Amazon.com: Customer reviews: How to Live on the Edge

Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2020

“How to Live On the Edge” is an intensely “edgy” book, full of unexpected twists and turns right up to the end. The characters are so real and so tightly drawn that you experience their ups and downs right along with them. In addition to the usual stresses of late adolescence, two very different sisters must learn to cope with a life without parents, a scary medical diagnosis, and a dead mother’s legacy. As they evolve, individually and together, you will be glued to the chair and tight in the gut, hoping that everything will turn out okay in the end.

3 people found this helpful

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Chuck Redman

A unique story of sisterhood

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2020

Verified Purchase

In today's confusing world, young people need to understand their deeper selves, and this beautiful, true-to-life novel was written with unparalleled depth and sensibility. Along with wry humor and the strongly-developed characters of the two sisters, there is also a twisty, compelling plot with mysteries that only two high-energy sisters could hope to unravel. It's a book that combines romance and fun with an important life message for all of us.

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Jen Dy

Emotional

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2020

I’m not going to deny that it took so much strength to finish this book, not because it wasn’t good but because it brought up the pain that I felt when my aunt lost her battle on breast cancer. Cancer sucks to both the patient and the family; it hurts a lot to see a loved one succumb to it no matter how hard they fought. This story tackles Cayenne’s life and fear of this awful sickness. And I can't blame her for being how she is because when you know that your family fights the same battle and disease and the possibility of you getting the illness is high, it can get depressing, and you can also be in denial. She was careless and made crazy choices, but that's how she deals with her fear. This is an inspiring and emotional story that you shouldn’t miss. It is about acceptance, strength, and compassion

2 people found this helpful

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Kari Meek

Emotional

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2020

My Review of
HOW TO LIVE LIFE ON THE EDGE
By Sarah Lynn Scheerger
Published by LernerBooks
On Tour with RockStarBookTours
************
Ms. Scheerger really had my heart strings being tugged every which way in this emotional and not be missed story regarding Breast Cancer and the loss and challenges that come with it. It had me feeling completely exposed and sensitive to the family and what they were going through one minute, to laughing at the well curated characters witty quips and personalities. This is an honest look of what living and losing someone to breast cancer looks like as I watched my mom suffer before she passed in 2015.

This novel is so well thought out. It tells the story of two young adults, Cayenne & Saffron that were raised by their Aunt Tee, after the death of their mother. They were very young when she died and so their mom left journals and videos to be watched when they were ready nearly 14 years later into adulthood.

Because of feeling that life must be lived to its fullest, Cayenne takes extreme risks such as train dodging, cliff diving and other extreme adrenaline activities. The rush is exhilarating and she likes to feel like she’s cheating death. Because of the chances of her and her sister developing the Breast Cancer gene that has killed off all the women on their mom’s side of the family while in their 30’s. And when their Aunt Tee tests positive for the BRCA gene, they must struggle with the decisions their Aunt must make and also think about what lays in their future and what decisions they might have to make.

Getting this very important topic out there beginning with YA makes this a book that we should be sure to get in the hands of our YA readers.

One person found this helpful

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Lisa

My heart melted Sarah <3

Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2020

Thanks to NetGallery, Sarah Lynn Scheerger, and the Lerner Publishing Group for making this read available to review.

This read is a great YA book. Revolved around the relationships of two sisters, Cayenne and Saffron. As they go into adulthood, they are presented with a journal and videos from their mother who passed away from cancer. *enter crying here* I have to say it reminds me a lot about the movie P.S. I love you, that they have videos of their mom.
Two different kinds of girls, Cayenne is a spunky one who lives life on the edge and has her sarcasm level always at 100. Saffron, is the analytical, responsible, realistic, emotional, over thinker. I kind of would have to say i did not enjoy her that much as she seemed to be a bit hypocritical and I would cringe every time she made things a big deal and act like she was holier than thou; and only her way was the right way.

I enjoyed that every once in a while there was something big that happened that would keep you on your toes like finding the videos, Aunt Tee having surgery, finding out about their dad, Axel turning out to be a total douche, the money, Micah <3, and of course the BRCA gene; full of drama!

Props to Sarah to be able to write about awareness in a kids friendly manner.

One person found this helpful

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She Just Loves Books

An emotional read with a strong story!

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2020

How to Live on the Edge by Sarah Lynn Scheerger is such an emotional rollercoaster so buckle in before you start this one! It was a beautifully written book with such an emotional draw!

Cayenne and Saffron lost their mother to breast cancer when they were young, leaving them to live with Aunt Tee. They know that the women in their family don’t live past 40. The BRCA gene mutation that runs in their DNA won’t let them. Cayenne spends her time flirting, very dangerously, with death. She stands in front of oncoming trains, jumping out of the way at the last second, and so many other perilous activities. When she is given video messages her mother made for her before her death, she finds that she doesn’t want them, but continues to be drawn to them.

This story is a deep, insightful, and inspirational story. I liked that the main character was deeply flawed, and I enjoyed the serious subject matter. It was a bit slow in spots, but overall, flowed well, providing a story that I needed to see the ending of.

The characters are so different. Cayenne is hard to connect with. She doesn’t care about her own life because she’s sure she’ll lose it early, so I had a hard time caring. She has this amazing character arc though, and I found myself deeply invested in her story as the chapters progressed. I thought the author did a fabulous job of giving her growth and understanding throughout the story.

This book is marketed as a YA novel, which usually means that the book is marketed to 12-18 year olds, and that the main character is someone in that age range as well. This book fits both of those categories, but its topic is so serious, and so relatable to any reader that I wouldn’t shy away from this one if YA isn’t usually your thing.

