As an autistic reviewer, when I heard this book had an autistic character I was keen to see how it would go... but from the start it just screamed a non-own voices author and the representation was not at all what I was hoping for and I couldn't get past that to even attempt to enjoy the rest of the book. "Curing" autism has no place in today's world. Please stop.

I really wanted to love it, i really wanted to feel the magic. But i did not... sadly.
Piper was an okay character, and Phoenix was interesting, but it was not as fun as i had hoped.

When Piper and her autistic brother Phoenix lose their parents in a tragedy, they're moved across the country to live with their Aunt Beryl, who leaves many warm fuzzies to be desired. But Aunt Beryl does have an enormous library, with a special book that seems to be calling to them. And Piper wants so badly to help she and her brother through their loss. Through their biblio-journey, Piper and Phoenix traverse pages and emotions, working their way through both, together.

Thank you to NetGalley and B&H for advance access to this title!

A reference to JK Rowling’s work in a book published in 2020 immediately puts me off. Follow that up with an autistic character that feels inaccurate and you have me reading some reviews. That was enough to make me decide not to finish this book.
From what I read the autistic character becomes ‘less autistic’ by the end of the story and that does not sit right with me - too reminiscent of the ableist idea of curing autism. According to the reviews I read it also has a religious element, which I wasn’t aware of and doesn’t appeal to me.

This is a great adventure and fun read. I read it to my son and he really loved it. This story has a great pace and was a lot of fun to go through with him.

I really enjoyed this book and my son absolutely loved it.

5 Stars

Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Yeah, I'm sorry, I had to DNF it at 20% of the way through. I think it's just not for me, though. Kids would probably like this more than me.

This book follows two kids who have lost their parents, one father went missing and one mother just recently deceased. They are now dumped onto a mysterious Aunt Beryl. And a talking book comes into the picture.

The narration was not my favorite, I appreciate trying something new, but the tone from the talking book felt pretentious. There's book references every page which is cool and all but it felt more like quippy references than actual heartfelt homages, kinda like throwing random stuff at a dartboard hoping something will stick.

I will give the book this though, I appreciate how the one character had autism. It wasn't something to be cured or fixed, the brother is autistic and has requirements and that's that on that. It's a shame I didn't like the rest of it, but it's comforting to know that there's disabled rep in newer books. Although looking at other reviews, it seems like the brother's autism is 'cured' toward the end of the book through religious healing? Ummmm nevermind, lol. Though I DNF'ed it at 20% so I probably shouldn't say much without having read it all but that's a bit concerning.

Well, if you're into Narnia type books with subtle Christianity and book references every 5 seconds, this is the book for you.

Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. I really want to love middle grade, but it just doesn't goes as deep as I want books to go. Of course, the book touches on deep topics, but I want more of a discussion.

“Be astonished! Be astounded! For a work is being done in your days that you would not believe if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5, NRSV

Something astonishing, indeed, awaits you, dear Reader.

On the pages of The Edge of Everywhen, you’ll find a young girl, Piper, frightened and desperate for what has been lost to be returned…

Her brother, Phoenix, an altogether rare young man, longing to be seen and understood…

A father, fighting to be reunited with his family…

And Aunt Beryl, with a cold, reserved heart, longing to be warmed.

Do you hear the echoes of your own story in any of theirs? Then, read on.

But be warned!

Something astonishing, indeed, awaits you, dear Reader, for between the covers of The Edge of Everywhen, you’ll encounter a story that will bring you closer to God and closer to the person you were handcrafted to be.

*

There truly are not sufficient words to express how wonderful this story is, so I’ll leave you with a simple plea: please read The Edge of Everywhen. You won’t regret a minute of this adventure and will, I believe, walk away from it forever changed.

My heartfelt gratitude to A.S. Mackey for having the courage to write this story.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

This book was far from what I expected. Although not overly plot heavy I could appreciate it for the amazing message it was portraying. That there is a book out there for everyone and that your imagination can cure anything.

