Nolan doesn't see darkness when he closes his eyes. Instead, he’s transported into the mind of Amara, a girl living in a different world. Nolan’s life in his small Arizona town is full of history tests, family tension, and laundry; his parents think he has epilepsy, judging from his frequent blackouts. Amara’s world is full of magic and danger--she’s a mute servant girl who’s tasked with protecting a renegade princess. Nolan is only an observer in Amara's world--until he learns to control her. At first, Amara is terrified. Then, she's furious. But to keep the princess--and themselves--alive, they'll have to work together and discover the truth behind their connection. A fascinating premise, clearly and compellingly written and imagined by a startlingly original debut writer.Praise for OtherboundFOUR STARRED REVIEWS"Original and compelling; a stunning debut." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Numerous plot twists drive the story along, and it’s grounded in worldbuilding that creates a believable, authentic setting. Duyvis makes ingenious use of a fascinating premise." --Publishers Weekly, starred review "While Duyvis’s debut is an exciting take on the fantasy genre, as it alternates between our world and that of the Dunelands, the true strength of the novel is in its positive portrayal of LGBT issues." --School Library Journal, starred review "Fantasy and speculative fiction fans will no doubt enjoy the ride, while authors should take note—this is how you do fantasy in a global world." --The Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books, starred review "Duyvis creates a humdinger of an adventure that contains the agony of loyalty, the allure of magic, and, most gratifyingly, the element of surprise." --The Horn Book Magazine "Debut author Duyvis has written a nice twist on the classic bodysnatchers theme and keeps the pace moving smoothly, even when jumping between Nolan’s and Amara’s perspectives. Her racially diverse characters struggle with both disabilities and sexual identity, but she keeps her focus solidly on the story and character development so that diversity integrates naturally into both Nolan’s and Amara’s experiences." --Booklist
On the Edge of Gone is set in the near future, and the world is preparing to be hit by an asteroid. Denise and her mother are running late to their appointed shelter because Denise's sister, Iris, is missing. They don't know if she's already at the shelter, at another one, or on her way home, so their mother wants to wait. But an asteroid waits for no one, and soon they're on their way, only to get sidetracked. Luckily, they find shelter on a generationship. Too bad they're not allowed to stay past impact.
I really enjoyed On the Edge of Gone. I'm a complete sucker for natural disaster type apocalypse stories, so I was really excited for this one. What made it even more exciting was getting the POV of an autistic girl. I do believe this was my first book with an autistic narrator. Denise has such a clear voice and I really liked her. She is determined to not only find her sister, but to prove to everyone on the generationship that she's useful, so that they can stay onboard. She definitely does what she sets out to do!
On the Edge of Gone isn't very action packed, even given the whole asteroid destroys Earth premise. There's some destruction in the beginning, and then a few scenes where Denise's life is in danger for various reasons. But I'd definitely describe this as a more character driven story, which is fine, although not my preference. I guess I was just hoping for more about what was going on in the world and the dangers people are facing, maybe some space travel. I still enjoyed watching Denise save herself, her family, and other survivors though.
On the Edge of Gone is a very enjoyable read. It does drag in some places, and feels repetitive at times. But I did love Denise and getting to know her. The ending did leave me wanting more though. It's not an open ending or anything like that, but like I said, I would have liked to have seen some space travel. I want to know what happens next!
