The Edge of Being by James Brandon

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Edge of Being by James Brandon April Spisak Brandon, James The Edge of Being. Paulsen, 2022 [304p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780525517672 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780525517689 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 8-12 Isaac has never known his dad, and though he loves his sharp and adoring mother, he wants to understand his other parent, too. He finally sets off on a mission to find him, embarking on a road trip to San Francisco with his boyfriend (both teens secretly hoping this road trip will fix their increasing emotional distance from one another). Car trouble adds Max to the mix, a free-spirited girl who is curious, up for an adventure, and, perhaps most importantly, has working transportation when she spots them on the side of a highway. This thoughtful and gentle exploration of grief, loss, and family ties (knotted both weakly and with secure bonds) begins and ends with Isaac, who never realistically imagined he would knock on a door and find a dad ready to fill all the perceived gaps in his life—but that secret, tender hope is present enough that almost any outcome would be a bit of a heartbreak. Though the plot's pace is uneven, Brandon's character development is exceptional—everyone is a complicated mix of damaged, loved, and resilient in varying measures. An ambitious amount of West Coast gay history (Compton's Cafeteria riot, for example) is woven in with overall success, though occasionally dialogue feels a bit more like exposition. In spite of these minor concerns, Isaac is a deeply likable protagonist who actually gets the answers he has longed for, even if they aren't to the questions he thought he was asking all along. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois