The Edge of the Shadows

June 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-Mystery author George continues the story of Becca King, who can hear the "whispers" of other people's thoughts. On the run from her evil stepfather, Becca was left on Whidbey Island by her mother in The Edge of Nowhere (2012) and found her powers beginning to grow even as she wove her life into the fabric of the island in The Edge of the Water (2014, both Viking). This time around, the arrival of three new teen islanders at the same time as an arsonist begins menacing the town throws Becca's world into chaos. Isis and Aiden, siblings from Palo Alto, CA, immediately raise suspicions, while Parker, a handsome fiddler from Canada, pursues two friends with hurtful results. When the arsonist burns down an abandoned house, killing a homeless man inside while the teens of Whidbey party nearby, the protagonist and her friends begin separate investigations of the newcomers, searching for the truth. Many plot threads are left dangling for subsequent books, including where Becca's mother is, why Aiden is so interested in Becca's past, mentor Diana's seemingly failing health, and whether the heroine will truly ever be safe from her stepfather. Still, the central mystery wraps up nicely, if a bit hastily, and readers eager to revisit the residents of Whidbey Island will find much to love here. VERDICT An enjoyable, if overly long, addition to the mysteries of Whidbey Island.-Elisabeth Gattullo Marrocolla, Darien Library, CT

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2015
Grades 8-12 The third title in George's Whidbey Island series continues to introduce new characters while further developing the multiple protagonists of the first two books. George, known for her many best-selling adult mysteries, has created a distinctive, tight community of teens whose myriad secrets and hardships are realistic and compelling. New to the large cast of characters are beautiful but irritating Isis and her deadbeat skateboarding brother, Aidan, from Palo Alto, who clearly have some heavy emotional baggage. Meanwhile, Derric tells his parents about his sister; from the African orphanage; Hayley begins to trust others enough to seek help for her father and sister; and Becca learns to expand her powers of hearing others' thoughts. Concurrent with these revelations are a series of fires that are clearly the work of an arsonist, frightening the community. On Whidbey Island, everyone has got a secret, and those secrets intertwine in fascinating and intricate ways. While this title needs the backstory of previous books to fully engage readers, those who are already hooked on George's clear expository style and elegant construction will find much to enjoy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)