‘The House on the Edge’, by Alex Cotter, is all about Faith Walker, a 14 year old girl who lives in a rather precarious place. Her house, The Lookout, is situated on the edge of a cliff. Slowly, the cliff is crumbling and splitting their house in two. Faith needs to take care of her mum and brother, Noah, as well as protecting her house. With the help of Sam, her new-found friend, Faith goes on a journey of emotions to save her home.
‘The House on the Edge’ an an exhilarating read, which shows you how easily everything in life can suddenly change. The story is full of twists and turns which keep you on the edge of your seat. It is emotional at times, and you really feel for Faith. At other times, the story really shocks you – especially when everything unravels towards the end! ‘The House on the Edge’ is a really realistic and relatable book – you can easily put yourself in Faith’s position. It is an absolutely amazing book, I couldn’t put it down!
Another thing that I thought was really clever about this book was the little drawings of cracks on every page. They were a constant reminder of the lurking danger, that Faith’s home could be destroyed at any moment. They really helped to keep the tension going!
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone aged 8 and up. The feeling it gave me of having absolutely no idea what was going to happen next reminded me of the feelings I had when reading Michael Morpurgo’s ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom.’ If you liked that then you would love ‘The House on the Edge’! Alex Cotter is a very talented author and this is an amazing adventure book which I would thoroughly recommend. ★★★★★ 5 stars!
About the book:
A tense thriller that’s impossible to put down – perfect for fans of Emma Carroll and Fleur Hitchcock.
Where has Faith’s dad gone? Why has he left his family living in an old house perched on a crumbling cliff top? A crack has appeared in the cliff and Faith watches anxiously as it gets bigger and bigger each day… Her brother is obsessed with the sea ghosts he claims live in the basement, and when he disappears as well, Faith starts to believe in the ghosts too. Can she find her brother and bring her father back before everything she cares about falls into the pitiless sea below?A great mystery with real heart, from a captivating new voice in middle-grade fiction.With cover illustration by Kathrin Honesta and neon finishes.