Edge of Over There
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4.7 • 3 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The captivating sequel to the award-winning The Day the Angels Fell
Before the Tree of Life, everything in Abra Miller's life had been predictable. But after the Tree and the lightning and the angels, everything felt tenuous, like holding a soap bubble in the palm of her hand. She spent years looking for signs of that other world, waiting for it to break through. When it didn't, her friendship with Sam Chambers grew cold and distant, and they both wondered how any of it could actually have happened.
Four years later, 16-year-old Abra's long-delayed quest to find the next manifestation of the Tree of Life is renewed when she sees a woman walking up the road--a woman who looks exactly like Sam's dead mother. The woman directs her to New Orleans where she will find the grave of Marie Laveau, one of seven gateways between this world and Over There. As Abra enters The Edge of Over There and begins her pursuit of the Tree once more, she doesn't know whom to fear or whom to trust. But she's starting to think that some doorways should never be opened.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this thought-provoking sequel to The Day the Angels Fell, Smucker follows Abra Miller, a 16-year-old who has taken on a great responsibility. Set in a contemporary world with fantastical flourishes, the novel begins with the Biblical Tree of Life regenerating itself, an occurrence that happens sporadically. Abra holds the sword that can kill the Tree and keep humans from becoming immortal by eating the Tree's fruit. Abra's atlas, given to her in the previous book, shows that the latest Tree has appeared at the Edge of Over There, an otherworldly place between Earth and Heaven. Abra must enter a secret passageway within a tomb in a New Orleans cemetery, find the Tree, kill it, and return to seal the Tomb. She sets off with Beatrice and Leo, both of whom have connections to the Tree: Beatrice, a mysterious girl who appears suddenly at Abra's school, makes Abra nervous but also inspires confidence that she can find the Tree; Leo is searching for his father, who spirited Leo's sister, Ruby, through the tomb years earlier. As they get closer to the Tree, their divergent purposes put them at odds with each other. Blending Biblical elements and urban myths, Smucker creates an enthralling story of supernatural battles between the forces of good and evil. Jensen Literary Agency
Customer Reviews
Emotions, emotions, and more
This book is AMAZING!! It made me like the first one better. It is the kind of book you want to read slowly because you want to savor the language and also because you are so emotionally invested in the characters you just can’t take more than a few pages at a time. You need to buy a copy of this to mark up all the amazing quotes and so you can come back to it over and over again.
This book focuses on Abra and we meet some awesome new characters, Leo, Mr. Henry, and Ruby. We also meet some pretty scary new characters, Koli Naal, Beatrice, Jerimiah, and even Amos. The setting, mostly the Edge of Over There, is a tense and wonderful place. I just don’t have words for all the emotions I had reading this book.
Go buy a copy, read it, mark it up, read it again, and wait impatiently for what comes next.
A worthy sequel
“If you don’t know where to go or what to do, here is what I would recommend: go as far as you’re able and do what you can. The rest will happen. I promise. The rest will always happen.”
Abra has passed on after a life worthy of a hero. Samuel was gifted with the “keys” when her husband settled her estate. The thing is, for him, they don’t seem to “work” for Sam because he really doesn’t know everything...and he’s afraid he can’t do anything because he’s so old
Enter Mr. Henry who relays the story of Abra and Leo and a second Tree planted on The Edge Over There. Through a fascinating tale that builds an amazing world rooted in the myths of many peoples, Smucker relays what might happen if the balance of time and understanding gets skewed one way...or the other.
“Fear always comes with a door, a door that leads straight through.“
This book is the follow up to last year’s “The Day the Angels Fell”:a compelling look at what might happen when good and evil confront each other over the course of lifetimes in a rural family. Called a YA, I actually saw it as a NA-new adult- genre book that might feel like a type of paranormal fable. And proves to me the old adage that there really are only a few stories that keep getting reworked. That’s not a bad thing when it’s done well. Smucker’s breadth of eclectic knowledge shines through and makes “ The Edge Over There” a riveting worthy sequel. Highly recommended. 5/5
[disclaimer: I received this early copy from NetGalley. I am solely responsible for the views presented here]