The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox {book review}

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from Revell Reads. These are my honest thoughts.

Despite a single expletive, this book has soared onto my favorites list this year. This debut was fresh and different and deep. When I first saw the cover, I was blown away, but I wasn’t certain what to expect beneath it. Let me tell you, it wasn’t anything like I would have guessed.

The story began with a homeless man, and this was something I had never seen done before. This approach tugged my heart in right away. This was a time-split novel, and sometimes the new scenes took me away from what I wanted to keep reading about, but overall, this was very well done (even in those tense moments).

The theme of seeing the unseen people in our lives (those society deems less than worthy of our attention) was superbly on display. This is one reason this book is now a favorite. It takes the “look after orphans and widows” (James 1:27) and “will assemble the outcasts” (Isaiah 11:12) themes and creates a haven for those who are looked down upon by the vast majority of society.

This story is powerful and needed today. I think it’s a must-read for anyone who wants to grow in compassion and who wants to know how to see with new eyes what you’ve missed so many times before.

I loved the tension throughout. It was crafted by the constant unpredictability of the ups and downs of the story and the plot twists and surprises along the way. This helped create a wonderful, thick atmosphere for the story. Harvey’s and Ivy’s lives and problems, fears and hopes and goals fit well into this rich atmosphere.

My emotions were engaged well from page one, and I ended up weeping on a couple of occasions (which made my heart happy even as the words on the page ripped it apart).

Some of my favorite lines were:

“I have faith God is somehow going to heal what feels impossible.”

“There’s a better life for you out there than the one you’re living. All you have to do is take hold of it.”

“We all need a place to rest and be reassured.”

Triggers: losing a child/infertility, rape/sex trafficking, suicide (mentioned and inferred)

Amanda Cox may be new on the Christian fiction scene, but I think she’s whittling out a place to settle in for a while. I can hardly wait to discover her next story.

Content: one expletive