. They know that the women in their family don’t live past 40. The BRCA gene mutation that runs in their DNA won’t let them. Cayenne spends her time flirting, very dangerously, with death. She stands in front of oncoming trains, jumping out of the way at the last second, and so many other perilous activities. When she is given video messages her mother made for her before her death, she finds that she doesn’t want them, but continues to be drawn to them.

This story is a deep, insightful, and inspirational story. I liked that the main character was deeply flawed, and I enjoyed the serious subject matter. It was a bit slow in spots, but overall, flowed well, providing a story that I needed to see the ending of.

The characters are so different. Cayenne is hard to connect with. She doesn’t care about her own life because she’s sure she’ll lose it early, so I had a hard time caring. She has this amazing character arc though, and I found myself deeply invested in her story as the chapters progressed. I thought the author did a fabulous job of giving her growth and understanding throughout the story.

This book is marketed as a YA novel, which usually means that the book is marketed to 12-18 year olds, and that the main character is someone in that age range as well. This book fits both of those categories, but its topic is so serious, and so relatable to any reader that I wouldn’t shy away from this one if YA isn’t usually your thing.

Overall, I enjoyed this read, and found myself looking forward to picking it back up. I liked the character growth and the uplifting possibilities in the story.

Content Warnings:
This book depicts some extremely dangerous, life-threatening actions by the MC that could be upsetting to some readers.

To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend How to Live on the Edge readers that like to get emotionally invested in characters!

Like usual, I didn't know exactly what this book was about but as the cover had attracted me, I wanted to read it. The book started with the main character Cayenne train-jumping and living a life of defiance and never letting fear dictate what she does. She is living her life to the full as in her family, the woman has a curse. They all die in their 30's from Cancer whether it be Breast or Ovarian Cancer. It has been 14 years since their mother died from Cancer and now their guardian Aunt Tee has been diagnosed. The girls are also coming up 18 and have been presented with their mother's journal and a series of videos in which each one will present them with a gift and answer some big questions - like who is their father? Unlike in the past, these days you can be tested for the BRCA gene which if positive means you have a higher chance of getting Cancer. What happens when both Cayenne and Saffron take the test and have different views? This book was quite a touching read as coming from someone whose mother is also gone and will miss out on those big moments as my mum died coming up 7 years ago, this book tugged at my heartstrings. Unfortunately, my mother died from a genetic disease which I could have myself but as it is rare, it can't be fully tested and in my mother's side of the family - the diseases only tend to flare once you have had your first child which I still haven't had at this stage. If you are looking for a more emotional read that will have you thinking - would you live life to the fullest, if you knew life was short? Find out in Sarah Lynn Scheerger's How to Live on the Edge.

The curse—none of the women in the Silk family have ever lived past 37. Cayenne’s mother passed away from breast cancer fourteen years ago, and she’s accepted that this will be her fate, too. In an attempt to take control of her life (or rather her death), Cayenne (18) puts herself in danger by dodging trains and jumping off cliffs. But as Cayenne prepares to graduate high school, she and her sister—Saffron—receive a posthumous gift from their mother. This gift sets the Silk sisters on a journey to discover things that will permanently change their lives. Again.

I loved this book. 5 stars!!!

The carelessness of Cayenne (dodging trains and jumping off cliffs) was uncomfortable to read about in the beginning. While this may be a trigger for some readers, I truly believe that it was essential to the character’s journey of growing up and preparing for the unpredictable future.

Cayenne’s actions also amplified the differences of the other characters. For example, Saffron is risk-averse and deemed more mature although she’s younger than Cayenne. But their differences stem from the same thing: They are both dealing with grief. I think what makes this book unique is the author’s ability to craft a story that shows how grief can affect people immediately and even years after a trauma/loss. As someone who has dealt with my own medical challenges since birth, this book poignantly touched upon the questions surrounding ‘acceptance,’ ‘choices,’ and ‘self-worth.’ If I could’ve given my twelve-year old self advice or guidance during some tough medical decisions, I would’ve given myself this book to read.

Thank you to BookSparks for the opportunity to read this book and give an honest review.

