At the Edge of Lost

by Martha Brockenbrough

The only way home is to survive.Perfect for fans of Katherine Applegate, Rodman Philbrick, and Megan E. Freeman!Caleb and Ronan are best friends. It doesn't matter that Ronan is a dog and Caleb is a middle-schooler. They've been together their entire lives and traveled the world together with Caleb's family.But now, with Ronan too old for such adventures, Caleb has chosen to stay in Seattle, settling down with his grandfather in a quirky retirement community. Things should be calm here, maybe even boring. But then tragedy strikes, and Poppy is rushed to the hospital. Suddenly, Caleb's world erupts in chaos and he and Ronan are separated. Desperate to find each other, the two friends set out on an impossible journey. But a deadly storm is brewing and predators lurk, and they have no idea where the other is. Can they find their way back together-and to Poppy-before it's too late?Critically acclaimed and beloved author Martha Brockenbrough weaves a heart-pounding adventure that is equal parts survival story and finding your place in the world.

Genres: Adventure, Animals, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Dogs, Family, Survival

188 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 21, 2025

About the author

Martha Brockenbrough is author of The Game of Love and Death, Finding Bigfoot, The Dinosaur Tooth Fairy, and Devine Intervention, books for young readers. For adults, she has written Things That Make Us [Sic], a hilarious guide to things that can go wrong with English, and It Could Happen to You, a diary of her first pregnancy. She's the founder of National Grammar Day and SPOGG, the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar.

Reviews

[Kaytlin Phillips]

Whelp, hiw hopes dashed again. *sighs* I get these books cheap at a used book store and your know, half are good and the other half just go back to the store on trade...lol... Anyway, break down of why I'm DNFing this one at page 42.

Characters:
This is the sad part....because Caleb is a great character! I loved his POV! And Ronan...ack! That dog had me from page 1 y'all! Still love his entire first chapter, but *sighs* content.
Poppy was funny and his and Caleb's banter was so wholesome!
Liv is one of Caleb's best friends and it's mentioned a few times (up to the part I read) that she has two dads.

Romance:
Not up to where I read.

Language:
Not up to where I read other than crap, which Poppy says and then tells Caleb not to say...lol...

Violence/Gore:
Not up to where I read, other than a bunch of birds dropping out of the sky and dying and Poppy getting sick. Might be more later...but I never got to the survival/adventure part.

Other Content:
An entire lesson on the big bang theory and how we all came from two stars colliding and exploding...no thanks. For one nothing can not come from nothing and life cannot come from none life. Thus the reason it is still a scientific theory and not a fact, because there is not enough evidence to prove it.
Lots of mentions of the pandemic, not in a bad way and that didn't bother me...but I only read to page 42, so that might change as the book goes on.
Also, SPOILER --- this book is about a bird-flu epidemic. Not sure where that will go...wasn't mentioned in the blurb. *shrugs*

Overall:
I was disappointed with this one, the cover is still gorgeous despite the fact that some of the content inside isn't some I can morally agree with as a Christian.

[Kaitlyn Anderson]

I'm a 31 year old woman and my 9 year old niece bought this for me at her scholastic book fair. Cute! so I said I'd read it and then give it back to her and she can read it and we'd talk about it. I left her little notes as I read. This book made me cry 4 times and I totally love so many of the things it said. Great character development, big and tense moments, love the dog's perspective. I genuinely really really loved this book. Well done niece for picking out a real winner.

[Karen Arendt]

Told in alternating voices of Ronan the great Irish wolfhound and Caleb this is an exciting adventure story of Caleb trying to find his dog after having to leave him behind. Caleb is staying with his grandfather while his parents are in Vietnam for work. But the avian flu outbreak sends grandpa to the hospital and Caleb to his great aunt who hates dogs. Ronan escapes and is struggling to survive in the woods while Caleb learns Ronan escaped and also escapes to look for him. The dialogue is snappy and perfectly sarcastic. I recommend anyone for who loves adventure or dog stories.

[Kary H.]

4.5 stars. Can't wait to booktalk this!

