Common Sense Media Review
Weird creatures and nonstop action.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
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Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Based on 11 kid reviews
Kids say the book is an exciting adventure filled with action that appeals to fantasy fans, though opinions vary on its storyline, with some finding it lacking in coherence and depth. Many appreciate the imaginative elements and character arcs, particularly noting the balance of darkness and moments of inspiration, while others feel it is simply a good starting point for a more engaging series.
- exciting adventure
- imaginative elements
- mixed storylines
- character arcs
- good starting point
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
The Edge is a bizarre world filled with weird creatures (\"woodtrolls, slaughterers, gyle goblins, termagent trogs ... monstrous creatures, flesh-eating trees, marauding hordes of ferocious beasts,\" and many, many more) and altered physics (certain types of rocks and wood float, powering sailing ships that ply the air).
Hiding from sky pirates, Twig strays from the path in the Deepwoods forest and encounters one weird creature and gruesomely dangerous situation after another, all the while trying to find a place where he can belong.
Is It Any Good?
The Edge may refer to the part of the world where the story takes place, but it also describes the part of the seat where your child will breathlessly linger. This author and illustrator team possess seemingly inexhaustible, if somewhat rank and fetid, imaginations, just the kind to delight kids with a taste for the creepy, gross, and bizarre. They trot out one all-too-vividly ghastly place and creature after another with wild abandon.
Twig stumbles (usually literally) from frying pan to fire over and over at a pace that some may find exhausting, and the lack of any real goal can make it seem pointless, if exciting, at times. But it's well-written, with crystal clear descriptions and delightfully creepy illustrations, and set into an inexpensive, old-fashioned hardcover edition. Many kids are going to eat this up and beg for more.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the dangers (and possible benefits) of "straying from the path."
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Chris Riddell
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Random House
- Publication date : June 22, 2004
- Number of pages : 278
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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