I won’t touch on much in this review and sadly I couldn’t find one thing about this book that I liked besides the cover. So here goes nothing...

The main two things that just did not work for me was the overall construction of the story and the characters. I couldn’t get myself to latch onto these characters, any of them if we are being honest. I felt like they were all very short lived in the story and not introduced to you in a great manner. They just weren’t memorable. And then every single page that I turned felt like there were just random occurrences being bunched together. There was no plot or even a purpose. The story went absolutely nowhere. But don’t worry! Every time you turn the page, a new revelation is discovered! But then another and then another...

(Spoiler-ish) and really? The main character steals wallets? REALLY?! That’s cool and all but I feel like the author could have done a better job at elaborating WHY she did this. What was the purpose or the symbolism? So random...

The execution of the entire story was so quickly paced that a lot of the storyline gets jumbled and confusing. It gets harder and harder to piece together what is actually happening through out the book because the author doesn’t slow down the events taking place.

I appreciated the topic that the author was trying to tackle but I just don’t feel like they executed it in a way that flowed well for the reader. I didn’t appreciate how the author made the main character’s love of Owen outshine the sexual assault. Like, it was just on the back burner and I don’t like that. It just left a bad taste in my mouth.

This book was difficult for me to rate. I wasn’t in love with the plot of the story. The pacing and the focus on certain aspects of the story just wasn’t my cup of tea. This is an own voices novel The author put in the acknowledgments that she had a similar experience in her past.

While it wasn’t my favorite novel on this topic it was interesting because the main character goes through many different steps to finding out what really happened to her and the relationships with her family and her friends throughout the novel changed quite a bit throughout it.

Rating: 4/5

This was a contemporary young adult novel focusing on the aspect of sexual abuse and learning to trust someone to help yourself overcome that battle. Lots of character development and self-discovery. Heartbreaking and *real* - anyone can relate to this book even if they are not a victim themselves. Adored the story line and the journey Grace needed to go on. This is such a fantastic book that teaches lots of self value and worth to those who feel they aren't deserving and also teaches you that YOU ARE NOT ALONE in the world! There is always someone to lean on - you just have to have faith and learn to trust again.

The author did an exceptional job of writing about Grace's journey after the loss of a family member along with dealing with her feelings after being raped. The subject of rape is sometimes written about in a non-sensitive way, but this author handled the topic beautifully. Great read!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced e-copy of this book. Any quotes used in this review are from prior to publication and therefore subject to change.

Trigger warnings – rape, sexual abuse, forgotten trauma/possibly PTSD, anxiety and panic attacks.

The Leading Edge of Now by Marci Lyn Curtis is a YA Contemporary that tackles rape on several different levels. The main character, Grace, has no memory of what happened two years ago on Labor Day. All she knows is that her world crumbled afterwards. The sudden death of her father landed Grace in a string of foster homes until her uncle finally takes her into his care.

Once Grace is back in that house, she is overcome with the sense that something horrible happened there. She realizes that she’s been raped. But by who?

This book discusses how it feels to find out you have been raped, coming to terms with that realization, not knowing who it was who violated you in an unforgivable way, telling your friends…family…exes what happened to you and the vulnerability that comes with that. Discovering who was behind it and confronting them…and yourself. And the healing that finally starts to break through.

Beyond the main theme of coping and overcoming being raped, family/friends/romantic relationships are discussed heavily – the repairing and maintaining of them after a trauma occurs that affects everyone

I really enjoyed the small sideline of Grace stealing random wallets. It was a great nod at how humans tend to do things that don’t seem to make sense when they’re going through something. By stealing wallets, her brain is “taking back” or “leveling the playing field” in my opinion.

