To The Edge Of The World

by Julia Green

Imagine a tiny island far out in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. On some days, you can hardly see where the sea ends and the land begins, everything merged in a blue-grey mist of sea spray and wind-blown sand. There is nothing between here and America. I say nothing, but what I mean, of course, is nothing but ocean. And about sixty-five kilometres out to sea, one last remote outcrop of islands and sea stacks, with the highest sea cliffs anywhere in the UK - St Kilda. Distant, desolate, and difficult to reach. The Islands at the edge of the world....

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Book Club, Scotland, Adventure

226 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle book for children, possibly a bit slow and tame for todays youngsters. Very descriptive and i was particularly interested as i have a fascination for St Kilda

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie Mackinnon’s first summer living on his mother’s native island in the Outer Hebrides is going to prove an adventure he won’t forget. When he meets the isolated and wild girl Mara he starts to learn what it means to be a little less afraid of everything and to embrace the beauty of the life he has in this wonderful part of the world.

Julia Green takes us on a breathtaking adventure in one of the most beautiful and familiar places to me. Her description of the closeness of the community, the landscape and genuine feeling of belonging when you come from an island captures everything it means to be a child growing up in an island community. When the agricultural show is the greatest community highlight of your summer holiday and the sea can go on forever, but also when people give you a wide berth when they feel you are different, or don’t quite fit in.

Reminiscent of The Famous Five or Swallows and Amazons, To The Edge of the World was a wonderful story that took me back to that feeling of being magically transported that those same books gave me as a child. The writing is wonderful and descriptive and I could hear the sheets flapping in the island wind and the joy of feeling that wind whipping your hair round. Most of all this is a wonderful story of friendship, belonging and loyalty but the one thing that stood out to me was the feeling of pride that Jamie has of his family belonging to the island. That’s a feeling that never leaves you as an islander because the island is always ‘home’ wherever you end up.

[Marcia Arguelles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing much happens tbh.
And also, they did bad things but had no consequence.
Very fast character development but only in the end.
Don’t think it’s the right messages to spread about but oh well

[Evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I’ll give it 3.5 stars just due to the fact that there was a border terrier named Django in it ❤️

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a young middle grade book centering friendship and survival against the odds by two children, Jamie and Mara who live at the northern edge of Scotland. I enjoyed this novel, which is in some ways quite tame, most of the drama comes from leaving home without notifying parents and a rational fear of drowning in stormy seas while headed toward St. Kilda. I thought the descriptive writing was lovely, but wouldn't argue too much with reviewers who complain that the pacing was a little slow. I liked all of the times when the art of sailing and reading the weather and water were described and appreciated the necessary inclusion of at least one novice-hit-with-the-boom scene.

There are undercurrents of families with problems that may or may not make an impression on child readers depending on their own experiences. Mara is unschooled and living with her mother on the edge of poverty, beachcombing and making art to sell to tourists after they left Mara's father without telling him where they were going. You can celebrate their freedom - a life of sailing, the beach and the undemanding company of her beloved dog, Django - or fret about abduction and child neglect as you like. Things are semi-resolved by the end of the book with indications of positive changes for Mara.

Jamie (who I didn't notice was a boy until a good twenty pages in, but whatever) lives with his mother and sister while their dad, who is earning elsewhere, calls and visits when he can. A charming, boat-building grandpa is the link to local knowledge. Jamie grew up in the city and is fearful of the sea. He relates to Mara's dislike of school (having changed from one that was a poor fit himself) and can imagine what it's like to miss a father gone years not weeks. He has some moody boy-approaching-his-teens moments, like punching a friend who suggests he fancies Mara, but is generally pretty level-headed. He gains confidence learning to sail and swim from Mara and is the voice of reason when she acts recklessly, but without being a male chauvinist rescuer character.