[Melanie Dulaney]

Writer of everything from silly picture books that make littles laugh to novels for older teens and non-fiction for all ages, Martha Brockenbrough’s At the Edge of Lost is written for those in grades 4-7ish and for those who love Gemeinhart’s Good Dog, all of McCall Hoyle’s dog forward heart-warmers and Kristin Tubbs’ Zeus, Daisy and Luna books.

Caleb and Ronin have been the best of friends for Caleb’s whole life and both, because of Caleb’s parents’ jobs with the state department, have traveled all over the world together, but for now, the two are living with Poppy in his retirement community while Mom, Dad, and little brother Ezra are in Vietnam. Life is moving along with few bumps in the road-school starting and Caleb is actually going to the same one, best friends Gen and Liv are right there beside him, and Ronin and Poppy are always there at the end of every school day. The bumps begin when birds start dropping from the sky, Avian Flu crosses into the human population, Poppy falls ill and may be one of the first to be infected. With his grandfather hospitalized, Caleb must go stay with his estranged Great Aunt Pat until his mom arrives from overseas and Ronin is not welcome. Left alone in Poppy’s home, Ronin breaks out and determines to find Caleb but is struck by a car and forced to seek a place to rest and recover. The how of the duo’s reunion makes up the bulk of the novels 240 pages.

Caleb and Ronin take turns telling their part of the story and using that dual first person/dog perspective allows readers to know exactly what each character is thinking and provides an in-depth look at the heart of both. The two never lose sight of the ultimate goal of finding one another but there are detours along the way. Caleb discovers that his aunt is not the hard-hearted woman he expected and Ronin, a mighty beast of a dog, is injured and requires the help of a tiny cat in order to survive. Brockenbrough’s novel is filled with human and pet love and is sure to warm readers’ heart and just when you might think that all the good feelings might be coming on just a little too heavily, she throws in a hilarious dog under the influence of pain meds scene that had me laughing out loud!

Great characters, solid friendship trio who are truly there for one another in the best ways, and a relatively low page count all combine to make this a solid purchase for libraries, whether they be home, school or public ones. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and the only violence is the fights between Ronin and the coyote dubbed Yip.

Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss and Scholastic Press.

[Ms. Yingling]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Caleb's parents work for the State Department, and are currently on assignment in Vietnam with his younger brother Ezra, so Caleb has gotten clearance to stay with his grandfather, Poppy, in his Washington State Leisure World retirement community for the year. Caleb's Irish Wolfhound, Ronan, who is 11, is with him as well. Some chapters are from Ronan's point of view, so we hear about his aches and pains as well as his devotion to Caleb and Poppy. When an avian flu causes birds to fall out of the sky, Poppy falls I'll, most likely due to his interactions with crows on the beach. He ends up in the hospital, and Caleb's parents send a friend from the State Department to deliver Caleb to his Great Aunt Pat's house on Bainbridge Island. The friend and Pat insist that Ronan remain at Leisure World, but make no plans for him other than leaving food and water. Caleb is unhappy, but there is little he can do. His friends Liv and Gen make plans to free Ronan and take him to Gen's basement, but are caught by Leisure World security guards and get in trouble. Ronan has already managed to break out of the apartment, and has taken off, getting hit by a car and injuring his leg. In the woods, he is befriended by a pregnant cat named Jade who brings him small animals to eat and keeps him company. Ronan isn't thrilled with cats, but comes to enjoy Jade's friendship. Ronan attends school virtually, texts Viv, and tries to get along with Aunt Pat, who is very different from her brother. Caleb's mom is on her way back from Vietnam, but keeps getting delayed. Pat tells Caleb that she wants to be a better aunt to him, but won't accompany him to search for Ronan. One night, Caleb sneaks out, steals a dinghy that probably belongs to Poppy, and searches for his beloved dog. He makes it back to the area near the senior facility, and finds Jade and her kittens. Eventually, he finds Ronan, who has been badly injured by a wolf or coyote he calls Yip. After hearing an alert on his phone that a man about his grandfather's age has succumbed to the avian flu, Caleb is anxious to find out about the fate of his grandfather.
Strengths: I'm not usually a fan of chapters written from the dog's point of view, but Ronan was surprisingly philosophical and mellow, and I rather enjoyed his observations, especially about Jade. This was particularly intriguing, since early on Ronan opines that "Cats do not have the soul to fill up a raindrop"! (From the E ARC.) Poppy and Pat were both interesting characters, and Caleb's interactions with them were realistic. It was good to get a glimpse of Caleb's friends as well. The COVID pandemic is mentioned, and we get just enough information about the effects of the bird flu, which worked well. The pacing was quick, and the cover will draw in readers right away.
Weaknesses: While middle schoolers will find it entirely plausible that Ronan was left alone in Poppy's apartment, I could not believe that anyone would leave a dog that big alone for an undetermined amount of time. Not only would the mess be enormous, but Poppy's neighbor's would have complained right away. I would have preferred it if Caleb and Ronan could have had their survival adventure together. Also, the odds of Caleb finding Ronan outside seemed slim.
What I really think: Dog books and survival stories are both very popular with my students, and I frequently have dog books on display. This will be a great one to add to that collection, along with Hashimoto's Off the Map, Smith's Stranded, Goebel's Back Country, Mason and Hines-Stephens' Evacuation Order, and Rudd's How to Stay Invisible.

