The Edge of Anything

Teenagers develop an unlikely friendship as they navigate painful life events dealing with both physical and mental health. The characters are lovable and real as they deal with the impact of these events. Just enough teen drama to make the story very real without losing any of the empathy or strength of emotion of the challenges both girls are facing. Engaging, heartwarming and important aspects of teen struggles with mental health addressed in an wonderfully written story.

The Edge of Anything tells the heartbreaking and beautiful story of Len and Sage, two girls who become friends while each is going through their own tragedy. Sage, a star volleyball player on her way to an excellent scholarship, finds out that she will never play again due to a medical issue. Len, a photograph, is tormented by grief and worried she’s losing her mind. Despite their differences, the two girls become great friends and help each other out through their difficult situations. The characters were all so engaging and believable, they had their faults, dreams, and trials, but you were able to see how much growth they made throughout the book. It was full of beautiful details about the girls’ North Carolina town and the surrounding mountains. It was such a sad read, but it’s so touching and showed the power of friendship, and is one of my favorite books of the year.

This fantastic exploration of identity, friendship, and mental health will be welcome in high school libraries as the author has written main characters that truly reflect the struggles of today’s students. Highly recommend.