Customer Reviews

Girl Over the Edge

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Girl Over the Edge, by Amy L Kinzer, Kindle Edition

Summary:

After Chloe and Beckett make a bad decision as a college party, they're dropped from top rung of the social ladder straight to the bottom. Beckett manages her way back into the outer skirts of her old circle of friends, while Chloe slips deeper into a depression and steps closer to the edge, both figuratively and literally. Chloe's obsession with Aurora Bridge--also know as Suicide Bridge--is growing, and Beckett is the only one who can stop Chloe from making the jump. But Becket's fear of remaining a social outcast keeps getting in the way.

Overall Impressions:

I LOVED this story. It's an addicting, fast-paced read that had me in tears by the time I reached the end of the story. Amy L Kinzer has a clear natural talent and a story worth sharing. Beckett's "voice" throughout the story really added to the tone of the novel, and I found it very fitting and an excellent way to convey emotion. There were also bits of humor sprinkled throughout thanks to Beckett's unenthusiastic enthusiasm towards things like Mom of the Year! and School Spirit! These things were poignant in a way, too, as we can see the juxtaposition between how Beckett used to view life and how she views it now, after The Incident.

There were some aspects of this novel that made it hard for me determine a star rating. While the author has a clear natural talent, there were some very basic skills that, if learned, would have taken the effect of her writing to the next level. There were errors in logic and continuity and repetitiveness that I felt any critique group would have spotted, and there were typos throughout, especially in the first half of the book. At some parts in the story, there were whole ends of paragraphs missing, sentences that made no sense, and completely incorrect words in the middle of sentences. (Think using the word "frog" when you mean "cafeteria"). Had this book been in the hands of a strong editor, I believe one pass for editing and one for proofreading would have been all it would take to make this book flawless. As it stands, there were times I felt this was a first draft.

To fairly rate this, I've decided to offer a more comprehensive star rating and give my overall star rating based on that.

Story: 5 Stars

This is one of the best stories I've read in a long time. A really long time. I haven't been this addicted to a read in I can't remember how long. It's definitely character-based, where the plot is found in the characters and not in what is happening around them. In some regards, I think this story would hold some merit as literary fiction if it'd been better revised and edited in the writing department.

Pacing: 5 Stars

Excellent. Even with all the repetitions in ideas and descriptions, the pace breezed right along. I don't know how long the story was, but it FELT like I was reading a novella. I didn't find any parts that lagged or bored me, which is saying a lot. I almost always feel that way, even with my favorite books (and with my own writing!). Not the case here. I don't know how many words this novel was, but it read quickly.

Voice: 4 Stars

As I said before, I found this voice overall pleasing. About 80% of the way through, however, there were a couple chapters in the a row that seemed overly repetitive and choppy in the style of the voice. Too much she did this, he did that, it did this, etc. A lot of this could have been fixed through critique also, especially if the author was working on the continuity and flow of her sentences.

Characters: 4 Stars

I thought Chloe and Beckett were brilliant characters. Even the parents in the story (specifically Chloe's Mom and Beckett's Mom and Dad) were well developed and believable. Sometimes some of the characters seemed to similar. Such as the way Chloe wouldn't take care of herself, and then Beckett's little brother wouldn't take care of himself. The parallels there, especially when those two chapters were so close together, really stuck out to me, especially as Beckett was saying the same things to both of them, which made the idea feel repetitive and the characters seem less unique to themselves. Emma as a character stood out to me also as being more of a plot device. I found it hard to understand why Beckett was accepted back into the group of friends but Chloe, who used to be even more popular than Beckett, wasn't. Why did Chloe get it the worst? Were her actions in the pictures taken more severe? I feel like there were some motivations unexplored here that would have made a few of these characters (and the story) more believable. A simple critique prior to publication would have caught this, I believe. Overall, though, the main characters were some of the best characters I've read in a long time.

Theme: 5 Stars

This novel is extremely TIMELY. I'd say it'd make some great required reading in both middle schools and high schools. The themes on struggling friendships, consequences for actions, bullying, peer pressure...these are all great topics to cover in a young adult book.

Continuity: 3 Stars

Overall, the story flows pretty well. There are times where ideas repeat or ideas skip around or things come up that weren't mentioned before (but are being spoke about like they were recently discussed) or ideas are mentioned but never resolved. One example of an idea that is never resolved is why Chloe is losing so much weight. I assumed anorexia. At one point, Beckett mentions knowing Chloe's secret, which made me think there was something more about Chloe (and like maybe her anorexia would later be revealed) but anorexia is never revealed nor do we find out what this "secret" was. Some of the scenes felt repetitive both in what happened and how things were described. I noticed this was really only a problem in a few chapters, not all of them.