[Bethe]

5 stars. Ronan is so full of wisdom!
Ronan Irish wolfhound (cover art not quite right, the coyote looks more like a wolf) dog: we breathe in the world‘s pain through our snouts. we pul l it into our blood, our bones we hold it for you as best as we can. And we love you, just as you are, just as you ought to be loved. that’s what we’re made to do.. I breathe out all I have to give. love. Love. Love. that’s what I made to do, to love as a dog is to let go of small things. the false things, so that there’s nothing left but the truth of you. A dog is good at letting go. our lives are short. we have to be.
Caleb lives with his grandpa Poppy in retirement community while his parents are in Vietnam for state dept. without him, he’s alone, prey for mature women with casseroles.
Birds start dying, WHO warning about bird flu
Ronan very wise - full of practical philosophical thoughts
Ronan knows poppy is sick - maybe from the crows that are poppy’s friends
Oh no, Ronan left behind from going to quarantine at great aunt’s house on Bainbridge island who doesn’t like pets
Why can’t Caleb stay alone with the dog in his grandfather‘s house? he’s over 12 and it’s a retirement community with security. I don’t see how that’s a problem.
Fabulous action toward the end, for both Caleb and Ronan!
But I’m alive and as long as it’s true, he’s alive in me. that’s what love is. something that stays alive as long as there’s a body to contain it. maybe even longer. as long as I’m alive, I can fight, and I can love.
Acknowledgements: just because dogs and cats are common doesn’t make it any less of a miracle that we get to share our lives with them.
Be sure to look at back cover to see Jade hiding in the ferns.

[Debra]

I listened to this book using Hoopla from my public library.

I was moved by the plight of Caleb after his dog has to be left behind in the house. With his grandpa being taken away by ambulance for possible avian flu and his parents in Vietnam, Caleb must go stay with an estranged Aunt, his grandfather's sister. Caleb frets over his dog who he now knows has escaped the house and is likely afraid and alone. Caleb goes out in a storm to try to find his beloved Wolfhound. His friends try to help virtually to update him on the storm, but his phone is lost and all communication ends. The scenes of Caleb risking his own life to try to find and help his pet are gripping and engaging. Unfortunately for me, the alternating view points of Caleb and his dog did not sit as well for me. I do like that the dog acts his age and sounds like a grandpa. I did have all the feelings no matter which narrator was leading the story, but I did not fully engage with the dog.

If you have readers who like adventure, tell them to be patient as it is a bit inside the book that adventure happens. There is certainly adventure! If you have readers that love animals, there is much in here to grab at their hearts. If you have readers who want to feel seen, the characters in this story may be what they want to find. It is a good book and I will recommend it if people ask about it, but I won't add it to my collection.

