Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Edgewood

Top positive review

Mindblowingly Great

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2021

This is a book for all ages, 8 and up! Creative, fast-paced, perfectly developed characters that readers will love. The story itself is one you don’t want to put down and don’t want to end. I am so glad there are now 5 more to read! Highly recommend. I have so far not read a book written by Ms McQuestion that I haven’t put at the top of my favorites list. This will be added. Clean but suspenseful and exciting. Written for much younger than me but I don’t think there is an age that wouldn’t love this book! As always, she doesn’t disappoint in any way. Loved this!

3 people found this helpful

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A Reading the Paranormal Review

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2013

I have a confession. I was enjoying this book quite a bit right up until Russ started going along with the "testing" regime he was subjected to by the bad guys. Or, who I think are the bad guys. I mean, it seems pretty cut and dried to me that they're not *good* considering the lengths they'll go to to get Russ to join them and keep their shady dealings under wraps. My point is, for a smart kid, Russ does everything he's told to do for the test and he never really seems to exert himself to find another way out of the situation other than going along with them. Now these jerk-faces have all this information on what he's capable of and that seems like it's going to be phenomenally bad for any future interactions between them. It's never a good idea to let your enemies know precisely what you're capable of, is it?

That aside, I did enjoy this book. Yes, I spent the last 15% of it with my rage-eyes firmly on, but I can also see that he was under a lot of pressure and he wasn't at his best when the situation was forced on him. I just... see a lot of potential for the information that he allowed them to gather being used against him. And that's never good.

As for the characters, I liked Russ for the most part. I liked to dislike Jameson (his arrogance and the way he talked down to Russ were annoying but I placated myself by imagining Russ Hulking out and punching him in the face). I'm not quite sure what Russ sees in Mallory other than she's a pretty girl who's paying attention to him. Probably the person I liked the most (next to Russ) was Nadia just because she's so screwed up. That girl needs to get out of her house and away from her family before she loses it completely. There are several hints that are dropped about Russ and his family that even I caught. Frankly, if I misunderstood what was being implied, I'm going to be shocked.

Overall, the book was fun, I just wasn't thrilled with the way Russ handled what the Associates expected him to do. On the other hand, I don't know if I trust the Guard completely, either, but they seem to want what's best for everyone, especially the kids caught up in this. On the story front, enough plot threads were laid out that book 2 looks like it'll be an interesting ride and some of the questions posed in this book will be answered.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

9 people found this helpful

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From the United States

Alan Redrup

Mindblowingly Great

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2021

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3 people found this helpful

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Andrew M. Ferrell

Superpowered Teenagers just trying to find their way...

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2016

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Today Gentle Readers we have another teen focused young adult supernatural book. I picked this on up for free from a mailing list I am on. I thought that it would be something I could screen for content and maybe get my son to read so he isn't on the video games as much. I think I will have a winner here.

Russ Becker is your typical teenage insomniac. I was always a night owl so I could relate a bit to his plight.When one of his late night walks leads him up close and personal with what looks like a meteor shower, everything changes. Russ finds out about group of teens his age that all have the same problem, and solved it all the same way. They also have another secret in common, they all experienced a light show similar to Russ.

Now Russ, Mallory, Jameson, and Nadia have something else in common, they all developed special powers after their exposure to whatever the light and rocks were. With great power comes an organization designed to exploit those who are gifted in this way. As Russ tries to sort out his new reality and the hidden world he has been exposed to, secrets are brought to light. Will Russ be able to continue his previously unremarkable life? Or is he destined for other things?

Come along for the ride that Karen takes us on in Russ's quest of self discovery. If you are still a kid at heart, there is entertainment to be found in these pages.

7 people found this helpful

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Ritapita

Fantastic YA Sci-Fi for all ages...

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2015

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I like this book.

I'm not going to tell you about the book. I'm going to tell you why you should read this book.

1) It's FREE on Goodreads, Bookbub and Amazon! Hello, freebie here!

2) It's fast paced. Yes, it's about 16 y/o's when the only thing fast-paced about them is usually avoiding chores, homework and jumping on electronics.

3) The characters are real (for the most part). But these are pretty good kids, each dealing with totally different home-lives, and the author lets you see the good and the bad behind closed doors. Some of the thoughts and comments made by the main character are very thought-provoking and make you wish you were better with other people. A couple others you just wanna smack.

4) The story is wild. The author writes like THIS COULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN, and makes us believe it (and even though it is Sci-Fi and we, none of us, will get new powers from the stars, that doesn't mean we can't wish for them!) This is a unique book with a great story line. It doesn't have Vampires, Werewolves, Demons or Dead-People-Come-Back-to-Life, but the authors imagination is fresh and has brought us real entertainment.

