THE EDGE OF OVER THERE
The Day the Angels Fell, Book 2
by
SHAWN SMUCKER
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Publisher: Revell
Date of Publication: July 3, 2018
Number of Pages: 384
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The captivating sequel to the award-winning The Day the Angels Fell
Abra Miller carries a secret and a responsibility she never expected.
Before the Tree of Life, everything in Abra Miller’s life had been predictable. Safe. Normal. But after the Tree, everything has felt fragile . . . like holding a soap bubble in the palm of her hand. After years of fruitless searching for the next Tree, she begins to wonder if it was nothing more than a vivid dream.
Now sixteen, Abra finds a clue to the whereabouts of the next Tree of Life when an ominous woman—who looks exactly like a ghost from her past—compels her to travel to New Orleans where she’ll find one of seven gateways between this world and Over There. But she’s not the only one interested in finding the gateway. There’s also a young man searching for his father and sister, who escaped through it years before. As Abra enters the Edge of Over There and begins her pursuit of the Tree once more, she doesn’t know whom to fear or whom to trust.
She’s also starting to think that some doorways should never be opened.
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Praise for The Edge of Over There:
“Blending Biblical elements and urban myths, Smucker creates an enthralling story of supernatural battles between the forces of good and evil.” — Publishers Weekly
“The Edge of Over There is a mesmerizing, menacing fantasy. Shawn Smucker fuses New Orleans lore, Christian themes, and dystopian landscapes in a thorough exploration of love and its unintended results.” — Foreword Reviews (Starred Review)
“Our weaknesses are poised to become our greatest strengths. If we are patient and if we believe. The switch will often happen when we most need it to.”
The Edge of Over There is filled with Christian allegory, the folly of humankind, greed and the desire for immortality, and strength to resist the fruits of the Tree of Life. I highly recommend reading Book 1 in this series, The Day the Angels Fell, because the story flows from book to book, with references to events and people that will only confuse and confound if you haven’t started from the beginning, from when the angels fell.
While Book 1 is about two children tasked with an impossible task, Book 2, The Edge of Over There, takes on a more dystopian vibe, with most of the action taking place in an entirely different world, accessed through a gateway at Marie Laveau’s grave in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1. in New Orleans. I recently visited this cemetery and this particular grave site, so I had a vivid picture in my mind as I read.
The overall plot is quite melancholy, but don’t be fooled into thinking the book is slow and sad. Time is of the essence for the characters in this other world, one looking for his sister, and the other looking for the Tree of Life. Without offering any spoilers, I can say that the story will provoke profound thought about what it means to embrace both life and death. What it means to be alive and not merely living. What it means to be afraid of what you know in your heart you must do but still find the strength and the courage to do it.
The main characters, Abra, Leo, Ruby, Mr. Henry, Amos, Beatrice, all of them are unforgettable in that they show all sides of humanity in all its glory and its grotesqueness, because life is about good and evil intertwining and battling for a foothold. But oh how hard it can be sometimes to tell one from the other.
“If you could look at the essence of Good in a mirror, would you see Good reversed, or would you see the essence of Evil?”
Even though this story is classified as Young Adult, the plot and characters will appeal to all ages because we can see ourselves in these characters in every stage of our lives. Like the characters, we are subject to the pitfalls of avarice and the need to have it all. But we are also subject to the good virtues, such as honesty, determination, trust, and the strength to pursue good and not evil. Fine storytelling, excellent writing, and memorable characters will draw you in and keep you engaged until everything is said and the story comes full circle.
“It is possible, when we have nothing else, for stories to be the food that sustains us.”
The Edge of Over There will leave you pondering the overall story long after the last page is read and will leave you wondering about the angels walking among us, both good and not so good, without us ever possibly knowing their true selves.
Enter the Giveaway below for a chance to win some excellent prizes, including both books in the series, gift cards, and a super cool color changing tree mug!
Shawn Smucker is the author of The Day the Angels Fell and The Edge of Over There. He lives with his wife and six children in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. You can find him on his website, where you can also sign up for his newsletter in order to find out when and where the Tree of Life will turn up next.
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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
GRAND PRIZE: Both Books in the The Day the Angels Fell series + Color Changing Tree Mug + $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card
2ND PRIZE: Both Books + Tree of Life Journal
3RD PRIZE: Both Books + $10 Starbucks Gift Card
(US ONLY)
July 17-27, 2018
CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
| 7/17/18 | Author Interview | Texas Book Lover |
| 7/17/18 | Book Trailer | Hall Ways Blog |
| 7/18/18 | Excerpt | That’s What She’s Reading |
| 7/19/18 | Review | Reading by Moonlight |
| 7/20/18 | Review | The Clueless Gent |
| 7/21/18 | Top 10 List | Story Schmoozing Book Reviews |
| 7/22/18 | Notable Quotable | The Librarian Talks |
| 7/23/18 | Author Interview | Max Knight |
| 7/24/18 | Spotlight Promo | StoreyBook Reviews |
| 7/25/18 | Guest Post | Rebecca R. Cahill, Author |
| 7/26/18 | Review | Forgotten Winds |
| 7/27/18 | BONUS Review | |
| BONUS Review |
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I just got BOTH of these books, and they are just gorgeous. Sounds like they are gorgeous inside and out! I cannot wait to get reading. Thanks for a great review!
I love that while book 2 is a continuation of book 1, it is not just more of the same. The two books belong together and should be read in sequence, but they are still so different and unique.