[Someone]

I hated every second of this book and threw it across the room when done. Do not recommend. I read some 5-star reviews, and people thought this was a wholesome book, but I feel like it was not. SPOILER START: I feel like Caleb should not have survived crossing that huge river and even getting the ferry that he used to get across. It was nighttime, and the book described the water as freezing, and I think that he should've gotten hypothermia and died long before finding Ronan. Also, I saw someone say in a 3-star review (I think it was 3-stars) how the chance of Caleb finding Ronan was really slim, and I fully agree. The forest is huge, so I feel like him actually finding the dog shouldn't have happened. Or that it should've taken a lot longer to happen. SPOILER OVER. I would give it a 1/5, but I did like the cat that we met. That's not a spoiler. You see a cat on the back of the book (at least on the paperback. IDK about other editions). Overall, as I already stated, I do not recommend this book.

[Nova!]

This was such a good book! I was kinda astonished when I saw that I have the book before it was published lol.

(Spoilers past this part)

This book was so sweet and the bond is very realistic. I have a dog and I’d do anything for him jsut like he’d do anything for me. There was a few parts that were a bit overdone with drama, such as when he was on his grandfather’s dinghy (how the orcas splashed up, he lost his phone, he almost got ran over by a ferry, he was almost caught by the coast guards, him thinking his grandfather is dead etc. and then him finding Jade injured AND his great aunt finding him is just ALOT to take in. But it’s fine cuz I love drama lol). Some people don’t like when a lot of major events are squeezed together. It was fine for me tho. The Avian Fluenza was also a bit nerve-racking for me, and kinda creeped me out a bit, but it didn’t kill me. This book was amazing and I’m not surprised i read it in under 2 days.

[Colleen]

I am glad to report that I did not have to be like Elisabeth Wheatley's Book Goblin and have to "put Book in time out". I was afraid that it was going to head in that direction! For those of you who just had a Steve Rodgers's moment (i.e., "I understood that reference"), yes!

Because this book is overall realistic fiction, I cannot put this book in fantasy even though we do get Ronan's, a dog, point of view. It's not like he is talking in English to Caleb or Caleb is talking whatever universal language that animals talk in or at least those in the same taxonomic order share the same language. That is not clear, because I do not think dogs and cats can talk to squirrels and mice.

Verdict: This was a good book! Also, it is practically a universal truth in fiction (and maybe in real life) that an old warrior is an old warrior for a reason.

[Lonna Pierce]

Doubly-narrated by middle-schooler, Caleb, and his old dog, Ronan, this adventure is full of heart, humor, and sensitivity. When Caleb’s Poppy ends up in the hospital with Avian Flu, the boy is taken in by crusty Great Aunt Pat, but Ronan is not welcome. The dog runs away to find his beloved boy, but gets hit by a car and straggles, badly injured into the woods. There he meets Jade, a cat who feeds him, and is about to birth five kits. Now it is she who needs protection from a hungry wild coyote. Caleb is so desperate to find Ronan, he goes out in the middle of the night and crosses Puget Sound in his Poppy’s dinghy to find his friend. Written with care, the novel bursts with adventure, but also gets her protagonist’s emotional tone just right. All the while exploring the immense power of love, the inevitability of change, and the great glory of the universe. Noble themes, indeed.

[Ellon]

5 stars (I loved it)

So this was a featured book at our Book Fair in the fall but I finally got around to reading it tonight. It gutted me!

The story was so captivating. I was sobbing at one point. I was afraid to continue to read but yet I couldn't put it down. Then I had to pick up my cat and hold her against my face for a full minutes after I finished the book.

I feel kind of weird saying I loved a book that did all that but I feel like the fact that it affected me so much shows how great the story was.

Makes me think of the meme:

"this book brutally ripped out my heart and tore it to shreds then stomped it into the ground as I drowned in a sead of my tears and basked in eternal sorrow.

Here read it."

[Deena Lipomi]

Caleb lives with his Poppy and dog Ronan while his parents and little brother are overseas, but when Poppy gets sick with a new virus, Caleb and Ronan are separated and try desperately to be reunited. This book references the challenges kids had during the Covid-19 pandemic and fears Caleb has that the world may shut down again with the new virus. His isolation is palpable in his chapters. The alternating chapters are from Ronan's point-of-view, and animal-lovers may get emotional knowing his every thought. Each of their adventures tests their strength and loyalty to each other, their friends, and family.