I have to confess for me the beginning of the book was a bit slow but after getting into the story it really gets exciting. The Edge of Everywhen is told by a magical book, its a story about two siblings Piper and Phoenix, who are going through a difícult and very sad time. Their dad is missing in the Middle East. Their life turned upside down when their mom died in an car accident, they had to go to life with a aunt, who they barely know. The Edge of Everywhen is full of mystery and adventures with a beautiful message of hope. Kids will love and enjoy.

I was interested in this book because my son has autism and I always look for stories that have characters that he can relate to. The Edge of Everywhen did not disappoint. Creative, exciting, inspiring - this story is a must read for readers of all ages!

Thank you NetGalley and B&H Kids for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As a proud book nerd and mother to a child with autism, I was so here for a story about a book nerd and her brother, who has autism. Piper and Phoenix's worlds are turned upside down after the accidental death of their mother. They are sent across the country to live with an unfamiliar aunt. The aunt is very different from the two loving parents Piper and Phoenix grew up with. This distant aunt, with her restrictive rules, is barely approachable, so the children are lucky the housekeeper and butler seem more caring.

When Phoenix discovers, and then reads a book in the Verboten library, things start to change. And as each member of the household reads this amazing book, big things happen. I could not put this book down. I finished it in one sitting. I loved the book narrator, and how she (I imagine the book as female) broke down the fourth wall and gave the reader insights that the characters didn't have. I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. I even loved the map of the house so I could picture the events happening just so.

There were so very many things that just "hit" for me. There was just one miss for me. I felt like the author might have been trying to compare Phoenix to a character from another book who was "cured of his affliction" by his faith and the belief of others in him. While Phoenix will grow and change, it seems too fantastical to believe that he will overcome his autism because of his interaction with the Novus Fabula.

I adore this book and cannot wait to get it in the hands of my students and kids.

I loved the idea of this book, the plot was okay, but the execution fell short for me. This book was meant for a middle grade audience and the wording sometimes had me going back and rereading two or three times to understand what the author was trying to say. I would be willing to try something else from this author but this one was a just okay.

This book is about the siblings Phoenix and Piper, Phoenix as autism. There father went missing 3 years ago and there mom died in a car crash in the beginning of the book. Because of that the have to go live with their aunt for away.

I absolutely love the idee of this book but I sadly did not like it. The first thing I didn't like is personal and that is the narration and writing style. The book jumped very fast and was confusing to get into. Also the book is narroted by a book and that is an narration style I sadly don't enjoy.

But the biggest problem I had with this book was the autism representation. So Phoenis has autism, he doesn't speak, doesn't look people in the eyes. He has a big bond with piper and writes her messages in a code. But when at his aunts house he reads a book that all starts to fade. He does things he never done before or done for a long while. It literally indicates that because of the book Phoenix begins to heal of autism. Later it is also said that Phoenix has autism because he is afraid. This is such a big problem, especially in children books. If kids read this book, the can come to see autism as a joke or something that can be fiksed or that it is bad.

This is a tale of 2 children Phoenix and Piper who's father has disappeared overseas 2 years earlier and their mother is killed in a car accident. They are then sent to their Aunts house to live.

The narrator in this book is a book which i thought very strange at first but think the target audience will enjoy a book speaking to them. The stuffy Aunt who doesn't want the children is a bit cliche. I enjoyed the characters of the butler and housekeeper they were very well done.

The representation in the book is for Autism (Phoenix is Autistic) and Christianity (references to god and prayer) The Christianity aspect may put some people off but it doesn't make an agnostic like myself feel uncomfortable as some texts can.

I enjoyed this book on the whole, I like that there are house floor-plans and as the narrator is a book there are lots of book recommendations given throughout and i particularly like the part where the author's note has a list of all book mentioned and says to ask a librarian of other recommendations, i thought this was a nice touch.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this book. The review however the stars are my honest and unbiased opinion.

This is an imaginative, delightful, enchanting read I could not put down. I enjoyed all the book quotes that kicked off each chapter. Like this one, “I’ve left a bit of myself in every bookstore and library I’ve had the pleasure of occupying – Elisabeth Joyce Gott.”

