At the Edge of the World by Kari Jones is a young adult novel that focuses on the relatipnship between Ivan and Maddie, told in alternating perspective. Ivan has hiding that he has been caregiver to his alcoholic father after his mother left them when he was eight. Maddie has been accepted to art school with a substantial scholarship, but isn't sure she wants to go. Maddie finds out about Ivan's home life, and struggles with whether to tell her parents until a five-year-old is forced into Ivan's care for more than a week.

Ivan's side of the story is relatively strong, but overall, the characters were flat and their dialogue trite and predictable. Somehow, Maddie's struggles about whether to go to art school, and the fact that her fathers are supportive emotionally and financially, of her going to school, are elevated to the same level of problem as Ivan's home life. The story ended on a hopeful note, but I was left frustrated. ( )

Ivan and Maddie have been best friends since they were little. But Ivan has a secret that even Maddie does not know about. His father, Des, is an alcoholic who cannot hold down a job, goes on binges and passes out. When Ivan arrives home, he never knows if he will find cigarettes smoldering on the carpet, beer bottles broken on the kitchen floor or Des covered in vomit. Whenever it seems like Des is on the mend, he meets up with his friend Pedro and trouble ensues. Maddie is grappling with her own dilemma-whether or not to attend Emily Carr University to study art. Although she does not want to, her dads, Bo and Peter, want her to enroll, especially Peter who wants to spare her the struggling artist lifestyle that he experienced. When Ivan entrusts Pedro's five year old granddaughter into Des's care and he leaves her alone, it is the last straw.

At the Edge of the World by Kari Jones describes Ivan's efforts to keep his life a secret. Since his mother left when he was eight, Ivan is his father’s sole caretaker. Love and fear of his home being broken further propels Ivan to downplay the seriousness of Des's condition. While Bo and Peter have some inkling, the situation is far worse than imagined. As reality sinks in, Maddie is unable to break through Ivan’s barrier. Maddie and Ivan's love for each other is evident. Des's ineffectual promises to change resonate. This is a strong story. ( )

I found this novel hard to get into, but once I did I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the relationship between the main characters and realistic issues they face. Overall, a great YA read. ( )

Kari Jones’ At the Edge of the World is a young adult book that centers on the relationship between Maddie and Ivan. Maddie lives with her parents in a house by the sea, somewhere in Canada. Her best friend, Ivan, lives next door. Ivan’s father is an alcoholic, and Ivan works to conceal the extent of his father’s addiction. As the story progresses, Maddie learns all the thing Ivan is concealing and struggles to decide how to support Ivan best – to protect his secrets or the tell for Ivan can get help.
I admire Jones for tackling a subject like how the addictions of the parents can affect the child. And she handles it well.
However this doesn’t really redeem the story from the issues.
The characters have little depth and the issues they face (other than Ivan) seem trite. For example, Maddie gets into a prestigious art school with a scholarship but complains about going. I find this ridiculous and annoying. And this is probably because I haven’t been a teenager for twenty years, and there is a reality to it. Teenagers rarely understand the blessing they have. This is a “big deal” for Maddie, as her parents want her to attend, but she resists.
The story is a slow, aside from a few moments of contrived excitement – like a shed fire and a missing parent and a big party.
One bright point is Maddie’s parents. They are two men, and I appreciate that this isn’t even mentioned as part of the story. In the tale, they are just her parents.
Kari Jones shows promise as an author, and I expect as she writes more, the issues I have with this book will be corrected.

Note: I received this book free through LibraryThing's Early Review Program, in exchange for my fair and honest opinion ( )

I received this book for free through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers.

It took me forever to finish this book because I was in the biggest reading slump and I've been super busy with school. That being said, I really liked this book a lot. I loved Ivan and Maddie's friendship and how fiercely loyal they are to each other. The subject matter is a bit heavy but the author tackles it well. Overall, a solid YA novel. ( )