My Diary from the Edge of the World

Book review by Darienne Stewart, Common Sense Media
My Diary from the Edge of the World Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 8+

Magical, heartbreaking story about family and friendship.

Jodi Lynn Anderson Fantasy 2015
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Parents say

age 8+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 3 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

Stands out for and .

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that My Diary from the Edge of the World, by Jodi Lynn Anderson (Tiger Lily), is a stirring family adventure set in an alternate dimension, a world where Walmart sells sasquatch poison and people avoid lingering outdoors when the dragons are migrating. The family drama is very realistic: The children are often embarrassed and angry with their father, for example, and need to remind themselves to be nice to him. Death is stalking the family in the form of a cloud, floating silently and stubbornly after them to carry away a soul. Both adults and children are frequently in danger from wild creatures. Children worry about their parents' relationship. One character dies.

Community Reviews

Liliana G.
Liliana G. Adult
February 22, 2018
age 6+

BEST BOOK EVER

I think this is an amazing book because first of it is very descriptive and shows exactly what the main character (which is a girl BTW) is feeling. It has very realistic features and some twists with fantasy and adventure. This book brings out and teaches to never be afraid to imagine the impossible. You need this book NOW!

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Batfan7
Batfan7 Adult
March 26, 2016
age 9+

Kind of depressing

In an effort to get away from a 'cloud of death' which is following one of the heroine's family members, the main character and her family embark on a trip to the 'edge of the world'. First, this novel has a unique and very interesting world. It is a mix of our own reality and a fantasy one where dragons burn down local stores occasionally and you have to watch out for Yeti when driving through wooded areas. The world-building the author did was inventive and fun to discover as you read through the book. However, the plot and most importantly, the character development lacked a great deal, in my opinion. The ending (which I won't give away) was disappointing. The main character had absolutely no respect for her father (and he was never portrayed in a way that really deserved any respect - he was a pathetic, self-absorbed wimp of a man) and the rest of the family felt one-dimensional. There were several instances where the family is warned not to do something well in advance, and of course, predictably, does so anyway. It simply wan't an enjoyable book to read.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Gracie Lockwood, 12, lives a fairly normal life (aside from the occasional run-in with a migrating dragon) until a Dark Cloud approaches her home to claim a soul. Fearing for the life of Gracie's sickly young brother, Sam, her family flees, taking orphaned friend Oliver with them aboard their Winnebago in a desperate search for the Extraordinary World, a place that might not even exist. They need to cross through dangerously wild territory, from the witch villages in the Great Smoky Mountains to the Kraken menacing the Southern Sea. Laughed at by skeptics, they hope to reach the edge of their flat world and discover the legendary Extraordinary World, a land where monsters -- and Dark Clouds -- can't break up their family.

Is It Any Good?

Family, with all its delights and frustrations, anchors this winning fantasy that combines heartbreakingly realistic characters with a magically wild setting. Charming, observant Gracie straddles the line between childhood and adolescence, writing with drama and imaginative flair one moment and mature insight the next. In MY DIARY FROM THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, author Jodi Lynn Anderson depicts the familiar world skewed through a magical lens.

As with any family on a road trip, the Lockwoods share breathtaking experiences and push one another away with fractious squabbling. The monster-world twists -- westward railroads torn up by yetis and trolls, world war averted by poltergeists disrupting factories -- are a cleverly entertaining backdrop to a moving look at family, fate, and having the courage to move on.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the appeal of fantasy stories set in alternate versions of the real world. Do you prefer these to fully fabricated fantasy worlds?

  • Which part of the story most caught your interest here: the family relationships or the fantasy background?

  • Try writing a story taking an historical event and reimagining it with a fantasy twist.

Book Details

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