Unless reading about fear of drowning is a trigger, I think this book is suitable for just about anybody.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for 7-9 year olds due to its simple yet engaging plot. The book is written from the perspective of Jamie, a young boy who has recently moved to live on an island in the Outer Hebrides with his family. One day, he sees a girl called Mara sailing across the bay and is intrigued by her. The story is built around their friendship and results in them sailing to St Kilda so that Mara can protest having to go to school and not being able to see her father; Jamie is accidentally swept along in the adventure.
I think this is a good book for 7-9 year olds because it has a good level of challenge in terms of vocabulary as well as some mature themes such as separated families. The overall plot is quite simplified, making it less suitable for older children.

[Vicky Hard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful tale of friendship and overcoming the odds. Jamie, Mara and her dog Django become firm friends on an island in the Outer Hebrides, where Jamie has recently moved with his family. He is frightened of the sea but Mara seems fearless to Jamie and they find themselves on a wild sea adventure.

[I Read, Therefore I Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia Green’s adventure story for children aged 8+ is an evocative and entertaining read that makes full use of its Hebridean location, conveys a real love of the sea and establishes the grudging friendship that forms between the two main characters in a sympathetic and believable way but I felt the relationship between Mara and her mother was underdeveloped and the ending was a little abrupt.

[Morgan Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a lovely little story but didn't do much to capture my imagination. I thought it had hints of a famous five adventure without a mystery. I liked that Mara was a wild child and that her mother *Spoiler* finally got the recognition and help she needed, shame it had to come so late.
All in all, I can see kids enjoying this book.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. I enjoyed the adventure of the two children sailing out on their own as well as the vivid descriptions of the islands, beaches what could be heard. It really helped to build a picture in my mind of what was going on. I would love to read more by this author, especially if she writes others like she has this one. Thank you for a great book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book aimed at children about a boy living on an on the west coast of Scotland who befriends a troubled girl. Their adventure sees them sailing to the now uninhabited islands of St Kilda. A great story, well-written.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is good. I have been told that I have read it before but I don't think so. That is why I got it from the library. Also because I had just read the Children of Swallow Fell which is another book by the same author and I gave it 5 stars!

[Colette Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

I thought this book was great but I can't understand why the boy went away with Mara. 😀 😀 😀

[Cortney Westhoff-O'Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud, not an overly memorable story or characters.

[Lee Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me and my son loved this book, he really related with Jamie.

[BookBairn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun and evocative read. You could be almost windswept by this book the setting is so well conjured. The characters were also engaging and their adventure was gripping.

[Keira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good , recommend it definetely

[l'empreinte des vagues · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nous suivons le premier été du jeune Jamie Mackinnon, un garçonnet qui s’effraie de tout, et qui vient tout juste d’emménager avec sa mère et sa grande soeur sur l’île écossaise de St Kilda, où il va très rapidement se lier d’amitié avec Mara, une gamine aussi esseulée et livrée à elle même, qu'elle est courageuse et intrépide, et qui passe le plus clair de son temps à naviguer avec son chien, à bord de son petit voilier Stardust.

Ensemble ils vont vivre une palpitante aventure d’amitié et d’entraide par delà la mer, qui conduira Jamie à affronter ses peurs et à prendre confiance en lui.

Le récit que nous livre Julia Green est captivant, et il réussit à nous restituer l’ambiance communautaire si particulière qui règne entre les habitants de l’île, rythmée par la pêche, la construction de bateaux traditionnels en bois, et l’élevage de moutons, et les fêtes folkloriques. Mais de plus elle nous offre des somptueuses descriptions fourmillantes de détails qui nous restituent au mieux, toute la richesse de cette nature et vie sauvage si particulière aux bords de mer, pour mieux nous immerger dans l’histoire, car l’on peut quasiment ressentir physiquement l’état de la mer et de l’île au gré des pages que l’on dévore.

Si le niveau d’anglais reste simple puisqu’il s’agit d’un livre pour adolescents, il est tout aussi entrainant pour les adultes. Et comme il regorge d’un grand nombre de termes liés au milieu maritime et aux techniques de navigations, cela en fera un moyen ludique pour les marins qui souhaitent de réviser leur anglais naval, afin de partir explorer les mers internationnales.

Critique vidéo complémentaire: https://youtu.be/kVvSkgr27UY