Since Faith’s Dad went missing, she’s needed to take control of her family - her Mum is not coping, and her younger brother Noah is speaking with a ghost that lives in the cellar of their house, a house that erosion is causing to get closer and closer to the edge of the cliff.

When Faith is befriended by Sam, she starts to realise there maybe more to Noah’s ghost stories than she wanted to believe, and there may be a way for her to save her house.

There are moments of peril, humour, family love, and true friendship in this book. It’s readable, enjoyable and has enough to make you think about conservation, friendship and how the past shaped your present and future.

A worthwhile read.

With thanks to NetGalley and Nosy Crow for the digital ARC.

A crumbling cliff-side, pirate stories, shipwrecks and sea ghosts - gripping and tense, this is a beautifully written story with layer after layer of mystery!

This is a gem of a book that was not at all what I expected it to be from the description. I’ve mostly read, and my own children tend to most enjoy, fantasy and adventure stories. I found the cover for this book compelling and thought it would make an interesting change. But, despite the supernatural and a good few moments that will no doubt scare younger readers, this book is far more nuanced than a simple thriller. It deftly encompasses a compelling mystery, grief and issues of mental health in a highly accessible way.

The book is told in first person by Faith, a 13 year old who is put in a position where she has to be old beyond her years. Her dad has recently walked out on the family and Faith’s mum is struggling to deal with it in ways no teenager could comprehend. On top of that, her younger brother Noah is obsessed with the ghosts living in their cellar. There’s also the enigmatic boy Sam, who keeps popping up when Faith least expects him to and who may not be who he seems.

Faith is a very identifiable protagonist. She is both flawed - failing to adapt to her new way of life - and deeply caring. Much of the character development throughout is driven by how she learns to see others in new, often unexpected, ways. She has an issue with authority figures but comes to rely on them as the story progresses. The other members of her family are perhaps a little thinly drawn - Noah creates elements of the plot but is absent from large chunks of it and doesn’t really evolve by its conclusion. Her mum’s mental health struggles are painfully real but I felt she ended up taking a back seat to other characters in the book’s second half. Mrs Hollowbread - Noah’s teacher ultimately ended up with the most interesting plot amongst the adult characters and I enjoyed spending time with her as the story went on.

One small criticism concerns the target audience for this book. It’s marketed as middle grade and it’s teenage protagonist and slightly older themes seem to bear that out. Yet there were central elements of the plot that my two primary age children easily predicted. I’m not sure if that’s because they’re seasoned mystery readers and certainly it does’t take away from everything else the book has going for it but the mystery itself is perhaps a bit simplistic compared to its stronger Middle Grade elements.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It moved at a great pace and unveiled its plot points in ways that made me seldom want to put it down. I would highly recommend it and will look out for more of Alex Cotter’s work in future.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable middle-grade read. The story flowed really well, and had me flying through it in one short sitting, making it ideal for younger readers.

I loved the characters, and felt they all had clear, unique personalities. The plot itself kept you guessing, and I think would be quite thrilling for younger readers. Within the excitement of hidden treasure and sea ghosts, there is an exploration of loss and family struggles that I think will resonate with readers without overwhelming them.

The voice of the novel was great, and I liked the pop culture references scattered throughout. I felt you could really hear Faith and connect with her personality. I think most people would be able to empathise and recognise elements of their own childhood in the kids in this novel.

My only criticisms would be with some of the grammar, and with the formatting of the Kindle version.

There are a lot of places with extra spaces, missing hyphens, missing indents at the start of paragraphs etc. A lot of the sentences are very broken up as well, with full stops instead of commas etc. This may be a stylistic choice, and certainly the voice of the book was true to Faith and her age/personality. However, a lot of the time, it felt wrong and disrupted my reading.

The Kindle version was appalling, with so many problems in formatting that I couldn't continue reading it. The paragraphs are broken, the illustrations all in the wrong place, and there are random page breaks and lightning bolts everywhere. The PDF version was beautifully done, showing the lightning, illustrations and text as it should be. I really like the styling of this, so it's a shame I struggled through half of the book with the Kindle version. This desperately needs fixing as I don't think anyone would be happy with how that looked.