5) It ends well. Yes, yes - We know it is the first of a series, and you can tell the story continues, but honestly, right after I finished this book, I DIDN'T RAGE OR SCREAM, "I HATE CLIFFHANGER!!" I, The Queen Of Reading Freebie Books, just immediately bought the next one. That doesn't happen a lot, but it does happen with the good'un. And this is one of them.

I love to read. I will read bad books but try not to. If the first book in the series is slow, bad or is incredibly unbelievable, I will never purchase the second. Ever. This is NOT one of those books. Other reviewers will tell you the plot and the characters and break it down.

Here's my breakdown: READ THIS BOOK, YOU'LL LIKE IT. NO CROSSINGS COUNT!

*please forgive my typos, I loathe auto-correct

8 people found this helpful

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A Reading the Paranormal Review

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2013

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9 people found this helpful

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Sandasavi

Excellent Read!

Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2012

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I don't usually read YA or books about paranormal subjects. But, I loved other books by Karen McQuestion. She has a great way of easily developing a character and making them feel like someone you know. So I tried this book Edgewood. Wow, I read it in 3 days and that is crazy for me. I could not put it down. I had to keep reading almost like the characters who could control my mind! Lol. But, really it was a great book. Can't wait to read the next book in the series. The flow of the story was great, easy to follow but not predictable. I kept wanting to find out what would happen next. Even though the characters are teenagers they felt so much more mature than their years and so I didn't feel like I was reading a YA book. I hope it doesn't take too long for the next book to come out!! This is a must read!!

35 people found this helpful

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Great Young Adult Science Fiction

Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2015

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4.5/5 stars Buy a book and immediately read it? Not unheard of from me, but still pretty rare. I found this one, and was intrigued enough to read, AND not be able to put down this book almost immediately. It’s young adult, but that didn’t take anything away from my enjoyment of this read.

Russ is a fifteen year old that has a bad case of insomnia, so he has taken to the streets of his town(Edgewood)to walk late at night-unbeknownst to his parents. He’s gotten used to all the little quirks of the people whose homes are lit up late at night, and has a usual course we walks each time. One night changes everything for Russ and life for him will never be the same. Sounds pretty dramatic? Actually it really was. After witnessing a strange phenomenon, he begins to acquire some pretty amazing super powers. And then he meets more teenagers just like him.

I think this is the first young adult book(at least that I can remember)that features a teenage boy, that I have read. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, but came away pleasantly surprised. Russ is smart, funny, and in lots of ways typical of a boy his age. His interests range from girls to playing games, and then back to girls again. That is until the night that changed his life. Mallory is a fellow classmate and when she sees that he is drawing pictures of what he saw that night, she befriends him, and takes him to meet her friends. Nadia is an almost introverted character due to being horribly scarred on her face, and Jamison thinks because he is a genius that he is better than everyone else. But the three have the same thing in common; they had all been insomniacs the previous year, and had seen the same thing that Russ just experienced. And they all have powers as well. Russ learns all the things that the others have learned-mainly that there is an organization that is trying to recruit any and all teenagers that have experienced the phenomenon. That they will stop at nothing(even murder)to make this happen is a big plot point for this book.

The author’s characterization of teenage boys was fun. Russ would be doing something really serious, only to have things about girls or a particular girl go through his head. Or he would say things that firmly put him into the teenage camp, and then turn around and act very mature. Kind of teetering between a child and adult. Jamison stayed pretty immature throughout the read.

The premise, the characters, the writing, and super fast pacing, kept me turning pages, and it ended up being a less than one day read. I thought about giving it five stars, but had to take away half a star due to the mystery of the phenomenon not being explained in this book. That was disappointing for me. I have already read Wonderlust, the second book in this series, and I enjoyed that one as well. I would recommend this to all young adult/adult science fiction fans or even someone that just wants to read something really different.
(RabidReads.com)

2 people found this helpful

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Kim G.

I wasn't sure I would like it, but I did

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2014

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Russ Becker has insomnia and has found that the only way he can get to sleep is to roam the town late at night when almost everyone else is sleeping. He does this so often, that he’s found certain houses along his route where other people are up late as well. He likes to go by those houses and glance in the windows, feeling a sense of camaraderie with the others who, like him, are not sleeping at that late hour. After he walks his route, he is able to go home and go to sleep. Otherwise, he’s a normal teenager, looking forward to getting his driver’s license soon, going to school and studying and dealing with the ordinary things teenagers have to deal with, like parents and homework.

One night, during his late night walking, he sees some sort of astronomical event, similar to a meteor shower, but different. These meteors are falling to the earth, and they don’t look quite like meteors, they glow. So, he decides to try to find where they are landing and get a better look at them. When he finds the spot they are landing in, he sees that they are arranged in a spiral shape on the ground and they are all giving off a beautiful glow. He walks into the center and notices he feels wonderful standing there, like they give off some kind of energy. He stays for a while, then goes back home and goes to bed.

