I adore The Edge of Belonging. I know I already posted a very rough review of it because I had a due date. But that wasn’t even a fair review. This is what you need to know.
The biggest point you’d have to take away from this review is that you need to read this book AS SOON as you can.
I think there is like maybe two or three books that I love as much as this one. It’s crazy.
When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee an estate sale, she soon discovers that her grandmother left behind more than trinkets and photo frames–she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy’s adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing.
Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection for the first time in his life. His desire to care for the baby runs up against the stark fact that he is homeless. When he becomes entwined with two people seeking to help him find his way, Harvey knows he must keep the baby a secret or risk losing the only person he’s ever loved.
1. The characters. I love characters, you know that. If you’ve been following me for a short amount of time or a long amount of time, you know I love well built characters. I don’t want this review to go on forever, so I’m just gonna do highlights.
Harvey was the best homeless man character I’ve ever loved. For one thing, he wasn’t old. He wasn’t criminal or lazy or a thief. As his story unraveled when he got to know Pearl I fell more and more in love with him. He was a full grown man but I felt like he needed so badly to be mothered. And Pearl did that.
Pearl was precious. I think it’s very sad in the present tense situation, but in the past tense plot, she was the sweetest, most perfect mother for Harvey to stumble upon. XD I need a plaid mug now.
Ivy Rose. I understood her need for the truth. The longing in her heart to know. Especially after a letter like the one her grandmother left for her. I would be pulling my hair out too!
Her relationship with Seth and Reese was a really good aspect to give her depth as a character.
Reese was everything I would want in a boyfriend if I was going to have a boyfriend ever. XD I can’t even believe how blind Ivy was.
2 The flow of the plot line.
As Ivy searches for answers about her past, they are constantly reaching out to small shops, people who knew Ivy’s grandmother well. I liked that it wasn’t pointless plot fillers. Ivy learned something about herself and when it switched to past chapters, those characters that Ivy met would come to life! I really appreciated that because I tried to do that with my book and it takes a lot of work. The author wove it so beautifully and intricately. It was awesome, literally Ivy was on the edge of belonging. I feel like some of us can relate to that.
3 The Good vs bad.
The manipulation that Ivy faced with her history and Seth was so raw and painful. I LOVED that she grew and she took time and that she would eventually overcome. I feel like emotional abuse in a relationship is so overlooked and I love that people are raising awareness, not only that women are capable and talented and strong, but that we DO have emotions, and those emotions can be used to control us. That doesn’t mean we’re weaker, it means STUPID PEOPLE LIKE SETH SHOULD be smashed in the face sometimes, thank you Uncle Harvey.
4 The ending. All 15 chapters of ending
I don’t think I can conclude the entire amount of love I have for this book into four points, but here.
Everything just started falling like dominos, all the questions getting answered, all the raw hearts being found out, all the pasts being revealed, and the desperate need for love, for truth, for nurturing, and for overcoming. I cried. I cried big sobbing tears for almost an hour as I finished the last fifteen chapters. And they weren’t even sad tears. It takes a good author to make me cry over sadness in a book, it takes an AMAZING story to make me cry over JOY and FULFILLMENT and HEALING. I stayed up so late and cried so long I felt amazing when I went to sleep. XD
So thank you so so much, Amanda Cox and Revell Books, for sending me a free copy of The Edge of Belonging ! I loved it so much. A positive review was not required, and all words are my own! THANK YOU!
In other news! I have some VERY exciting news coming WEDNESDAY! Because guess which month it is. What happened this month last year?
I
WANT
TO
READ
THIS
SO
BAD.
YOU
SHOULD
ITS
VERY
GOOD