I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Legend Press for my copy of Where the Edge Is by by Gráinne Murphy in exchange for an honest review. It published September 15, 2020.
Wow, I regret not reading this three years ago! This book absolutely wrecked me. The exploration of grief was so intense I literally had to take breathers from this book. I would read anything by this author!
Warning though, there is a lot of language, some sexually explicit events, and a tragic loss of an infant.

I could not get into this book, ultimately it was not form me and I could not finish it. It may be one for other readers

🚌 BOOK REVIEW 🚌

Synopsis: As a sleepy town in rural Ireland starts to wake, a road subsides, trapping an early-morning bus and five passengers inside. Rescue teams struggle and as two are eventually saved, the bus falls deeper into the hole.
Under the watchful eyes of the media, the lives of three people are teetering on the edge. And for those on the outside, from Nina, the reporter covering the story, to rescue liaison, Tim, and Richie, the driver pulled from the wreckage, each are made to look at themselves under the glare of the spotlight.
When their world crumbles beneath their feet, they are forced to choose between what they cling to and what they must let go of.

Review: Just as I was learning to love character based books, I was patient with this book and gave it a decent shot. However the ableism and offence to intellectually disabled people is not something I can withstand once, let alone multiple times. I DNF’ed at 88% after hearing for the second time “I didn’t realise she was retarded”. I just don’t understand why the use of derogatory words are needed? Anyway, this book had too many characters, with too many life stories, and too much drama for a slow winded character based novel. I personally do not recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

0.5/5 stars

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This is a book about an accident and so much more. The author does an amazing job in demonstrating just how grief and trauma stick with a person and can influence a life long after the traumatic event. I found it a sad story and a story that clearly showed how a tragic event is similar the the drop of water in the pond. The effect of that drop of water sends ripples through the pond.
The book was good. It was a difficult read as it involves a tragedy I have experienced and the book was a bit too close for comfort.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the e-book edition in exchange for my honest views

I thought I would love this from the blurb but sadly it wasn’t for me, I found myself struggling to engage and was bored at points.

This book wasn’t for me. I was extremely bored and didn’t like the premise or the writing style
A big disappointment

From the blurb, this book sounded so good and full of promise. But unfortunately it just fell a bit flat for me and I was constantly hoping for more as I read through the book.

I loved the setting of Ireland and the author writes this well - some beautiful descriptions and you really felt like you were in Ireland as the story was happening.

I liked the mutilple POV but I just wanted more action!!

I really couldn’t get on with this one sadly. I’ve seen lots of good reviews, but it wasn’t for me and I didn’t understand fully how Tim and Nina’s struggles really we’re all that relevant to their involvement in the reporting of the incident. I found Amy’s story the most compelling, but I really struggled to like any of the characters.

Im sorry, this wasn’t for me this time.

It is hard to believe that this book was a debut novel. It was suspenseful yet not overdone or go overboard. It kept my attention and I couldn't wait to read more.

Where is the edge this book takes one to a place of reckoning. It was a thoroughly great read and I enjoyed this author thanks

Sorry this just wasn't for me. This was not what I expected and I didn't finish. Too upsetting.
This is my honest review and not anyone elses.

Fate throws lives into a turmoil in the form of a bus accident, and while the rescue attempts are on, it also becomes a moment for introspection and reflection for the characters, who are all battling their own inner demons. The accident in a way becomes symbolic, as the same as the bus that has fallen into the crevice, trapping these folks with little to no hope for escape from doom, so does each character revel in their miseries seeing no light in their lives from anywhere. Nina's character is meticulously crafted, taking us through her inner struggles, while we also follow the edge-of-the seat drama unfolding in the accident scene. I absolutely loved the narration and the articulation, and this made a fabulous read. I am grateful to Murphy and the publishers, Legend Press, for having gifted me with a copy of this book.

Beautiful writing. I was hooked!
A perfect read for the summer holidays.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

4.5 "honest, painful, unassuming" stars !!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Legend Press for an e-copy. This has already been nominated for Irish literary prizes and was released there in September 2020. I am providing my honest review.

This is a domestic Irish village drama that straddles the line between literary and popular fiction. As I was reading I found it difficult to believe that this was a debut novel as it was infused with such carefully constructed and deep character studies as to how small village inhabitants react to a bus accident while still making sense and integrating previous griefs, events and losses.

Ms. Murphy is very adept at fully inhabiting and expressing the thoughts and emotions of her characters so that you feel that you are so painfully close to them. You can reach out and touch them, listen to them and comfort them. These are not larger than life characters that keep you at a distance but people that you might pass and smile at each day on your walk to the bank or grocery store.