Logic: 3 Stars

There weren't a ton of logic issues, but what was there really bugged me. For example, at the beginning of the story there's a girl going under a bridge on a sailboat. But then after that, we're told that it's concrete under the bridge and they walk down there. I tried and tried to visualize how it could be both, but I couldn't. If it could be both, a better description cue from the author would have helped. There were other logic issues throughout--little things that I feel a critique partner or critique group would have spotted. All of these would have be very easy to fix, should the author decide to make some changes and put out a second edition of this fabulous novel!

Dialogue: 4 Stars

Dialogue was something I barely noticed in this novel, perhaps because it was so flawless and natural. Toward the end, there were a couple awkward conversation where people said things I didn't think they would say or said things in unnatural ways that didn't feel true to the situation. In a few instances, there were also characters saying similar things in similar ways to the point their voices did mush together for that brief moment. But these really were anomalies compared to the rest of the dialogue in the book. To be honest, rarely do I see such natural dialogue in writing. It's a hard skill to master--this author must have a natural ear for it.

Setting: 4 Stars

Not a lot of time is spend on setting, but I think this is partly what keeps the pace moving along. There's enough to fill in the blanks and let the reader use their imagination. Sometimes what is described is a bit repetitive and some variation would have been nice. The sparse style really worked for this novel overall.

Writing: 3 Stars

I've mentioned a few things already in passing, but there were some other things about the writing I felt could have been improved. There were tense slips (past instead of present in a present tense moment.) There were missing words, typos, missing punctuation, and other proofreading errors. Also, I noticed the author saying "I nod my head" and "She waves her hand" and things like that a lot. This kind of overwriting can become redundant, not just because it's being used so frequently (sometimes 3 head nods in one scene) but also because of how it's worded. "She nods" is enough. "She waves" is enough. We know people nod heads and wave hands. Now, if they're nodding their feet or waving their nose, then the author might want to specify. Again, these are the kind of nit pics that are considered basics in writing. This is why I say the writer has such natural talent. She knows the stuff that can't be taught. Empower her with some basic writing skills, and watch out!

The Ending: 4 Stars

I feel that the wrap up chapter just barely missed the mark, though I liked the general idea. In some regards, more closure/explanation was needed, along with more hope for the future. Endings are always hard, though. The climax, however, was amazing and made me cry!



Closing Thoughts:

In the end, there were a few things that detracted from my reading (probably things that wouldn't bother your average reader!) but it didn't stop me from loving this novel. If those few things had been fixed, I'd have given this five stars. I hope this author can soon get a good critique group and a fabulous editor to help her novel reach her full potential. This is the kind of novel I would sign as an acquiring editor, as I can see the raw talent and untapped potential that would be oh-so-easy to bring to realization.



My overall rating at this time? 4 Stars

I'd recommend this novel to others, and I'd read more from this author.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I just loved this book. The reality of life as a teenager is sometimes lost on some people. This book shows the darker side of how it can be. I couldn't put this book down and when I had to, I kept wondering what would happen next. I would recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to
review it. I would recommend this book to teenagers to read. It is a book about two high school girls
entering their senior year of high school. They did something they shouldn't have done, and it was captured
by someones cell phone, and sent to the entire school(altho it didn't tell you what they did,
till near the end of the book). The two girls became outcasts at school and everyone made fun of them.
This book talks about peer pressure, family situations, and suicide.
I enjoyed reading this book, and could see this as a problem for a lot of teens in this day and age, of facebook, twitter, and cell phones. It reminds us all
of be careful what you do, or the whole world will know.

This is a book that I would encourage teens to read, perhaps even as scholastic material. It portrays the realistic horrors of day to day high school society. How the mockery and disdain of peers can send some teenagers over the edge. One simple mistake, one photo sent via Facebook/Twitter or phone is what removes these two main characters from the upper echelon of high school society and throws them into the darkness of anonymity and despair. I think the storyline that really moved me was how Beckett would rather join the ranks of the populars again than stand up for her friend. It also gives a true portrayal of how quickly young people think of suicide as a problem solver, a way out of their pain. Although I liked the ending and it gave it a special feeling that someone is always out there with you, I also think the book would work without that extra magical moment. I enjoyed it eventhough it made my heart feel heavy and made me want to shout out and smack some of the teens, I highly recommend it. I received a free copy of this book for my review.

This book was a little slow for me with not much happening until the very end. We go through the motions with Beckett as she goes through her entire senior year trying to get back to the social status she was at before the `incident', only making baby steps to get there. But don't get me wrong, I thought it was a good book. I was just kind of taken aback that so much seems to have changed since I was in high school *cough* about 15 years ago *cough*. I mean if one of my friends were to have taken a risqué picture they wouldn't have been harassed about it much or as long. But with Chloe and Beckett...it seems that this is the world we live in now. Bullying seem to be more and more now and I hate that for my daughters.