What they say: Where has Faith’s dad gone? Why has he left his family living in an old house perched on a crumbling cliff top? A crack has appeared in the cliff and Faith watches anxiously as it gets bigger and bigger each day… Her brother is obsessed with the sea ghosts he claims live in the basement, and when he disappears as well, Faith starts to believe in the ghosts too. Can she find her brother and bring her father back before everything she cares about falls into the pitiless sea below?

What I say: a great book which I read with my three boys, two of whom prefer to be read to. Really enjoyable mystery and so well written! It flowed beautifully, we were all captivated and I liked that it didn't shy away from real world situations. Gave us some interesting discussions. Excellent descriptions and use of language. Would definiately recommend!

I read the whole book in one sitting. I was gripped from beginning to end. The character of Faith really resonated with me because I felt the pressure she was under the whole time, feeling like her whole life would collapse at any moment. I love this kind of story where there are clues all the way through to help you piece together what has happened in the past but it still throws a few twists and turns at you.

What a wonderful book! Full of twists that keep you on your toes and the story keeps you reading long after you should have gone to bed!!
The story follows Faith, a young girl who lives in a house on the edge of a cliff with her mum and brother Noah. We find out that Faith’s dad left a while ago and her mum isn’t taking it very well, so Faith looks after them all.....Whilst trying not to worry about ghosts in the basement, the crack at the end of the garden getting bigger and managing school!

The book is wonderfully written and explores grief through a young persons mind, there’s lots of metaphors in the book which just make the story much more interesting.
There’s also action and adventure in the book - Noah is convinced there’s a ghost in the cellar and wants to find treasure, whilst Faith has all the action in school and managing adults who think they know best!

One hell of a character that Faith. Smart, struggling, strong, mature, showing courage, determination, enthusiasm... through and through.

I took a deep breath once I finished reading.

Alex, the unimaginable strength of Faith and Faith, The House on the Edge's. Unparalleled!

Thank you Nosy Crow and Net Galley for the e-ARC.

What a great book! I absolutely devoured The House on the Edge, consuming it in one sitting, such was my desire to unravel its mysteries! I found it totally unpredictable, beautifully poignant and full of wit and charm. The characters are believable and likeable while the storyline was fast-paced, intriguing and totally unique. I would certainly add this book to my Year 5 classroom bookshelf and know it would be enjoyed by many.

At the start of the current academic year, I was asked to group the titles on my little library shelf by genre and so I set about sorting my reads into adventures, mysteries, science fiction etc. Some books are very easy to place in a particular category, while others tend to drift from one to another depending on what mood I am in when they are returned. This title though is the first for a young audience that I have seen described as a thriller – something which immediately made me curious – and when I saw it was up for request on Net Galley, after seeing proof copies being raved about by fellow bloggers, I immediately requested it.

I am now now faced with a quandary: do I create a new category for thrillers on my shelf, or do I try to make this fit one of the already existing sections? For this is a book unlike any other that I have read – one filled with mysteries, one which had me on tenterhooks throughout, and one which would also claim a space amongst my ghost stories or those reads which are closer to what happens in real life.

The story opens in the house of the title – The Lookout – which sits at the edge of a cliff overlooking the beach and sea. Although for many this might be an idyllic setting, for Faith life is far from ideal as she tries to get younger brother Noah ready for school while caring for her mother, who has taken to her bed following the departure of the children’s father. As the two children leave for school, Faith listens as Noah tries to tell her again about the sea ghost living in the cellar who he says he needs to help. Faith’s attention, however, is soon focussed elsewhere – on the crack in the back garden and whether or not it is expanding.

On reaching school, Faith is approached by Noah’s teacher, Mrs Hollowbread, who reminds Faith that she needs to speak to her mother as she is concerned about the siblings – something Faith is keen to avoid at all costs and which results in her lying to the teacher, telling her that her father will do so instead in a few weeks’ time when he returns.

When she arrives back at home later that day, Faith is unhappy that her self-centred and uncaring Uncle Art is there and she repeats the lie to him, not knowing that Noah is listening. After Art leaves, Noah tells her that the sea ghost has told him that dads don’t come back and the siblings argue, with Faith increasingly desperate to hide her family’s situation from anyone outside the house.

