The Edge of the Water

Gr 8 Up—Whidbey Island is beautiful and isolated, but if Becca King thought she would be safe from her murderous stepfather there, she learned just how wrong she was in the closing pages of The Edge of Nowhere (Viking, 2012). She is forced to rely on the kindness of her friend Seth Darrow, who gives her a secret place to stay, and her hidden life causes problems between her and her boyfriend, Derric. Meanwhile, Becca finds her ability to hear the "whispers" of other people's thoughts growing stronger, even as strange events start to coalesce around Becca, her new friends, and the yearly reappearance of a black seal in the waters off Whidbey Island. George convincingly expands the world around Becca through passages in the perspective of a classmate, Jen, whose point of view helps drive the plot forward, and the machinations of various townspeople as they alternately try to protect and harm the mysterious seal. Honest depictions of teenage sexuality are a refreshing addition to the story. So, too, are Becca's growing supernatural abilities, which have started to include visions, and the otherworldly qualities of Nera the seal, which add a dose of the mystic. Various plot elements make this installment best enjoyed by teens familiar with the first book. A ripping good thriller.—Elisabeth Gattullo Marrocolla, Darien Library, CT