Title: The Edge Chronicles Book 1: Beyond the Deepwoods
Author: Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
Reviewer: Josiah Torres (age 12)
Recommended reader age: 14 years old and up
Summary: The intriguing Edge Chronicles series was released in the United States in 1998. Since then it has been a smash hit. I first discovered this fairly interesting series in a small country library where I picked up a copy and borrowed it. From cover to cover this book is a great novel. It is engrossing, interesting, heart-pounding and all together smashing. Good job, authors!! The story takes up in a world on the side of a huge cliff, called “The Edge.” It is filled with vast lands, colorful creatures and people - all fantastically expressed by Mr. Riddell. The art is just absolutely outstanding and so is the story line. It invites the reader to listen to the tale of boy named Twig, who was raised by woodtrolls, never knowing his family. One day, after being beaten up by young woodtrolls for straying off “the path” and called an “outsider,” Twig goes on a quest to find his real descent.
Response: Ever since I started reading this book, I loved the series. It is a great new take on fantasy - as you know present day fantasy is all about spell-casting wizards, bloodthirsty vampires, and other harmful things like that. “The Edge Chronicles” shows that you don’t have to include all that gross stuff to make a best seller. There were some things that I read in this book that could be harmful to some children, but I’ll get to that later.
Grades: (with 1 being low and 5 being high)
Violence: 4/5(Some unsuitable content) Now I come to the down fall. As good as this book is, it does have some flaws. The violence in this book is pretty strong. A hoverworm tries to kill Twig, who stabs it with a knife, resulting in a bang. A really gruesome part is when a caterbird saves Twig and kills a skullpelt. The dead skullpelt is then shown on the next page in a detailed illustration, dead with blood dripping out of its mouth in large quantities. A banderbear is eaten by wig-wigs, carnivorous hairballs hungry for flesh. A bloodoak tries to kill Twig, but Twig makes a narrow escape, which I can not tell you about because it will ruin the story for you. During the trog bloodoak ceremony, a girl drinks blood, and then is showered in it and then turned into a huge, lumbering, female trog.
Sexual Content: 0/5(none) No Sexual Content.
Language: 0/5(none) No Language.
Christian Themes: 3/5 (slightly inappropriate) There is a demon-like creature at the end. He is expressed in stunning detail in one Mr. Riddell’s illustrations. His encounter is about tempting Twig, who then gives in only to find himself falling off the Edge. He is then rescued and learns a lesson as well.
Anti-Christian Themes: 3/5 (slightly inappropriate) The same issue as above.
Torres Family Recommendations: Due to the violent elements and the encounter with the demon, or “gloamglozer,” I am forced to recommend this book for ages 14 and up.
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