The Edge

A tense yet thrilling novel from Alan Gibbon that tackles the issues of domestic violence, fear and prejudice with great pace and vitality. Danny is a boy on the edge. A boy teetering on the brink of no return, living in fear. Cathy is his mother; she has been broken by fear. Chris is fear – and they belong to him... When Danny and Cathy break free of their fear and escape to start a new life, instead of freedom they find danger an prejudice of a different kind. The novel presents us with an account of domestic violence and racial prejudice from a number of different points of view. It is an excellent model for the study of multiple narration and explores emotive contemporary issues with sensitivity, linking to Citizenship and PSHE. A compelling plot involves even reluctant readers, and students will find many opportunities for discussion. Winner of the Angus Book Award, THE EDGE is crackly with tension. How will this mother and son escape their abuser and start a new life? We've got to go. Now. It's early morning and Danny's mother is at his bedside, urging him to get up. They're on the run from Chris, his mother's boyfriend, a violent man who beats them both up, and won't let them go. Chris pursues Danny and his mother from London to the north, where they take refuge with Danny's grandparents. But even there, nothing is safe. Danny is conspicuous as the only mixed-race boy in their small community, and with the ever-present threat of discovery, he has to learn how to live continually on the edge. A tense and chilling story with terrific drama, THE EDGE shows the depth of character and the understanding of the predicaments of children today that gives Alan Gibbons his special quality.