Thursday, December 11, 2014

Review: On the Edge by Allison van Diepen

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18588763-on-the-edge
On the Edge
by Allison van Diepen
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: November 25th, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 304
ISBN: 9780062303448
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Edelweiss

Add to Goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

From Allison van Diepen, author of Snitch and Street Pharm, comes a sexy, dangerous novel about a teen who witnesses a murder and gets caught up in the seedy world of Miami’s gangs.

Maddie Diaz never should have taken that shortcut through the park. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have seen two members of the Reyes gang attacking a homeless man. Now, as the only witness, she knows there’s a target on her back.

But when the Reyes jump her on the street, Maddie is protected by a second gang and their secretive leader, Lobo, who is determined to take down the Reyes himself. Lobo is mysterious and passionate, and Maddie begins to fall for him. But when they live this close to the edge, can their love survive?

On the Edge is a compelling story about fighting for what’s right and figuring out where you belong. The novel showcases a gritty, realistic voice and earth–shattering romance that will intrigue readers of Simone Elkeles and Paul Griffin and captivate fans of Allison van Diepen's other novels. (Goodreads)
On the Edge is the first book that I’ve read by Allison van Diepen, although I have a few of her other books on my to-read list, just waiting on me to read them. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this author, but I found the story to be a very intriguing read.

On the Edge is the story of Maddie Diaz, who witnesses the murder of a homeless man late one evening by two gang members. Maddie knows that her life is in danger after she talks to the police, especially when the gang members attack her in a public place. But when a rival gang steps in to rescue her, and Maddie starts to fall for the mysterious leader, she realizes that things aren’t always what they seem.

Maddie was an interesting main character. Though she was conflicted at times, and at times I questioned some of the choices that she made, she was still a very headstrong character. For the most part, she wanted to do the right thing, even when that meant her life could be in extreme danger.  I kind of love the things that she did for the homeless man, and how her thinking changed after meeting Lobo.

The romance in the story felt a bit rushed for my liking. Yes, I can see where being in the intense situation that Maddie was in and being rescued by a mystery man would make the feelings she had even stronger, but it moved a bit fast for my taste.

I’ve not read many books that involved gangs in the storyline, so that was definitely a refreshing change of pace for me.  The story was definitely interesting, and it kept me hooked as I turned the pages. It was also interesting to discover that some of the characters in this book were previous books by this author. I like that this book could be read as a standalone, but I’m also interested in checking out the previous books as well.

Overall; On the Edge was a quick, interesting read. I’m really looking forward to reading more books by this author in the future!

1 comment:

  1. I love Simone Elkeles, and this sounds like it's in the vein of her Perfect Chemistry series, so I will definitely have to check out Allison Van Diepen's books. Thanks for sharing this review!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by! :)