As things at home go from bad to worse, Noah goes missing and unable to hide what is going on any longer Faith loses control over what has been happening. How is Noah’s disappearance linked to the sea ghost? Will the children’s father return? And if the crack in the garden gets any bigger, just what will happen to The Lookout?

The awareness of poor mental health is something that is gradually improving in our society, and with the inclusion of discussions in school now – whether through PSHE lessons, or events such as Children’s Mental Health Week which took place in February – our children are gradually learning that it is okay not to be okay. Sadly, for many adults – for whatever reason – they cannot seek the help that they need while mentally ill, and so it is with Faith’s mother.

With no trusted adults to turn to, Faith slips into the role of carer to both her mother and Noah – something that no child should have to contend with, and yet something that so many do. Ill-equipped to cope with the pressures she finds herself under, my heart ached for her as I progressed through the story and her life slowly unravelled. Noah, on the other hand, is cushioned against much of what is going on by Faith and sees things so very differently through his much younger eyes. Frustrated hugely by his sister’s refusal to believe in the presence of the sea ghost, he decides to do things his own way – leading to his disappearance.

This is such a richly complex story, which would make a fabulous class reader in upper KS2. Not only does it tackle the important issues of parental mental health and the demands put upon young carers, but there is a real sense of mystery about it which will have the reader on the edge of their seat throughout. There are so many twists and turns in the plot with regard to the family, the sea ghost and the fate of the house itself, that right until the very end assumptions I had made about what would happen were proved wrong – something that really pleased me, because with some books it is quite irritating that you are almost creating spoilers for yourself as you read.

This is Alex Cotter’s debut middle grade title – a second is due next year – and is one which will surely make her an author to take note of. Enormous thanks must go to publisher Nosy Crow and Net Galley for my advance read ahead of publication on July 1st. 5 out of 5 stars.

This is in an intriguing book; an adventure / mystery book set around a house precariously perched on a cliff. Faith is aware that all is not well at home; her mum is bedridden since the disappearance of her dad and her young brother starts waking at night and strange noises are heard in the basement. A weaving of pirate tales, lighthouses and shipwrecks,ghostly figures and missing treasure all set within the contemporary world of Faith dealing with school life ,a demanding teacher, an unhappy uncle and her mum’s ill health produce a unique tale. As a reader, my empathy for Faith and her desire to maintain a facade of normality whilst trying to solve the mysteries around her really increased as the story progressed. In some senses the book draws upon the gothic ghost tale as its basis but with a modern twist. This is an ideal read for upper key stage 2 and great link for a project on the coast and its treasures. It took me about four chapters to get hooked so stick with it and join Faith on her adventure.

A thrilling story from former bookseller Alex Cotter, brimming with cliff-hangers (literal and metaphorical!), adventure, ghosts, shipwrecks, plot twists and heart-warming characters with real-life problems to navigate.

Faith has been successful in keeping others away from her house, because if somebody comes in, they’ll know. They’ll know that ever since her Dad disappeared, Mum has been spending all day in bed. They’ll know that Faith is the one who is caring for her little brother. They’ll know about the crack in the garden that seems to be getting bigger every day. And if they know, they’ll be forced to leave.

When her brother’s obsession with the sea ghosts that apparently live in their basement gets out of hand, adults start to take notice - so Faith has no choice but to lie. However, all lies have consequences and everything seems to be going wrong. Will Faith be able to keep her family and their home together before everything she knows goes over the crumbling cliff-edge?

Full of mystery and with a dose of the supernatural, The House on the Edge is perfect for Key Stage 2 readers who enjoy a spooky read without it being too frightening. Alex Cotter’s close narrative style makes the reader feel as though they are in the head of the main character Faith and gives them a real sense of who she is as a person, including her sense of humour and the ups and downs of a turbulent family situation. The background to the story enables parental mental health issues and the experiences of young carers to be considered empathetically by readers. The story is accessible for children at different stages of their reading journey, including those less confident, and the promise of shipwrecks, smugglers and thrilling adventures near the sea is likely to pull in a wide audience of children.

This story would be a great addition to KS2 classrooms and libraries – its links to coastlines and the erosion occurring will make the issue real and relatable to children, providing lots of opportunities for discussion and cross-curricular learning too.