There are only two points of criticism that I can share. The first is that the book is told from Grace’s POV throughout the book, but it was missing this sort of internal struggle that I personally feel should’ve been involved at the beginning. She was so sure at one point that her boyfriend raped her that she walked straight away from him, unwilling to question what she thought or hear anything he had to say. Being that she was completely unsure of what happened that night, I felt like we should’ve gotten a little more internal dialogue and uncertainty instead of just shutting Owen out straightaway.
The second piece I can mildly criticize is that there were times when I felt like Traci Lyn Curtis’ writing style was a bit cheesy. There were times when it bordered on cringy Tahereh Mafi (example: “That area of skin just beneath his hipbones. Oh my sweet holy lord. Someone dial 911.”) The plus side to this is that it was not constant and disappeared pretty early into the book and gave way to some absolutely beautiful quotes about life and healing (“I’m every girl, every woman, every female who has ever walked this planet in fear. I’m me, prepared to face the truth.” and “I don’t need someone to yank me toward wellness. I need someone to walk beside me as I find it on my own.” and finally, “Living, really living, is standing on the very tip of the moment – right on the leading edge of now – no matter how heartbreaking or beautiful or terrible it might be.”)

I read the acknowledgements and saw that Traci Lyn Curtis shared that while this isn’t her exact story, parts of her story are sprinkled in and I would love to thank her (and any other survivor) who bares that difficult side of their life with the world.

The thing I loved the most is that it's been so easy to identify myself with Grace, even if I haven't gone through what she has experienced. I felt her pain, her guilt, all her emotions like they were mine, and the message the author wanted to pass down is so important that everyone should read this novel.
So thank you so much Marci for having the courage and the strength to write it for us <3

This story was heart breaking and beautiful, tragic and uplifting and a rollercoaster of emotions. The story sounds like it’s going to be a downer right from the start. Grace has had a horrible couple of years and her attitude has hardened. Her trust in others diminished to the point where she feels completely alone. Despite her circumstances though Grace manages to find humor in her situations and that is conveyed with a wry twist through the writing. I found myself admiring Grace for her strength and determination and later for her willingness to take a chance and a leap of faith. The book is extremely well written and plotted. The relationships between the characters well thought out and developed. I loved the supporting characters and found that they all added a significant amount to the story. The only reason my rating isn’t 5 stars (I give it 4) is because it was a bit of an emotionally exhausting book. The story deals with a lot of tough issues and while it does it very well, I felt like there was maybe a bit too much going on. I would still recommend that anyone who reads YA pick this book up immediately!

*Trigger Warning – One of the issues in this book is rape.

The Leading Edge of Now made my skin crawl. You know that feeling you get when you think you're being watched? That's pretty much what it feels like to read this book. The little hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I barely breathed while I waited for the other shoe to drop. It was hard watching Grace revisit the ghosts of her past, and I desperately wished she hadn't been alone for so many years. She really needed her friends, but she'd already isolated everyone by that point.

At the beginning, I had a hard time connecting with Grace as a character. She would say or think things that were meant to be funny or sarcastic, but they came across feeling forced and unnatural. However, there were times the comments were so unexpected they surprised a laugh out of me. "But in New Harbor, where it’s so quiet, a squirrel scurrying up a tree sounds like an assassin wading through the sawgrass with a hatchet." She grew on me towards the end, and I learned to appreciate her personality.

I wish some of the people in Grace's life had been more proactive. After her dad died, she didn't really have anyone in her corner. There was no support system, and she was left to deal with her grief on her own. Sexual assault, the death of her father -- she was 15-years old. When she starts searching for the bastard that assaulted her, we find out that quite a few people knew something was wrong or off with the situation. I wish one of them had been brave enough to come forward, or at least expressed concern on her behalf.

It also didn't seem fair to me that everyone judged Grace for cutting ties with them, but they made no effort of their own to reach out to her. Janna and Owen's parents were like a second mom and dad for Grace, but they didn't think to check on her when she'd been absent for two years? She basically lived in their house every summer and holiday since she was four, but then years go by without a word. A few things are explained later on, but still... someone should have made contact.

Rusty (her uncle) is spontaneous and easygoing. He's a child masquerading as an adult most of the time, but he loves Grace. He and her father were really close, and his death affected him as much as it did his niece. Rusty felt responsible in a way, so he kept his distance from Grace when she needed him the most. It was heartbreaking to see on both sides, because they were both hurting, and I'm glad they were finally able to grieve together.

