The Edge of Over There ~ Review

The Edge of Over There
The Day the Angels Fell #2
By Shawn Smucker

The battle at the Tree of Life changed everything. Destroying the Tree cost Abra Miller her friendship with Sam Chambers and left her with a sword that no one else could hold. And then there is the dream - the dream of that night and the last message that Mr. Tennin left her.

When threats to those closest to her compel her to seek out another Tree Abra travels to New Orleans where she must open and enter a Gateway that the living should never cross. Her journey will introduce her to a young man who has been seeking this very Gateway for years after having lost his own family to it.

But destroying this second Tree of Life that between Here and Over There will take her to the Edge of Over There. But the Edge of Over There is a dangerous place to be - a place of sorrow and pain. With no one to trust Alba is truly on her own and she must destroy the Tree before any eat of the fruit which it bears. And she must withstand the temptations which she will face in this battle. 

The Edge of Over There is an interesting book as we are taken to the point where The Day the Angels Fell left off. Sam has received the sword and notes that Alba has been keeping for years and a stranger approaches him. Now this stranger is about to tell Sam about Alba's story, at least a portion of it.

Now if one hasn't read the first book you could probably make it fine through this one though there are references to incidents from the first that will be a bit unclear. This is most definitely Speculative fiction and I think it is better than the first book. Alba is a character that one can empathize and connect with. And I will say I want to know more about what happened between the end of Alba's portion of the story and Sam's portion. Those who enjoy James Rubart or Billy Coffey will most likely be fans of Shawn Smucker's work as they strike me as similar story types. I would love to have this book as a book club selection and get the various takes on just what everything means to the various readers - so this will be getting my vote.

I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher Revell with no expectations of a positive review ~ All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Abra Miller carries a secret 

and a responsibility she never expected.

Before the Tree of Life, everything in Abra Miller's life had been predictable. Safe. Normal. But after the Tree, everything has felt fragile . . . like holding a soap bubble in the palm of her hand. After years of fruitless searching for the next Tree, she begins to wonder if it was nothing more than a vivid dream.

Now sixteen, Abra finds a clue to the whereabouts of the next Tree of Life when an ominous woman--who looks exactly like a ghost from her past--compels her to travel to New Orleans where she'll find one of seven gateways between this world and Over There. But she's not the only one interested in finding the gateway. There's also a young man searching for his father and sister, who escaped through it years before. As Abra enters the Edge of Over There and begins her pursuit of the Tree once more, she doesn't know whom to fear or whom to trust.

She's also starting to think that 

some doorways should never be opened.