[David Rough]

This novel for your readers had moments of humor, tenderness, and adventure. But it also had moments of disrespect, disobedience, self-centeredness, and violence.

The plot centers around a middle-school boy, Caleb, and his dog, Ronan. I was disappointed in the character and ethic of the boy. I typically don't like story's where the animal speaks and communicates with other animals, but Ronan was the star of this novel. He was the hero that I rooted for, the character with the best worldview, the most courage, the greatest compassion, and the purest altruistic spirit. I loved the dog's sense of humor.

[Wina]

Contemporary novel for ages 9-12. Exciting, tense, has sad/scary bits, and is largely about love. The narration alternates between the boy, Caleb, and his Irish Wolf Hound, Ronan. Caleb struggles with some anxiety issues. I love Ronan's "voice". Very well done. Caleb really thinks about change, what worries him, and love, and Ronan is also quite a philosopher. Ronan ends the book with this:
In the vast span of time and space, we and our troubles are all small. So small. But we are here. We endure. We walk each other home.
And that is no small thing--
It is everything.

[Leigha Berzinskis]

I felt so bad when Ronan ran away and even worse when Gen and Liz tried to go get Ronan to take care of him and he wasn’t there. 😭 It was so sweet of how Ronan and Jade got along too and they took care of each other. And on Caleb’s side of the story of how he gave Great aunt Pat a chance and they got along very well. When Caleb went to go save Ronan, that showed true friendship and love. All in all, this was a very sweet, heartwarming, page turner, book.

[Carlyn Morenus]

Very good middle grade adventure. A great dog (and I'm not really a dog person); though I don't entirely like stories from the animal's point of view, this one was well done, told in alternating chapters of dog and boy POVs. Children who were traumatized by the COVID pandemic may find this a bit triggering, as it features a fictional avian flu outbreak among humans, but for most of us, it provides a realistic challenge.

[Teresa Littrell]

Corbin picked out this book for me to read with him as it is what he is reading in school.
I like seeing things from a dog’s point of view. It was endearing how Ronan changes his hatred of cats to love. Grandson, Grandpa, Aunt, Mom,Dad brother and friends make this a heartwarming story. First book I’ve read that has tales about bird flu, Covid and a new made up flu to thicken the plot!

[Dennis]

I love this book! Middle grade readers will love it, my wife will love it. The family and school friend relationships, the voices (including the dog's), the danger and suspense all hit just the right notes. A good story, well told! This would be an excellent choice for Chat 'n' Chew lists next year.

[Morgan Hagan]

1st finished book of the new year, I finished it in a day. It's very much a gen alpha version of the survivalist books I read in upper elementary. I would recommend this to any kid/reader that enjoys a good adventure book, and anyone who loves dogs. It's amazing, and the dog lives.

[Vicky]

Quite the adventure! Caleb and Ronan (his dog) are separated after Poppy goes into the hospital. Caleb has to stay w gr.aunt who said no dogs. Ronan runs away from house looking for Caleb. What happens?

[Sam]

I bought this book from the local school book fair. The cover caught my attention. I thought it was a good book. This book was in the middle school section of book fair and after reading it, I would say that it was fairly placed there. I would recommend this book as a quick read.

[Morgan Williams Given]

Such a cute story! I can’t wait for my class to read it.

[Jessica]

Beautiful storytelling and simply some great writing. Very good page-turning story with all kinds of unexpected outcomes. 5th grade and up will love this book.

[Kate]

This was okay; I can’t believe they left a dog locked in a house when they weren’t sure how long he would be in there.
It was a quick read with action; I will probably purchase.

[Kim Bahr]

A sweet story for animal lovers of dogs AND cats

[Sarah Threlkeld]

Fast-paced and suspenseful survival story that will appeal to a lot of middle grade readers. And, don’t worry, the dog does not die.

[Laura Gardner]

Love the dog/boy alternating perspectives. Both have to be so brave in the face of great difficulty when they are separated. ❤️

[Charlotte Marasco]

The ending was sad when Caleb finds Ronan and the cats