Overall, I enjoyed this read, and found myself looking forward to picking it back up. I liked the character growth and the uplifting possibilities in the story.

Content Warnings:
This book depicts some extremely dangerous, life-threatening actions by the MC that could be upsetting to some readers.

To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend How to Live on the Edge readers that like to get emotionally invested in characters!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

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Paige Green

book review

Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2020

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: How To Live on the Edge

Author: Sarah Lynn Scheerger

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended For…: contemporary

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, very dangerous activities that can get you killed, language, cancer TW)

Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab

Pages: 312

Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Cayenne barely remembers her mother, who died of breast cancer when Cayenne was four. The women in her family have a history of dying young. Cayenne figures she’ll meet the same fate, so she might as well enjoy life now, engaging in death-defying risks like dodging trains and jumping off cliffs with her boyfriend.

When Cayenne receives a series of video messages her mother made for her before dying, she isn’t sure she wants them. Her aunt Tee has been her true mother figure. But then Aunt Tee tests positive for a BRCA gene mutation–the one that doomed Cayenne’s mom–and decides to get a mastectomy to reduce her chances of developing cancer. As Cayenne helps her aunt prepare for the surgery, she finds herself drawn to her mother’s messages, with their musings on life, love, and perseverance. For the first time, Cayenne starts to question what it truly means to live life to the fullest, even when death might be written into her DNA.

Review: For the most part this was a well done book. The book has a very interesting story and it’s very informational. You can tell the author is very informed and passionate about learning and teaching about the BRCA gene, which is the gene that causes cancer. The book has great pacing as well.

However, I don’t think the characters are well developed in this book and it was really hard to understand the motives of Cayenne. The book also doesn’t have great world building.

Verdict: It was a good book!

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Holly

Pleasure to Read

Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2020

I had the opportunity to join @BookSparks on a book tour. Thank you @BookSparks {#partner} for gifting me with a copy in exchange for an independent and honest review. This book is out now so go grab yourself a copy!

Review of How to Live on the Edge by Sarah Lynn Scheerger:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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For two generations, none of the women in Cayenne’s family have lived past the age of 37. Her mother died from breast cancer when Cayenne was four years old. Expecting her life to end early like the rest of the women in her family, Cayenne lives a life of risks, figuring that she may as well live her life without regrets. Aunt Tee raises Cayenne and her sister as her own, but she just learns that she too has the BRCA gene mutation; the same genetic marker that Cayenne’s mother had. To minimize any risks of developing breast cancer, Aunt Tee undergoes a mastectomy. At the same time, Cayenne and her sister are given a set of video messages from their late mother. Cayenne starts to question if she is living her best life and what she would do if given information that could impact her future. If you found out that you are at a higher risk of developing cancer, what would you do about it? How would you live your life? Would you play it safe or live on the edge?

This book dove deep into a sensitive topic that was impactful and realistic. The idea of being a teenager and having to consider your future and the risks of developing cancer. I imagine that would be tough. I had my own breast cancer scare when three lumps were found in one of my breasts, but I was 31-years old. That was hard enough to wrap my head around and consider my future nevermind being a teenager and doing so. It was clear the author did her research because the level of detail she wrote about in the MRI scenes brought me back to my scans. It was refreshing to read a young adult book that I could relate to. This book is heartfelt, moving, inspirational, informative, and was a pleasure to read. Well done @SarahScheerger!

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Rajiv

Inspirational and emotional contemporary YA novel

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2020

I love reading contemporary YA novels that talk about relevant issues, inspires you and makes you emotional. How to Live on the Edge delivers all in a beautiful manner.

To begin with, I love both the main characters. Cayenne is complex, moody and wants some meaning in her life, and takes everything with a grain of salt. Whereas Saffron is more grounded and optimistic. Both the girls complement each other so well. Personally, I loved Saff more because she is supportive and guides her sister. However, I also liked seeing how Cayenne grows emotionally in the story. Also, even the supporting characters like Micah, Aunt Tee, and even Axel add very well to the story.

Moreover, there are so many moments which I adored. My favorite parts of the stories were how they react when they see Jenny’s videos. Some of those scenes are very emotional and moving, and I loved the passages that the mother imparts on them. I also loved the girl’s interactions with Ryan, and felt it was beautifully narrated. Moreover, the author covers a few important topics like breast cancer and being tested from a young age. I haven’t read much about this topic in the young adult genre, and I thought the author brought forward some very valid points.

However, there were a few parts which felt repetitious, like how Cayenne ponders about her life and family. I also found it a odd how Axel suddenly became a negative character midway into the story. It came out of the blue and didn’t feel realistic. But apart from that, I loved reading this book!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.

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Lenoire

Emotional Read

Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2020

Cayenne just turned eighteen years old and she barely remembers her mother who died from breast cancer when Cayenne was four. The women in the Silk family have a history of dying young from breast cancer. Cayenne figures that since her days are numbered, she might as well enjoy life now and engage in risky behaviors such as dodging trains and jumping off cliffs.

She and her sister, Saffron received a note that their dead mother left them a series of video messages before she died. Cayenne is unsure if she wants them because she feels that her aunt Tee has been more of a mother figure to her and her sister. However, when her aunt tested positive for the BRCA gene mutation and decides to undergo surgery, Cayenne is conflicted about her future.

The book was an emotional rollercoaster as Cayenne comes to terms with her life and her health. I didn't like that her sister, Saffron was pushing her to do things that she thought would benefit Cayenne like choosing to get tested or undergoing surgery. I understand that Saffron cares for Cayenne but, I believe forcing or strong holding people to make decisions is a bad idea. Overall, I thought it was a good read and look forward to reading other books by the author.

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5 star		45%
4 star		35%
3 star		20%
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