Owen is a beautiful, broken soul. He always has the best intentions, but life keeps taking him out at the knees. First, there was the accident that has taken him years to cope with, and then he was blamed for something he would never even dream of doing. He is a genuinely good person, and I hated to see him hurting for the bulk of the book.

The Leading Edge of Now was a quick read that made me feel violated on Grace's behalf. It's sickening how often people are taken advantage of, and I think the author does a good job of expressing Grace's inner turmoil and how it effected her day-to-day life. A guy on the bus kept glancing at her breasts and then touched her without her permission -- it messed with her head. No one should ever have to feel that way. Also, people have the right to say no, and that response should be respected.

NetGalley had some additional information I wanted to share: Marci Lyn Curtis, the critically acclaimed author of The One Thing, has crafted an honest and emotional story that will resonate with the wide range of readers impacted by sexual assault. Sexual assault does not define this story, however, just as it does not define Grace. Wry humor and true love emerge as Grace, like many in the #MeToo era, seeks to find her truth, face her truth, and speak her truth.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on August 30, 2018.

3 stars

After reading all the stellar reviews of this book, I was kind of sad that I didn’t love it as much as everyone else did.

I thought the message was pretty great–about grief and moving on and surviving no matter what life throws at you. And Grace was a really strong character and seeing how she moved on and dealt with this was really heartwarming (also heartbreaking at how many terrible things life has thrown at her).

But I felt like some of the execution was a little off to me. Like, I liked how they went and tried to track down her rapist, but I also feel like it was a little far-fetched that they could actually find him and managed to track everything down.

Grace didn’t even know anything about that night, and only through a some-what rushed series of scenes where they went from one person to the next asking them about that night were they able to figure out who the rapist was.

It just felt a little far-fetched and underdeveloped, because they started off with literally nothing and the wrong person, and somehow wheedled the proper information out of people without any red herrings or intentional deception.

It was like the book was a coming-of-age/acceptance novel, with a half-developed mystery sub plot of discovering who Grace’s rapist was. I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if the mystery was taken out or just developed more, because right now it felt like it was just in the awkward middle area.

But, despite this, I still enjoyed the character relationships.

I think Grace’s familial relationships with Rusty and Eleanor and even Rusty’s new girlfriend-turned-wife, Faith, were very well done and I loved seeing how they moved on from their grief over Grace’s dad’s death.

I also really liked how Grace and Janna mended their friendship because friendship themes are so important and I just totally adore what it added to the novel.

But, I wasn’t too into the relationship between Grace and Owen. I know so many people talked about how they loved it, but I was just…not into it.

It’s not like Grace and Owen’s relationship was problematic, but I just really felt like it wasn’t necessary. I think Grace’s acceptance story plus an expanded mystery would have really filled the gaps and let the book be more impactful.

Their romance was cute, but it just seemed sort of frivolous to me, and I also had a hard time letting go of the possibility that Owen was lying. Because the way Curtis dispels the notion is by telling us how the main character believed him and how he looked honest.

But honestly? I didn’t believe him. Maybe I’m suspicious and obviously the reader doesn’t know Owen that well, but giving him that much benefit of the doubt was not something I do.

Overall, this book has a lot of great messages in it, but it just ended up being okay and not really for me. I would recommend if it sounds interesting and if you’d like to read a novel on the effects of rape.

When a friend asked if I wanted to take part in a book tour for this book I said sure. It sounded like a good book and I had been meaning to read the author. I really had no idea how the book would be, but I can happily report it was really fantastic. It had everything I love in a good realistic contemporary book. My heart really felt for Grace and everything that she had been through over a two year period. How alone and confused she must have felt and how her world unraveled shortly after the worst night of her life. It was hard to see her go through all the things she went through and finding out things she thought were true for so long might not have been. But I loved everything about Grace and how strong she was. My only complaint was I thought there were too many smaller stories building on the outskirt that weren’t important and were a little distracting. But besides that, this book was truly amazing and a must read for any YA contemporary lover.

