Edgeland

Gr 5–8—An imaginative adventure/fantasy exploring the afterlife. Edgeland is a place more for the living than for the dead. The island is next to the Drain, a circular waterfall that leads to the afterlife. Wren and Alec, both 12, get mixed up in some trouble and fall into the Drain, where they discover that the afterlife is not what they have been led to believe. The dead are in an endless trance while they await their release from purgatory into paradise. Wren and Alec now must solve the mystery of what is happening in the afterlife and help the dead to move on. The action is slow to start but soon develops into a compelling tale with high stakes and lots of unanswered questions. Wren and Alec have a strong relationship and interesting, plausible backstories, although they do read more like older teens than 12-year-olds. The world-building is the highlight of the novel: the settings are viscerally described, and the practices and belief system of this society are nuanced and fleshed out. The themes of tradition and what happens to us when we die are thoughtfully explored.