I’m not going to deny that it took so much strength to finish this book, not because it wasn’t good but because it brought up the pain that I felt when my aunt lost her battle on breast cancer. Cancer sucks to both the patient and the family; it hurts a lot to see a loved one succumb to it no matter how hard they fought. This story tackles Cayenne’s life and fear of this awful sickness. And I can't blame her for being how she is because when you know that your family fights the same battle and disease and the possibility of you getting the illness is high, it can get depressing, and you can also be in denial. She was careless and made crazy choices, but that's how she deals with her fear. This is an inspiring and emotional story that you shouldn’t miss. It is about acceptance, strength, and compassion

3.5 Stars!

Cayenne believes the women in her family are cursed, and destined to die young. The example first and foremost in Cayenne’s mind is her mother, who died of breast cancer when she was four. Cayenne’s belief that her time on earth will be short results in her desire to make the most of the time she has. As a result, Cayenne engages in a variety of high-risk activities such as train dodging and cliff jumping, in a misguided effort to embrace life, tempt fate and deny death. When Cayenne is eighteen-years-old she and her younger sister Saffron are presented with a series of video messages and journal entries their mother prepared for them prior to her death. These materials will take both Cayenne and Saffron on a journey which will help them to redefine their understanding of what it means to truly live.

I would recommend this book to anyone whose life has been touched by cancer, specifically breast or ovarian. This book is particularly well suited for young women who have close family members that have been diagnosed with cancer or who are at high-risk themselves due to their family history. The book touches on a number of vital topics, to include the importance of breast self-exams, genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations and their relationship to breast and ovarian cancers, what it means to be a woman and how much of that is defined by the presence or absence of breasts and ovaries, the range of preventive options available and the complexity and personal nature of making those decisions. The book also touches briefly on teenage sex, alcoholism, and the process of transitioning.

Given the amount of information the book tries to convey, at times it felt like I was reading a series of educational pamphlets thinly veiled as a novel. Regardless, this was an emotional read that ultimately managed to be both sad and uplifting. Thank you to BookSparks and Sarah Lynn Scheerger for my advance copy!

Thanks to BookSparks & the author for my ebook copy.

This was a heartwarming story following two sisters whose mother died of breast cancer. The women in their family do not live past 40 so they believe they too will die young. I loved that this was a YA novel but it felt like so much more. It was unique and so real since the subject matter was so deep. I enjoyed the relationship between the two sisters. It was really uplifting.

This book is inspirational and unique.
It’s not your typical YA novel. It deals with such a serious topic that I kept forgetting it was YA.

Cayenne and Saffron lost their mother to breast cancer. The women in their family have the curse of not living past 40. Living with that knowledge can not be easy.

Cayenne likes to live everyday like it’s her last. Somehow by living on the edge she’s cheating death, or so she thinks.

I did enjoy this book. I felt like some parts did drag a little but overall I enjoyed the plot.

I couldn’t connect with our main character Cayenne at first but I think that was the point.
Why get so invested in life when you won’t live that long?
I love when characters mature before our eyes though and that’s exactly what happened with the Silk sisters.

Overall I recommend this book. It was a quick read and enjoyable!

How to Live on the Edge is a complex and inspirational young adult novel that caused me to do a lot of introspective thinking. The introduction paragraph alone was such a strong opening and set the tone for the entire book. Cayenne and Saffron were flawed but loving, adventurous, and determined protagonists. Their flaws are what make you empathize and connect with them as they're two teenage girls just trying to understand their place in the world and find out how they want to live their lives.

I think it’s easy to get annoyed with Cayenne’s inappropriate humor and recklessness, and at first I did feel like that, but then I began to see that she was coping the best way she knew how and just wanted to feel like she was in control of her life and destiny which I think is something many people can relate to. We might not go to the extremes of cliff diving and train dodging, but we all find ways to make us feel alive and that we’re the captain of the ship. This book was also a great look into how loss can affect people differently. Cayenne and Saffron are only a year apart but they handle their mother’s passing and their aunt’s diagnosis of the BRCA gene entirely different. One retreats in and wants to feel protected, safe, and loved by those around her while the other wants to feel untouchable, unreachable, and unknowable. Until she realizes that might not be the best approach.

The journey of discovery that the two sisters go on in this story was emotional at times as they were exposed to truths with no set path on how to address them. I really enjoyed the themes of whether withholding the truth and doing what you think is best is truly best for everyone, the idea of free will, and how much fate plays in role in what we do with our lives. There were no easy answers and no easy outs, but the author showed the strength it takes to “accept the things I cannot change, [and] courage to change the things I can.”

Originally the synopsis grabbed my attention because it deals with family members having breast cancer, which is something I can relate to. Who doesn't love a good relevant book. Scheerger did a great job of giving me every single emotion within on book. If you are looking for a good heart felt, family bonding, self realization. Then this is your book!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: How To Live on the Edge

Author: Sarah Lynn Scheerger

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended For...: contemporary

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, very dangerous activities that can get you killed, language, cancer TW)

Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab

Pages: 312

Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Cayenne barely remembers her mother, who died of breast cancer when Cayenne was four. The women in her family have a history of dying young. Cayenne figures she'll meet the same fate, so she might as well enjoy life now, engaging in death-defying risks like dodging trains and jumping off cliffs with her boyfriend.