The Leading Edge of Now is a powerful, heartwrenching novel. Marci Lyn Curtis creates such power behind her characters that you truly feel for them and relate to them. Grace has an awful experience that unfortunately takes a long time to sort out who was actually involved. The twist is, it was someone who you would have never expected. This novel may be a trigger for those who have experienced sexual assault and trauma. It does not go into detail, but it is a large theme in the novel.

A moving and realistic contemporary coming of age novel that included some serious themes. Be aware, it addresses rape and grief. The MC's emotional journey is spot on. A thought-provoking YA novel that makes you think and cry. Recommended.

Net Galley Feedback

WOW WOW WOW!!! This book was absolutely INCREDIBLE! The best book I have read in 2018!

There was quite a bit going on in the book. This is not a light funny read at all, it was deeply emotional. I honestly don’t know how the author put together a story like this. She put into words what so many rape survivors feel. The details and descriptions were written to evoke deep feelings. I got goosebumps often and highlighted so many passages. The last 25% I could not stop crying. It completely gutted me.

Grace was such a great main character. She was fantastic, strong, sarcastic, witty, and wise beyond her years. She was a survivor in so many different areas of her life. As she pieces together more of that night, my heart is breaking. She has no one, and she doesn’t know who to trust. It was a bit of a mystery trying to figure out what actually happened on that night. The past and present wove together seamlessly.

This book was truly remarkable and will stay with me long after finished reading it. Cannot recommend this book enough!

* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

When I first saw the cover of The Leading Edge of Now I thought it was beautiful, after reading the synopsis I realized that it would be an emotional read
Later I was asked if I wanted to be part of the ARC tour and I immediately said yes. I really wanted to read this story and I wanted to know what happened to Grace!

Grace struggled with her past, including the loss of her father, now coming back to her uncle's house after he abandoned her for two years in foster care, she's facing her present with seeing her friends again who she never called again when she left. There were so many beautiful memories she had with them and with their family, but there was one memory that has been haunting her every since she left.

I was sad to see Grace struggling with all at once. The loss of her father, coming back home and seeing her friends again... It was all too hard for her, but I liked how all of them reached out to one another. Still, the memory of that night didn't completely let her move forward. And she was shocked to discover that the person she always thought was responsible of what happened to her that night didn't take advantage of her. But when she discovered who it really was...

The Leading Edge of Now was indeed an emotional read, it was heartbreaking and hopeful, it was a rollercoaster of feelings. There were times when I found myself crying, when I was angry at what Grace when through, but there were other times when Grace surprised me. She was a very realist character, with dreams of a better life & hopes. She also made me laugh so many times, she had an incredible personality!

While I read this book I was able to see how Grace little by little overcame her fears. How she became the person I was hoping for her to be. The Leading Edge of Now was a beautiful and fantastic well written story that will make you fall in love with the characters because of how real they are.

Absolutely loved this book!! The character development was great. I especially seeing Grace's relationship with her Uncle grow from the beginning to the end of the book

WHAT I LIKED
: I was fortunate enough to get an e-copy of this book and took the time to read it this week. It releases in a couple of weeks, which is always exciting - to read something before everyone else does.
To be honest, the cover drew me to this one. It's beautiful.
This book really kept me on the edge of my seat (well, TBH I read it in bed) because I was constantly wondering who was responsible for ruining Grace's life two years ago by raping her. My mind assumed the worst at all times and still never saw the answer coming. Super intense.
The characters really grew on me and were fairly developed. It's written really well and it's a super interesting story. There's a bit of a beach feel, so it sort of feels like a summer read, but honestly it's such a heavy topic and centered around something so intense that it's more of a rainy day feel to me.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE
: This one for sure needs a trigger warning if it doesn't already. I think it's going to be a little too intense for my 8th grade classroom but is perfect for high school aged readers.
SPOILER: I did not like the ending. I have a hard time believing the romance piece would still play out.
 OVERALL RATING


 4/5 stars

Before I start, my review will not do justice to this book, so can anyone who doesn’t have this book on their tbr yet, go add this right now?!? This was my first approved Netgalley book and I did not expect it to be this good

This emotional rollercoaster is about Grace, who lost both her innocence and her father in a matter of weeks and ends up in foster care for two years. She then finally gets claimed by her only living relative, only to be brought back to the place she used to love, but where her life fell apart one fateful summer.

