Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. With the introduction of social media, it is no longer limited to just the air-brushed photos in a magazine. Beauty can be achieved via the correct camera angle, the right make up, plastic surgery, or all of these combined. Some people will do anything to achieve their definition of beauty, and Ella and Ed are no exception. Although they have brilliant minds, that is not enough for them. Their dreams consist of how much better life would be if they were ‘beautiful’.
Thomas Startz has what it takes to make their dreams come true. Or does he? And at what cost? How far will they go, and how far will he go, to achieve beauty. And what then? These questions and more are answered in the pages of Kinfe Edge. Enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Ella Fallon is miserable, teased and belittled as an ugly bitch at Winfield, the college she has been admitted to on scholarship. A straight-A student, she believes she is ugly. The only friend she has is Ed Leeming, just as intelligent and just as reviled for his looks.

Both Ella and Ed are constantly humiliated by Scott Stockton, the scion of a wealthy man, who is the biggest donor to the college. Scott is manipulative, vicious and mean.

Thomas Startz is a cosmetic surgeon who runs an enterprise called Heaven’s Gate, where he surgically alters the looks and bodies of paying clients. The biggest proof of his skill is his sister, supermodel Holly Startz.

During the graduation race, Scott pushes Ed into the valley. He survives but is in a coma.

Ella’s path crosses with Thomas, who transforms her face, opening up her world. When both Ed and Ella become more beautiful than their wildest dreams could have hoped for, they begin to long for revenge. But where will the thirst for revenge lead them?

The book highlights the fear of aging and the desire to retain one’s beauty at all costs. The story show us how beauty opens doors for the characters while those with the slightest blemish are looked down upon in a world that worships perfection. It also raises questions on how far it is okay for science to play god.

The author is good at the descriptive and narrative bits. I got a sense of the landscape, the harsh desert, the massive topographical elements.

The writing was eclectic and vibrant in some places and totally uninspired in others. In one chapter, there was a mention of a “leering, sweating and bug-eyed face staring at her triumphantly through gritted, uneven and tobacco stained teeth.” How can a face stare through teeth?

Elsewhere, the narrator tells us, “For some, the pursuit of beauty conjured its own particular terror. For others, beauty was nothing but the beginning of terror.”

Revenge is a dish best served cold, is how the phrase goes, not taken cold as it is in this book.

Scott has the look of a man, we are told, who has just noticed the lion’s cage is open and the wind has changed direction.

In Chapter 5, we are told that the Rockports were not close as a family, but the surname is Stockton throughout the book, so I wasn’t sure what the Rockport name meant.

The name, Scott Stockton, twists the tongue and sounds like a caricature, which is what the guy is.

I wonder what kind of research the author must have done before writing this book. The effort has helped ground the book, despite the futuristic setting.

I found the presentation annoying. There were no connections between scenes or any indication at all that the scene was about to shift focus or perspective, making for an abrupt change.

While in Holly’s viewpoint, the author references Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey, and I was excited at the possibilities this might suggest, but that thought turned out to be literal.

All in all, there was so much that was happening in the book. It felt a bit like the author had bitten off more than he could chew. The book felt as if it were all over the place, making the resolution appear weak. It’s also very coincidental that the two persons in a coma should both recover miraculously at the same time. These random coincidences reduced the credibility of the story.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Endeavour Media in exchange for an honest review.

Knife Edge is the story of Ella and Ed, two ugly teenagers at a posh private school full of beautiful people. A chance win at a gambling facility leaves Ella able to afford the best plastic surgery in the world, enabling her to make herself and Ed beautiful. Unfortunately things get complicated when their childhood bully, Scott Stockton enters the picture.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. The pacing is a little slow but I genuinely had no idea where it was going and the sense of horror which came from that was very enjoyable. It is a very weird story and this can make for a bit of a jarring reading experience, but once the plot kicks in properly then it becomes a very interesting tale about identity and revenge.

One thing I do have to say is this book got weirdly sexual near the end. Before the 70% mark, I'd say the only sexual aspects were plot relevant and somewhat justified by the narrative. There are two rapes in this book but both serve a narrative purpose (maybe this could have been accomplished by different acts but I'm not here to debate that). However, at the 70% mark there were some unnecessary sexual scenes which I think distracted from the actual horror of the story. The first was some characters visiting a kind of underground sex/gay club and this was full of uncomfortable characters who served no real purpose. The word transsexual is used repeatedly and the whole scene could have been cut with no harm done. The other thing which I wish wasn't in the book was a male character murdering a female character in a sexually-graphic way. It felt lazy and again, I was genuinely feeling quite tense until that happened and it just became cartoonish. These scenes both felt like they came out of nowhere and didn't fit the rest of the book for me.

That aside, Knife Edge really does have a lot to offer. The horror mostly comes from the characters but there is also plenty of violence to keep slasher fans happy. It poses some interesting philosophical debates about identity and what it means to be a good person, and it's definitely not a book I'll be forgetting in a hurry.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 stars

this was really spooky and had a great atmosphere, the characters were great and I really enjoyed the mystery aspect.

The premise of this book sounded amazing. Plus, it was something different, which I am really looking for. So I dove in with eagerness..

Well, it wasn't what I expected. I felt like I was reading an interesting article in a magazine or something. It was interesting, but I couldn't get into it. I couldn't relate to the characters in any way. I didn't want to read a book - I wanted to be immersed and get all the feels. This book just didn't provide that.