The next day in school, he keeps thinking about the night before. While he is in science class, waiting for the teacher to show up, he starts doodling in his notebook and draws the spiral shape the stones were arranged in. The pretty girl in front of him, who never paid any attention to him before, suddenly seems very interested in what he is drawing. She starts asking him questions about it, but the teacher comes in shortly thereafter. The teacher starts talking about an astronomical event that happened last night and offers rewards, such as extra credit, if anyone will talk about seeing it. Russ is reluctant to say anything for fear he will get into trouble for being out so late. None of the other students seem to have seen it, and the teacher begins offering bigger rewards. Russ is also suspicious because there was nothing on the news about this event and the teacher seems almost desperate to find someone who saw it.

This is how Edgewood starts out. The mystery builds from there. Why is this girl so interested in Russ all of a sudden and why is the science teacher trying so hard to find someone who saw the event? Eventually Russ learns that he now has the power to heal himself and others. He also finds other teens that have seen a similar event and have powers of their own. There is evidence though that a secret organization may be after them, and this organization will go to any lengths to get the teens to work for them.

Edgewood was a really good book. It was suspenseful, the characters had depth. I felt genuinely concerned for Russ and his friends. It kept me guessing about who they could trust. There were surprises throughout the book, and hints that things are not as they seem. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Wanderlust, because I’m betting it will be even better than Edgewood was. At times, Edgewood seemed to drag a little, but I think that’s just because the story had to be built. There are many characters who are well-developed, and that takes time. Despite the occasional drag, Edgewood was very enjoyable and interesting. I don’t normally read sci-fi books, so I was a little concerned I wouldn’t like it, but I really did. The build up to the ending was great; I was on the edge of my seat rooting for Russ to make it through the challenges. I have suspicions that Russ’ sister knows a lot more than she has told Russ so far. Read this one, even if you don’t like sci-fi. If you like mystery and suspense, you’ll like Edgewood.

One person found this helpful

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Hillel Kaminsky

Three Stars

Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2020

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4 insomniac teens see mysterious lights in the sky and then develop super-powers. Although they try to keep their abilities a secret, an evil group is after them with the ultimatum that they must join or die. The concept is certainly not new but the author managed to put enough of a spin on it to keep it feeling fairly fresh.

However, the characters were not particularly interesting or noteworthy and the plot proceeds at a glacial pace. This wasn’t a bad book, but I have no interest in continuing the story and finding out what happens next.

One person found this helpful

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JLM

FUN FAST READ

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2015

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I didn't initially realize this was book 1 of a series. Had I known that I would not have bothered as typically multi-book stories are not well written. To be successful each of the series should be able to stand on its own, and its been my experience that many authors fail to achieve that. Rather they take a book and just chop it up into 2, or more, pieces thereby requiring you to complete the entire series. A well written multi-book story should have each book in the series be able to stand on its own. The Rama series is an excellent example of that.

Well this book pulled it off. I completed book 1 and will probably go ahead and read books 2 and 3...but I don't have to. Book 1 was a complete story all by itself. This is definitely a young adult book, another thing I missed when I looked at the description. But I found it to be tolerable. Some of the story deals with young love angst and teen relationships. "He likes her, she seems to like him, but another girl does like him and he's not even aware of her."

It's well written, but the book would have benefited from some additional editing. I found the characters and the story to be interesting with the author revealing just enough mystery to keep the reader engaged. The whole thing with how they acquired their super powers, how the explored them and used them as a team to extricate themselves from those who would try to control them to use their powers was well done.

It is a good fun read along the lines of "ordinary people put into extra-ordinary situations."

Helpful

Alice L. Kent

Karen's 8th novel and all are 5 Star novels. IMO !!

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2012

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" Edgewood (Edgewood Series) " would make a great movie about people with incredible supernatural powers !!

Karen's write's in more than one genre and she writes novels for adults, kids and teenagers. I have read all 8 of her novels. She also has two of her books written in German. It seems that the minute I finish one of her books I can't wait for the next book to come out.

Karen's newest novel Edgewood is about ( supernatural powers ) this is not a genre I would normally read but I said well if Karen wrote it I should give it a chance. When I started this book I got hooked and loved it. Every detail Karen writes is very vivid, spot on, be it a person, place or thing, right down to describing where to put a chewed piece of gum :>)

Superpower abilities would not be a good thing if used for the wrong reasons.
A lot of research, knowledge, character development, locations, graphic descriptions, imagination, the way you pulled everything together and the many voices rushing through your head is unbelievable. Lots of twists and turns also. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

Great story Karen, you have got me hooked !! Great cover also !!

I see that this is going to be a series and am looking forward to the next book to see what happens next with Russ, Mallory, Nadia and Jameson.

I recommend all 8 of Karen's books.

A SCATTERED LIFE | EASILY AMUSED | THE LONG WAY HOME | FAVORITE | LIFE ON HOLD | CELIA AND THE FAIRIES | SECRETS OF THE MAGIC RING | EDGEWOOD

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3 star		8%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

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