The Ledge

by Lesley Choyce

Nick was used to being good at everything. Hockey, football, track, they all came easy to him. Surfing was his latest passion. That is, until the accident. Now partially paralyzed, Nick is angry, depressed and getting far too fond of his prescription meds. But his frequent visits to his physiotherapist, a Syrian refugee, and a budding friendship with a partial amputee who has also experienced firsthand the horrors of war help him start to piece his life back together. A story about overcoming the odds and changing your life for the better.

Genres: Teen

144 pages, Paperback

Published January 28, 2020

About the author

Lesley Choyce is a novelist and poet living at Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia. He is the author of more than 80 books for adults, teens and children. He teaches in the English Department and Transition Year Program at Dalhousie University. He is a year-round surfer and founding member of the 1990s spoken word rock band, The SurfPoets. Choyce also runs Pottersfield Press, a small literary publishing house and hosted the national TV show, Off The Page, for many years. His books have been translated into Spanish, French, German and Danish and he has been awarded the Dartmouth Book Award and the Ann Connor Brimer Award.

Lesley Choyce was born in New Jersey in 1951 and moved to Canada in 1978 and became a citizen.

His YA novels concern things like skateboarding, surfing, racism, environmental issues, organ transplants, and rock bands.

Reviews

[Jack Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that I chose to read for a project in my 11th-grade English class. I am glad that I chose this book because it was an easy read but also had bright but complex meanings in the book. I chose this book because it was a surfing book which is one of my passions. This book had me look at people's situations differently than I had previously done before. I never thought this book would have been as deeply thought out and heartfelt based off of the cover (I guess that's why they tell you to not judge a book by its cover). I greatly enjoyed this book and how it tied into my English project. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be drawn into a story and to feel the blood, sweat, and tears that this great author has put into this book. I have no bad things to say about this book except for the fact that I wish it was longer. This book is going to help me in my English class to be able to elaborate on my topic with greater detail than I would have done before reading this book. This book didn't take me very long to read, however, I did take my time reading this book because it was that good. I will continue to read the books that this author makes because I enjoyed the style and effort she put into making a book that is able to be read by many people from every background. Although this book is about surfing, you do not have to like surfing to enjoy this book. This book is about so many more things than just a surfing book. This book is about hurt, success, heart, and most of all determination. These great life skills that I have learned by reading this book I will most definitely use when learning how to roll with the punches life throws at me. I recommend this book because it would really help you to expand your knowledge just like it helped mine.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

did this pull me out if my reading slump? stay tuned to find out!
I really enjoyed this short, YA book. The characters were good and all served a purpose. It had a good message and plot even if it was predictable.

[Christine J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Surfing story.

[Cade Kelderman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book. Really intriguing throughout and makes you want to keep reading. The book is full of excitement and wonder and it continues throughout the book.

[Camila Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty good. I enjoyed it a lot!