On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis
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| On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis |
On the Edge of Gone
Author: Corinne Duyvis
Length: 468 pages
Publication date: March 8, 2016
Content notes: YA 9th grade up fabulous book for any reader but especially for teens with special needs
“Whether someone is useful only matters if you value people by their use.”
“Whether someone is useful only matters if you value people by their use.”
Look for the link at the end of this post for an interview with the author. The subject is autism
Brief synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Denise lives with her mother and sister when the awful news comes. A large meteor is on its way to directly hit Earth, and there are only about six months to prepare. As a result, there are generation ships carrying the really lucky few to travel to another planet, permanent shelters for the less-lucky people who stay on Earth, and temporary shelters for masses of unlucky people who will probably survive the hit, and then persevere any way they can … after. Denise and her family are assigned to a temporary shelter. However, a chance event places Denise and her mother on a temporarily grounded generation ship where they are allowed to wait out the hit. Then, after the meteor hits, Denise and her mother are expected to leave. Denise desperately wants to earn a place on this generation ship for herself and her family before it leaves Earth. However, the ship has a waiting list and only takes people who are “useful.” That might be hard for Denise who is autistic, her mother who is drug-addicted, and her sister who is currently missing.
The question is: How do good people decide who is “useful” enough to be saved?
My thoughts:
If you want an action-packed story (and I admit that I love that) you will not find it here. In fact it is a bit slow at times. But if you want a book to make you think about how humans might behave and value each other during and after an Earth shattering event, then read this book.
Questions:
This book made me think, and think. I asked myself questions like: If the end of the Earth is coming, how do you decide who to save? How will people behave during an event like this? Will this bring out the worst or the best in people? What becomes important when the end of the Earth (as we know it) happens?
The point of view:
Denise, the main character, tells this story. She has autism and it is interesting to be inside her head. As I read, I wondered how Duyvis seemed to know so much about Denise and her way of thinking. Then, I discovered Duyvis is autistic herself. This fact made me really enjoy the book.
Denise:
Denise is a very interesting character. She is biracial, has been abandoned by her father, and in her family she often has to be the adult. This is because of her mother’s drug addiction which makes their relationship love/hate. When she is harbored on the generation ship during the meteor strike, she is busy following the rules and thinking of a way to get herself, her sister, and her mother a permanent spot onboard. She has what we non-autistic people call “melt-downs,” she stims, and she realizes that some of her behaviors might be “weird.” She is liked, loved, and respected by most of the other characters. Also, she is the one who makes a difference in how everyone else thinks about Earth and the people surviving there.
The setting:
The setting is what made me stick with the book. I love a great setting! The meteor hits in a lack-luster way with a shaking of the generation ship. However, the world and the people in it after the meteor are intriguing. The people outside the ship are desperately hungry, but they are not violent or cruel (with the exception of a few who are not hungry on the generation ship). They fight the environment instead of each other. The “human-ness” that is shown in this book is compelling and leads the reader to think that humanity will survive somehow.
Other characters:
There are some characters I wanted to smack. Then there are characters I identified with (I even identified with the ones I wanted to smack). However, all of them have gone through an incredibly terrorizing experience. We really do not get to know many of the other characters well, and that is a shame because I would have liked to know more about what is going on with people both inside and outside the ship. Denise’s sister Iris is an interesting character, and she is a stimulating influence in Denise’s life…. even when she betrays her.
Why you should read this book:
You should read this book because it will make you think about how we judge people and how we value people. I may be a better human being after getting to know Denise.
Interview with Corinne Duyvis on her amazing book. (tap this link)
Brief synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Denise lives with her mother and sister when the awful news comes. A large meteor is on its way to directly hit Earth, and there are only about six months to prepare. As a result, there are generation ships carrying the really lucky few to travel to another planet, permanent shelters for the less-lucky people who stay on Earth, and temporary shelters for masses of unlucky people who will probably survive the hit, and then persevere any way they can … after. Denise and her family are assigned to a temporary shelter. However, a chance event places Denise and her mother on a temporarily grounded generation ship where they are allowed to wait out the hit. Then, after the meteor hits, Denise and her mother are expected to leave. Denise desperately wants to earn a place on this generation ship for herself and her family before it leaves Earth. However, the ship has a waiting list and only takes people who are “useful.” That might be hard for Denise who is autistic, her mother who is drug-addicted, and her sister who is currently missing.
The question is: How do good people decide who is “useful” enough to be saved?
My thoughts:
If you want an action-packed story (and I admit that I love that) you will not find it here. In fact it is a bit slow at times. But if you want a book to make you think about how humans might behave and value each other during and after an Earth shattering event, then read this book.
Questions:
This book made me think, and think. I asked myself questions like: If the end of the Earth is coming, how do you decide who to save? How will people behave during an event like this? Will this bring out the worst or the best in people? What becomes important when the end of the Earth (as we know it) happens?
The point of view:
Denise, the main character, tells this story. She has autism and it is interesting to be inside her head. As I read, I wondered how Duyvis seemed to know so much about Denise and her way of thinking. Then, I discovered Duyvis is autistic herself. This fact made me really enjoy the book.
Denise:
Denise is a very interesting character. She is biracial, has been abandoned by her father, and in her family she often has to be the adult. This is because of her mother’s drug addiction which makes their relationship love/hate. When she is harbored on the generation ship during the meteor strike, she is busy following the rules and thinking of a way to get herself, her sister, and her mother a permanent spot onboard. She has what we non-autistic people call “melt-downs,” she stims, and she realizes that some of her behaviors might be “weird.” She is liked, loved, and respected by most of the other characters. Also, she is the one who makes a difference in how everyone else thinks about Earth and the people surviving there.
The setting:
The setting is what made me stick with the book. I love a great setting! The meteor hits in a lack-luster way with a shaking of the generation ship. However, the world and the people in it after the meteor are intriguing. The people outside the ship are desperately hungry, but they are not violent or cruel (with the exception of a few who are not hungry on the generation ship). They fight the environment instead of each other. The “human-ness” that is shown in this book is compelling and leads the reader to think that humanity will survive somehow.
Other characters:
There are some characters I wanted to smack. Then there are characters I identified with (I even identified with the ones I wanted to smack). However, all of them have gone through an incredibly terrorizing experience. We really do not get to know many of the other characters well, and that is a shame because I would have liked to know more about what is going on with people both inside and outside the ship. Denise’s sister Iris is an interesting character, and she is a stimulating influence in Denise’s life…. even when she betrays her.
Why you should read this book:
You should read this book because it will make you think about how we judge people and how we value people. I may be a better human being after getting to know Denise.
Interview with Corinne Duyvis on her amazing book. (tap this link)
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