On the Edge
Author: Allison van Diepen
Publication Date: November 25th 2014 by
Publisher: HarperCollins
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~
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.
On the Edge really surprised me, I didn't think it would
totally be for me since it is to do with gangs and all that lovely stuff, and
really, I watch enough of that on TV since I watch every type of Cop shows out
there, right now I'm pretty addicted to Chicago PD, which, if you haven't seen
it, is one of the best portrayals of blurred lines I've seen, in my opinion,
especially when it comes to Voight.. But, reading about it? I usually find them
cheesy, I don't know why, but it's the same with music and art in books that
just do for me. But, YES. I freaking loved it.
It's pretty gritty, it doesn't sugar-coat anything but there
are these really inspiring and realistic scenes that happen, and the actions
and reactions and I felt the danger was real. It's just enough of everything
that balances it so it all works together seamlessly than too much of one to
tip it over, it showed the reality of some situations girls get into without
their knowledge until it's too late. We have two rival gangs in here, the
Reyes, and the Destinos that the former are pretty nasty and the latter people
aren't really sure are real and while they are a gang, and while they don't act
vicious as the Reyes, they do what they have to to keep their name slightly On the Edge, to be feared so they don't get any trouble. It's also a
distraction to what they're really trying
to do. They're heard of but never seen. They like messing things up for the
Reyes and with good reason. The Reyes deal mainly in the sex trade. I love how
it got into that and shed the light on such a serious issue with Sex
Trafficking, promising girls while incorporating it into something relatable
and lighter so it isn't heavy.
It was intense in a lot of places-especially towards the
ends and once Maddie's pulled in, we get to see the inner workings of the
Destino's and damn, you guys, they are fearless. When it comes to these type of
stories, when including gangs, you mainly only see the bad side of it, and this
is where stereotypes come into it, because not every one is like the Cartel.
So, why four, instead of five? It was pretty much perfect
for me, and the main characters are the characters you need to play out a story
like this, strong, determined, relatable and the thirst for something better, they don't just talk about it,
they do it. They're not perfect by
any means, but they're not all talk and no action, and that's how you do
perfectly flawed characters. However....the side characters weren't as well
developed-as it usually goes-not all of them, like Julia, we don't really get
to know her as such, but you get a sense of knowing her because she's like
Maddie, a fighter. Maddie's other friends however....were not. Their relationship
was great to some degree's but then you see the viciousness behind Iz with how
quick she turned on Maddie when she didn't really do anything.
With great characters, an intense romance and some serious
issues behind gangs , On the Edge isn't light with what it wants to show, it
highlights what it needs to make an impact but is balanced so it isn't overly
heavy.
Rating: 4/5