I loved Piper’s passion for the written word and the creativity of her brother Phoenix, who developed a secret language for them to communicate. Phoenix had stopped speaking when he was about 5 years old. No one knows why. He also was autistic. Piper was very protective of her brother. “The mystery of autism had caused Phoenix to go silent years ago...”

The children have lost their mother in a horrible accident and their father had gone missing overseas business adventure. They were headed to their Aunt Beryl whom they met once, when Piper was three years old. Now her and her brother were sent to live with her forever. The author pulls readers into this magical story through Piper and her brother Phoenix as they uncover some pretty amazing things. A talking book for one. I liked how the author broke through the third wall and talked directly to the reader pulling them into the magic of its pages as well.

Mr. Green helps Piper with all her books. That’s when Phoenix makes a wonderful discovery that changes everything. Phoenix tells Piper to read a book that he’s found. She was surprised but starts to read and has an experience she’ll never forget.

Piper tells Mr. Greene, “…The magic lives within its pages, and the words will still be able to reach inside and change the reader. I imagine that very few people would be immune to it.”

This book is just plain fun. I recommend it for everyone who loves books!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc of this title.

Wow. WOW. This book is incredible. It is a story that I feel children and adults need to read. It is powerful.

Siblings Piper and Phoenix have endured more than any children should have to go through. Their father has disappeared, and their mother was suddenly killed in an accident. Sent to live with their mysterious Aunt Beryl, this story is about love, hope, and redemption.

I loved watching Piper and Phoenix find themselves. I think the way that the author portrayed Phoenix (who is autistic) is wonderful - he is highly intelligent, capable, and kind. Piper is an incredible big sister, who has had to grow up far before her time. Her fierce love for her brother drives nearly everything she does. Sofia, Mr. Greene, and Aunt Beryl are wonderful characters. The subplot following their father is heartbreaking and beautiful. I honestly cried at the end.

To quote Mr. Green: "Some things in this world are just pure magic."

I started tearing up when I finished this. They are so precious. I recommend this book for everyone!

“The day had simply been full of Too Much Muchness.”
— A. S. Mackey, The Edge of Everywhen

This book is so precious!

The Edge of Everywhen is told from the perspective of a MAGICAL BOOK! It follows the woes of a sister and brother. Piper is a 13 year old booknerd, and her autistic little brother Phoenix are both struggling in the aftermath of their mom’s death and their dad being declared M.I.A.

This is a middle grade story about faith, God and the importance of seeing the good and magic in the world.

I am not ashamed to admit that I cried once or twice! I was a mess. Although, my only complaint with this book is the constant repetition of the narrator addressing us as ‘Dear Reader’— it was really getting my goat! But otherwise, I highly recommend this!

And I loved the fact that it wasn’t just the children we were following, but the dad too. It made everything so much more special to see their struggles side by side and how they coped throughout their own difficulties.

Also, I LOVE when books make references to classics and pretty much fan girl all over them, and this is exactly what this book did. Some of the books mentioned in this include: Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, The Wind in the Willows and so much more!

Highly recommend.

Read. Be happy. Stay safe.

DNF @ 35%

I loved the idea of this book, but I didn’t love the execution. The story was supposed to be told from the point of view of a book, which is cool … and it sometimes was. But it jumped and meandered too much. It started at the kids getting to the house, and then it backtracked to what happened to lead them there, then it jumped to another character, then back to the kids at the house. The flow was just wonky.

The narrator also dropped these mentions to other super popular books and was like, “You’ve read this, of course, right, dear reader?” I thought it was cute at first as a way to draw a young reader’s attention to other books they might like, but then it started feeling a bit pretentious, and what if the readers haven’t, in fact, read those? Or have no interest in reading them?

Where I stopped, I felt like literally nothing had happened. The kids had just found this book, and that was it. The rest of the book thus far had been filled with quotidian moving into a new house and learning the rules, but nothing that grabbed my attention.

The final nail in the coffin was when Phoenix, a little boy with autism, suddenly started exhibiting behaviors he hadn’t in a long time after finding this book, very heavily implying that the book was “fixing” him. Whether this narrative continues in the rest of the book, I can’t say because that was enough for me to decide not to finish when added to the fact that I was just plain bored with it. That definitely felt squicky to me.