I am most impressed with your debut Ms. Murphy and am very much looking forward to seeing what you come up with next.

A must read for those that like their domestic dramas realistic and emotionally resonant !

Where The Edge Is begins on a note of drama as a bus carrying a handful on individuals falls into a crack in the ground. Along the way we meet a number of characters including Nina, Tim, Lucy, Alina and Richie. The novel itself is comprised of a character study of the five, and how they relate to the bus incident. Broken up into four different parts, Where The Edge Is follows each of these characters on their individual inward meditations on grief, loss, fear, but also hope. I loved the little bits of humor that were sprinkled in here and there too.

I especially enjoyed Murphy's inclusion of Alina's perspective. However, I did not really enjoy reading Richie's perspective (though I do see why it was included). I think it would have been more interesting to read the perspectives of Paul and/or Orla in its place. More generally, I enjoyed reading an Irish author’s work. The novel was well-written and I liked how the book was split into different sections with different character perspectives.

Overall, I found the premise interesting, and would like to note that I don't think the blurb for the book does fits well. As much as I find character studies to be interesting, I generally really enjoy them when they are combined with a plot arc as well—something that I found to be lacking in this novel. That being said, this is clearly why I give Where The Edge Is 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 here).

Thank you to NetGalley and Legend Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Below are a few somewhat brief $.02 opinions about books I've read or listened to recently but don't have time, inclination, or opportunity to review in full. Their appearance in this recurring piece generally has little to nothing to do with merit. Many of these books I enjoyed as much or more than those that got the full court press. I hope you'll consider one or two for your own TBR stack if they strike your fancy whether they struck mine or not.

PANDEMIC-BRAIN VICTIMS

Where The Edge Is, by Grainne Murphy

Gosh this one started out great, and I think I will eventually go back to it. A road in Ireland subsides, trapping five people inside a bus. As the rescue goes forth, we begin to learn about those involved. I was transfixed. Then all of a sudden I wasn't. One section started getting deep into historical issues and my pandemic-riddled brain just wasn't in for it at the time. But I love the cover and the premise and the beginning, so I will give this one another go one day.

The storyline is what grabbed me in the first place. I loved the fact that is based on the people in the story not actually the accident. So many feelings in this book. In parts it has humour to combat the sad part. It is actually a very thought provoking book.

I made the mistake of not writing this review as soon as I was done reading the book. My apologies that I cannot give a full review. I remember enjoying this book, but since I cannot remember many of the details, it leads me to believe that I didn't like it all that much.

In Where the Edge Is, disaster befalls a small town in Cork when a bus falls into a sinkhole in the road. The bus is trapped at an angle. Two people at the front of the bus are brought to safety quite soon, but a handful of passengers are at the back and rescuing them will be dangerous and difficult — if they are even alive.

This sounds like a textbook disaster thriller, however Where the Edge Is is actually a quiet, character-driven story told in taut, understated prose from the perspectives of a number of characters. These include Nina, a journalist reporting on the story, Tim, the liaison for the fire service and Richie, the driver of the bus, each already struggling with issues of their own.

As we learn more about the people on the bus, their desperate families, and the professionals gathered at the scene, the layers build to tell a story about individual grief and trauma, about community loss, and about the wider social and political culture that led to the accident – and colours its response.

There is a poignant sense of what might have been, beginning with the decision of the passengers that morning to sit at the back of the bus because a homeless woman – who gained entry with a fake bus pass – was occupying the front and they wanted to avoid her. Each person has a different reason to be there — and a reason why they might easily have been somewhere else.

I loved the voice of this Where the Edge Is, the observation, the sensitive insights. However, I did feel like the novel needed more pace and drama. There was some repetition in the thoughts of the characters, and similarities in their backstories (rather than contrasting experiences that resonate thematically). Some scenes were actually narrated twice from different points of view, but without offering any fresh insights.

One of the reflections of the characters is that people become bored of hearing about grief, that after a certain amount of time they don’t want to hear it again. I felt guilty for having the same thought myself while reading! That’s the trick with fiction, though, isn’t it? To convey unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations while making the experience of reading somehow transcend them.

I did, though, enjoy the observations about public grief, how it becomes somehow packaged and homogenised in everything from radio phone-ins to social media, how people who react differently to loss are viewed with suspicion or resentment.

Where the Edge Is may not hold your attention if you’re looking for an action thriller, but the lovely writing and subtle examination of grief will appeal if you enjoy a more literary approach.
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I received a copy of Where the Edge Is from the publisher via Netgalley.