Dont get me wrong - it was really interesting - just not my style.

I requested this as I thought it sounded good. Some parts were amazing but some parts were lacking for me, I'm not sure if I would read anything else from this author

Knife edge by David Callinan.
They craved beauty, riches and immortality. And they will stop at nothing.
Two brilliant but ugly losers are tormented at college by 'the handsome rich boy who has it all'.
If only they could be transformed into beautiful creatures and take over his life and fortune. Would they kill to get what they want?
An ok read with some good characters. I liked Famie. I couldn't get into it I was just reading it. Took my time. 3*.

Some women ... and men .... will do anything to be one of the beautiful people. Both Ella and Ed have brilliant minds ... but their time at an exclusive college is downright miserable. They each dream of how different their lives would be ...could be.

Meet Thomas Startz ... The Svengali futuristic body remodeller/plastic surgeon who is about to make their dreams come true - but at what cost?

This struck me more of being horror, rather than a thriller. It is riveting, no matter what you want to call it. It's complex with characters I cannot identify with ... but like looking at an accident at the side of the road, you look and can't turn your eyes away.

The story line is different .... a unique look at "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Although I wasn't enthralled, it did sporadically hold my interest.

Many thanks to the author / Endeavour Media / Netgalley for the digital copy of KNIFE EDGE. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I would call this more of a horror story vs. mystery.
The plot centers on two people who think they are ugly and are bullied. That's until they meet a doctor who can change their looks, make them beautiful, but the cost of beauty does not come cheap.

This has got to be one of the strangest and most un plausible books I have ever read BUT it had a hold on me!

The storyline was intriguing, even though somewhat 'out there' but I felt the delivery was slightly shortcoming and failed in places.

A very intense and complex novel that did have me gripped, perhaps because it was so weird but the totally unrealistic plot just didnt hit the spot for me sadly.

Still I'm going to give a solid 3* because of the fact it kept me turning the page and grabbed my attention!

Thanks to netgalley and Endeavour Media for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to red Knife Edge by David Callinan.

Well, this book was so so for me. I come to realize that this may not be an easy task to write a book. The great idea is there but the delivery is everything and I do not think this book made it entirely. As well, it is hard when you are not the most favourite authors out there to write a book that may be great because people may say it is not good due to the fact the person is not famous.

Knife Edge had the typical characters, people with issues!! Haha..anyways. They want to become perfect and it really gets odd. It was a good read. I liked it!

It is really, really hard to write a novel, so I applaud Callinan for his effort. Unfortunately, this book still needs a lot of work. The characters fill stereotypes (the mean jock, the ugly but brilliant nerd, etc.) and they seem one dimensional, not fully rounded. Further, some of the plot lines (like the evil motorcycle gang that comes from nowhere) just aren't plausible. The premise is interesting but I think this book need major revision before it is ready for prime time.

I would call this a book about obsession. Beauty and all its power and allure. What would you do to be beautiful? A couple of nerds are bullied by the golden boy at school. It eats at them in unimaginable ways. Ella Fallon wishes everyday to become beautiful and her wish comes true. She also changes her boyfriend who has been in a coma into someone special. Someone they both hate. Beauty changes them both in drastic ways. Can they take over the life of the golden boy? Several characters are affected by this along the way. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

If John marrs had written the tv series “return to Eden” it would look a lot like this book. An interesting and somewhat futuristic look at appearances, society perception and revenge. It is a very well written story which grips you from the very start with a touch of “jawbreaker” followed by a pinch of glitzy Hollywood satire. A really good read which even though let down by a lukewarm end still deserves a try.

A sad and tragic tale of people who have heartbreaking body image issues and the lengths they will go to in order to be beautiful and "happy".

This is one intense, twisted, addictive, complex, insane, jaw-dropping novel! Not only is this a very well-written book with wonderfully-interesting characters, but the suspense builds at just the right pace as the story unfolds.

#KnifeEdge #NetGalley

The premises were interesting but somehow the book fails to deliver and it didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book took me a while to get into and finish and didn’t wholly enjoy it as I thought I would! The story is of Ella and Ed whom are being bullied and team up with a surgeon who can help them. They become fabulous from being ugly! The story didn’t sit well with me and didn’t enjoy the fact they had to do things to get what they desired whether it was good or bad.

Thank you Netgalley fro the opportunity to preview Knifes Edge by David Callinan. I would call this more of a horror story vs. mystery.
The plot with two people who think they are ugly and are bullied. That's until they meet a doctor who can change their looks, make them beautiful, but the cost of beauty does not come cheap.
I am not sure about this book - some parts were not right! I just could not get into the plot, so for me this book just was not satisfying.

I think the topic was off putting - the writing is good, and it is fast paced. Just not my cuppa!!!
2 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for this ARC.

The story follows two college students who are teased for their appearance. In a drastic change of circumstances and some chance meetings their luck changes and they end up becoming celebrities.

I found it difficult to finish this book some of the ‘horror’ is purely shock factor and doesn’t add to the story. The plot becomes complicated and in some places events are just unnecessary. I think this book showed a lot of potential but it didn’t pay off.

What if you could live the life of someone you hate, but has it all? That's what Ella and Ed find when they team up with psychotic surgeon Startz who is off to make their deepest and darkest fantasies come true in the weirdest ways possible. I can't give too much away without revealing the book but I can say this is one that will leave you shaking your head and asking, is it worth it? Grab your copy today.