Review: The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I like the style of writing in this book. It is very contemporary in the sense that the references to pop culture are very current and clever. I like how the author often described a character and in the same breath compared them to a famous actor. It really brought a lot of the characters to life.

The highlight of this book for me is the first half of it. Camryn, the female lead, had a really unique voice in the first half of this book. She wanted to break free from the monotony of life and look for something more. She quits her jobs, buys a ticket on a bus to nowhere, no real destination and it was one of the coolest decisions I've seen a character make because it was brave. People tend to get tied down by life, daily life responsibilities, but this girl follows her gut and makes a run for it, a run towards freedom.

Camryn meets this very cool and gorgeous looking guy on the bus and the rest is history. Andrew, the male lead of the story, also doesn't want to be tied to societal conventions and finds himself intrigued by Camryn on this bus alone, which for a young woman can be dangerous with all the creepers out there nowadays.

Camryn and Andrew eventually find themselves on a road trip together, going from city to city with nothing but what they have in their pockets. What's cool about Andrew is that he also had really cool views in life. He essentially didn't want to live by anyone's rules and do what makes him happy.

Overall, this book would've been a perfect read if it wasnt for the second half of the book. Andrew comes in the story and for someone who wants to break free, Camryn surely becomes a bit submissive and cliche as a girl. Andrew definitely takes authority in this book and Camryn loses the powerful voice she had in the first half. Almost doesnt seem like the same girl. You see glimpses of it, but it doesnt follow through with what she wanted in the first half of the book.

I do love that Camryn and Andrew want to create their own life for themselves without caring what people think. They encounter everything: creepers, bars, illness, death, their own insecurities, you name it. On their road trip together they go through it all. They do have a tenderness to their love story, but it also gets really steamy. Like, be warned, the sex scenes are descriptive, nothing was held back. NOTHING. It got 50 shades of grey real quick in some moments. This book has it all.

There is a lot of surprises towards the end. Good and bad. But my only quirk was that I felt Camryn lost a bit of what made her a unique female lead, her strong voice and willfullness. Overall, this is a good start to this series, I do know there is a sequel. I do wonder how their story continues.

My rating: 4/5

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In Her Shoes (25): Camryn from The Edge of Never

In Her Shoes is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Vanya at YA Story Teller. To participate, simply put yourself in the shoes of a heroine you've recently read about, and then talk about what you would do in her place, or what you've learned from her.

Featuring this week:

Camryn Bennett from The Edge of Never

Camryn is the female lead in the New Adult and Realistic Fiction Romance novel called The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski. Personality wise, I would say that Camryn is a very deep person. She often contemplates life, what is important, and what she should do to break free from routine in her life. She is 20 years old, is smart and has an amazing sense of humour. Very sarcastic and very real in her observations on life. There is no sugarcoating with Camryn, she always tries to see things in their truest light.

 

In The Edge of Never we find that Camryn is very closed off from relationships and letting people in because she has been through so many tragedies and also the deterioration of several important personal relationships with friends and loved ones. Basically this girl can't bare to suffer another blow in her life. In a way, she is just a broken soul and depressed about how things have turned out for her.

 

Is there something I would change about Camryn? No. She is just so incredibly real and despite being in pain, her humour still shines through. She is also very brave in the sense that in this novel, she packs up everything and decides to literally go wherever the wind blows. It's rare to find a character who is so incredibly honest about themselves and life. Camryn is really strong and set on living life in the realest way possible. She is an amazing character. I am really enjoying this book and learning about this character's journey to heal and find herself.