When Cayenne receives a series of video messages her mother made for her before dying, she isn't sure she wants them. Her aunt Tee has been her true mother figure. But then Aunt Tee tests positive for a BRCA gene mutation--the one that doomed Cayenne's mom--and decides to get a mastectomy to reduce her chances of developing cancer. As Cayenne helps her aunt prepare for the surgery, she finds herself drawn to her mother's messages, with their musings on life, love, and perseverance. For the first time, Cayenne starts to question what it truly means to live life to the fullest, even when death might be written into her DNA.

Review: For the most part this was a well done book. The book has a very interesting story and it’s very informational. You can tell the author is very informed and passionate about learning and teaching about the BRCA gene, which is the gene that causes cancer. The book has great pacing as well.

However, I don’t think the characters are well developed in this book and it was really hard to understand the motives of Cayenne. The book also doesn’t have great world building.

Verdict: It was a good book!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review!

So I really enjoyed this book. Cayenne is our main character and she is a thrillseeker. She believes that the women in her family are cursed to die young so she believes that by taking unnecessary risks she is somehow cheating death.

I wanted to yell at her every time she pulled one of her stunts. She would "train jump" which means she would walk along the train tracks while a train was coming and not jump from the tracks until the very last minute. She would cliff jump with her boyfriend at night when they couldn't see the rocks below them.

I didn't connect with Cayenne at all but to me that was the point. She was distant and tried to not connect with anyone in her life because she expected to die young anyway.

That is until her deceased mom's best friend gives Cayenne and her sister Saffron videos from their mom before she passed from breast cancer. Through the videos and the accompanying journal along with her Aunt Tee's discovery that she is a carrier of the BRCA gene that causes the same cancer that took their mother, Cayenne is forced to evaluate the way she is living her life and the relationships she has formed with those around her.

This book is very informational about the BRCA gene and the different option carriers of the gene face. You can tell that this is really close to the author's heart and she includes an author's note about her discovery that she is a carrier of the gene herself.

I love that the author wrote a book about something so personal to her and it has a very moving story but also is informational as well.

I would definitely read other books by this author.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book. I fell for the characters especially the main character. I would recommend this book if it sounds interesting to you.

How to Live on the Edge is such an important and relevant read for young people, opening up the conversation of cancer and how it can affect lives. This is a book that should be put on school reading lists.

Two sisters are still dealing with the death of their mother from breast cancer fourteen years ago. When they learn their mother has left a journal to be read when they turn eighteen, it changes their relationship. While an admirable book for its educational information about living with the BRCA gene, it feels heavy-handed.

Cayenne and Saffron lost their mother to breast cancer. The women in their family never live past 40. Goshh it's scary isn't it? Few months ago I found a lump on my breast and I thought I have breast cancer. Doctor said it's just a lump nothing serious. So yeahh going to remove that thing pretty soon and I'm scared af!
This story is told from Cayenne point of view. I don't understand her but at the same time I feel like I understand her lol Maybe I did understand her at the end of the story. It's fun reading their journey especially Cayenne journey to love herself and people around her instead of trying to beat death.

Thank you Netgalley for How to Live on the Edge ARC!

I was expecting to go into this book and feel a deeper sense of something which sadly I didn’t get.

How to live on the edge is a book about two sisters who have been motherless for fourteen years. With cancer running in the family and the women in the girls life not living past forty, it’s more of a case of ‘when’ and not ‘if.’ This book is a journey on self discovery and highlights some sensitive subjects.

I will say, I carried on reading mainly because I enjoyed Sarah’s writing, however I found the book terribly boring. I couldn’t connect to either sisters (even though I have personal experience in this subject matter) and I felt like the mother’s videos and journal was a bit far fetched and unrealistic.
I can’t really pinpoint exactly what it was about this book but it fell flat for me. I think Sarah does a decent job of covering the issue of cancer sensitively and I can see she has done her research on the matter but I just don’t think this is a memorable read for me.

2 stars
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Great character development and the plot is intricate! The main character deals with personal struggles and tries to find her way after the death of a loved one. Supporting characters are developed and help move the plot along. This is a great read if you like books about personal struggles and the toll it takes on individuals trying to find their way in life after the loss of a loved one.

How to Live on the Edge is a book that hits close to home. Cancer, in many forms, has touched too many parts of loved ones lives but especially breast cancer. I wanted to love this book more than I did because of that. It was still a nice story, though, and if you like contemporary, or like so many others, feel you can relate in some way, you should give How to Live on the Edge a try. 💖