What I didn't like was Beckett's attitude through it all, her throwing the blame on Chloe the whole time. She totally drops her for a few minutes of not being the school outcast, leaving Chloe to burden it all on her shoulders. I didn't feel for Beckett at all, I thought she was selfish and could have been a better friend. What I would have loved to have read was a POV through Chloe's eyes.

Girl Over the Edge is a good story on peer pressure, bullying and how two friends try to overcome it all before they graduate. But what happens along the way may prove to be too much for one of them. Will Chloe find a way out or just end it all?

*Please don't think I didn't like this book cause I really did. After writing the review then sleeping on it I can see how it might come across as I hated it. I just didn't like the actions Beckett took through out the story. Kinzer did a fabulous job and I look forward to more books by her.*

This writer does have some raw talent, but needs a good editor. I couldn't believe how many spelling and grammatical errors I found. The storyline is okay, although it could have been executed better. There is a lot of repetition and I got tired of the main character whining. All in all, it could be a great book with some revisions.

All in all, this was a decent book. It moved along rather slowly a lot of the time, but was intriguing enough to keep me reading. There were a number of punctuation errors scattered throughout the book, but this was only a minor annoyance. The author does a great job of showing the potential consequences of one bad decision. With a bit more editing and "oomph" behind it, this would be a great book.

Girl Over the Edge is a great bargain at only 99 cents for the Kindle. The writing is accomplished, though a tad bit vague in a few places. I was sucked into Beckett and Chloe's dilemma. I did wonder why it was easier for Beckett than for Chloe, and that was never fully explained to me. But overall this was a great YA read.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Not because of the subject matter, that was rather dark and heavy, but because I really had no idea what to expect. I heard about this book through BookRooster.com, and although I wasn't able to get a review copy, I read the Kindle sample and liked what I read. And because it was only $.99, I went ahead and purchased it. I'm glad I did!

This is the story of what comes from poor decisions made by two best friends: one drunken party, risque photos changing hands at the speed of the internet, and the fall out.

I enjoyed the style of writing that the author used (first-person, present tense) and was impressed that she was able to keep it so consistent throughout the whole book. Although the style, which is told from Beckett's point of view, seemed kind of choppy, it worked well for the subject matter, and it was well written.

The subject matter itself is very realistic, and very heavy. These poor girls went through the whole school year dealing with the fallout of that one night with no relief, and I have to admit that at one point it seemed to almost be too much. And I guess that works too, because from Beckett's point of view, it WAS too much.

I thought Beckett and Chloe were well-developed characters, although the other characters (family members and other friends) seemed rather flat. Of course, because we see the world through one set of eyes, and those eyes are very self-absorbed in their own drama, it all makes sense. I also like the addition of the Troll, the "modern art" sculpture at the base of the bridge. It's almost a whole additional character. Of course, there is another character, a homeless man who lives at the base of the bridge, and he interacts with the girls several times throughout the story. He ends up playing a critical role, adding heart where it was needed.

The climax of the book came with a couple of surprises that really added suspense and excitement in an otherwise almost monotonous pace. I knew Chloe was eventually going to self-destruct, but the author added some real depth to her pain with the addition of the help of the homeless man. The nicest surprise for me came at the end when Beckett went back to the bridge one last time, and what she found out really lifted the entire story for me. It gave me hope that things really would eventually work out for the girls, and that we are never really alone in our troubles.

This is a young adult fiction, but it is very intense. Two teenage girls engage in questionable behavior at a party, have it captured on cell phone pictures, and spread throughout the school. As a result, they face discipline from the school and an extremely difficult senior year, no longer part of the crowd that had been their life prior to the event. The girls must face ridicule, bullying, and rejection.

While the whole story was difficult to enjoy, I thought the writing was very well done and the characters seemed very realistic. Their reactions to the events seem very much like what one would expect.

There are some powerful lessons here and perhaps teenagers should read the book just to understand the terrible destructive power of bullying. They can also see how quickly a "perfect" world can fall apart when just a few poor decisions are made.

Both of these girls must face some hard times, and they do it differently. While one withdraws more and more, up to the point of attempting suicide, the other just tries to get through each day without upsetting anyone. Along the way, they learn about standing up for yourself, staying true to friends, and about how important it is to speak out when things feel wrong.

Just a few different decisions would have made all the difference. This book is a hard lesson, but perhaps reading about it could help save someone from actually having to live it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for writing a review.