Do you know the kind of book that just grips you by the throat and refuses to let go? Yeah, this is one of those books. I was hooked right from the start! The writing and pacing was just phenomenal.
I don’t want to spoil too much about the story because you really need to experience it all firsthand. The way she finally learns to deal with her grief, anxiety and guilt, reconnects with the people from her past and finds out what actually happened that fateful night... This will destroy your faith in humanity and restore it. It’s heartbreaking, it’s real, and it’s beautiful.

Grace is a really brave and inspirational female lead, effortlessly hilarious one moment, yet manages to make you cry your eyes out the next. She’s not your typical contemporary heroine and I loved that about her.
Owen is perfect book boyfriend material, so supportive and kind, and I just want to hug him.
Their character development was spot on, and this whole book just moved me immensely.

Strongly recommend everyone to pick this one up asap!
Beware though, this deals with some heavy topics like rape, grief and death, but delivers a powerful message.

Why I loved this book:
1. Discusses something super relevant.
2. The Author’s Note...YES YES AND MORE YES!
Thank you, we needed this.
3. It’s quite upfront and doesn’t skirt around the topic , normalising the topic which is definitely something we need to do more.
A slight issue with this book:
1. Kinda seemed rushed with not much flow.
2. Grace was one of the lucky ones...how could Owen and everyone readily believe her? As someone who’s also gone through something not as major but still something similar, no one believed me, everything I’ve seen on social media always victim blames, so I guess I was also upset that a fiction character could be believed over people of the everyday? You know?
But hopefully it also spreads awareness with how these situations can come about and create more awareness on this issue.

Also a quick thank you to the author: Marci Lyn Curtis for briefly mentioning your story too. Thank you.

One of my favourite Netgalleys of all time!! So beautiful, heart-breaking, lovely and moving, definitely go read it as soon as it comes out!!

This book hit me right in the feels!!

I loved that Owen & Grace had a backstory and it wasn't insta-love at all! They were so cute together and I ship them so much. They were always rooting for each other even when everything was terrible and ASDFGDSSAASFAHFHASA they are so cute!!!

But just the development of every single character in this book is spot on?! Like, you could literally name any main or side character and I would begin gushing about how well written they all were.

I LOVE ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS SO MUCH I AM SCREAMING!!!!!! Sorrynotsorry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ BUT THEY ARE ALL PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!

And it was quite a short book which I liked. The pacing was good and it didn't drag! I was really sad when it was over, but the length was perfect!!

And the ending was beautiful. You need to read it to see what I mean, which is something I highly recommend doing. It just fit so well and was a little unexpected too!

This book also deals with heavy stuff, but it is quite sensitive and a really powerful novel. Though it tackles some heavy stuff, this fits in with the book and was done really well.

I want to rate it five stars, but it was just missing a little extra something that I can't put my finger on. It was definitely a completely amazing read though!!

Highly recommend this one to all readers of YA!

(Also, let's take a moment to appreciate this cover. Go look at it again, you didn't see it properly the first time!)

<b>Rating:</b> 4,5 stars

Whoa, this was absolutely <i>not</i> what I expected it to be - in a suprisingly good way.

First thing I want to say is, that I really loved our main character, Grace. She is confident and outspoken, doesn’t let anyone mess with her and most importantly; she’s realistic. She admits her faults and takes action to make it up to the people she’s wronged. She’s been through hell and doesn’t fall for pretty words. She’s hesitant and seriously thinks about everything that’s happened to her.
I just loved her, really.

This book on its own sends out a very important message, I think. It’s about rape and the aftermath for the victim, loss, misunderstandings with grave consequences, but most importantly to me; getting through terrible times.

I definitely recommend <i>The Leading Edge of Now</i> to, well, every reader who likes to read a contemporary at least now and then. It’s not a lighthearted one at that, but it also isn’t too heavy - if that makes any sense.