Tabitha Plimtock and the Edge of the World

by Erika McGann, Philip Cullen (Illustrator)

Tabitha Plimtock lives in a house at the very edge of the world. She is a go-getter – that is, a dogsbody forced to go and get things – for her nasty relatives, Gower, Gristle, Bertha and Cousin Wilbur.

One of Tabitha’s endless chores involves descending the cliff face, via a net that hangs from the back of the house, to collect eggs, nuts and other things from the inhabitants of the wall. When rumours begin to circulate of monsters climbing from the base to gobble up unsuspecting wall-dwellers, Tabitha is worried for all her friends.

Determined to save them, Tabitha seeks out the elusive and eccentric Dr Sherback. The doctor introduces her to a whole new world at the base – one that is dark, dangerous and absolutely thrilling – but not even Dr Sherback’s vast knowledge can slow the terrible creatures climbing to the top of the wall.

With a clever plan, and not a small amount of courage, can Tabitha stop the monsters and keeps the people she loves safe for good?

Genres: Middle Grade

272 pages, Paperback

Published November 6, 2021

About the author

Erika McGann grew up in Drogheda and now lives in Dublin. She has a respectable job, very normal friends and rarely dabbles in witchcraft. She loves writing stories that are autobiographical. Sort of.

Reviews

[Insert Name Here · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's that? You didn't know the world has an edge? Well, it does. It's not easy to find, but if you can, you'll find a house, on the edge of a cliff...the Wall, they call it...and a few brave souls who live there. Tabitha is one of them, a foundling used as slave labour by her 'cousins' in the house. Her friends on the Wall keep her smiling and kind. Until she discovers that everyone is in mortal danger. It will take all of her strength, her courage...and her friends...to help solve this problem and keep everyone on the Edge...and everyone in the World, for that matter...safe and sound.




This is a brilliant read. I've read books by Erica before, but this is a different style; the narrator chats with the reader, giving extra facts and gently reminding us of things we might have forgotten. The characters are fantastic; the cousins are right out of Roald Dahl (Cousin Wilbur may be out of Terry Pratchett, I haven't decided yet.)

The story is great, moving along at just the right pace, introducing us to everyone without confusing them at all. I'd love to read more ... everyone must have fascinating backstories, including Tabitha! The only person we really get any history on is Dr Sherback. There must be more adventures to come, I very much hope.

I loved the illustrations; they add the perfect note to the story, and there's so much detail in them. Kids will love poring over them to pick out things they missed or find clues to the story.

I loved this, I'm going to love selling it (look at that cover!) and I really, really hope there's more to come. But if not, this was a fantastic read.

[Mark Kielty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book of this and have to say it was very enjoyable. Amy McAllister really brings the story to life and I enjoyed the array of accents she used for various characters.

Erika McGann's story is filled with vivid and imaginative world building and memorable characters. The characters who lived on the "wall" had lovable, distinctive personalities and contrasted nicely against Tabatha's cruel family.

Highly recommend for the kids in your life and if they're not big readers yet, perhaps they could give the audio book a try. It might encourage them to pick up paper books in future.

[Nicola Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! A wonderfully imaginative story beautifully told. McGann creates a sort of modern Cinderella but instead of being rescued by a prince, Tabitha Plimtock must summon her own courage and, with Dr Wendy's help, rescue the world from hungry monsters. It also comes with a strong environmental message that is so perfectly nestled into the story, it doesn't distract from the action. The writing is vivid, colourful and compelling. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Highly recommend for the 7-10 years old in your life!

[sonataiscool · Rating 3 out of 5]

The newts were so cute !!

[Rachel Lyttle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook with my kids and I enjoyed it as much as them. Great plot, super description and not predictable like a lot of kids stories are.

It would make a fantastic film!

[Mary Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a foundling girl, taken in by some lazy, awful “cousins” who use Tabitha as kind of a “dogs-body”…the work to maintain their nasty little existence is given to her. Especially the most perilous job of climbing down the sheer cliff face to retrieve ingredients for cousin Berthas’ daily Birthday Cake. But Tabitha has built many friendships over the edge. These strange people have taken her into their hearts as much as she has them. Clever and brave, she seeks out the positive and beautiful in her life and is fascinated by it. When things take a nasty turn, with the end of life at the edge of the world being imminent, Tabitha knows it’s down to her to save them all, even if she doesn’t quite know how. She follows her heart with intelligence, boldness and curiosity. Tabitha is charming and indomitable. Each of the other characters is carefully knitted into the story giving a real sense of who they are and how they fit in Tabithas’ world.
Narrated in a casual style that speaks directly to the reader, we are given intricate descriptions of place and action that bring it all to life. It is relaxed, fluid and endlessly appealing, keeping the reader on their toes while lulling us into a false sense of security. We may think we know what’s coming next, but… The book has quite a Pratchett-esque style, weaving outlandish characters, thrilling action, bizarre twists and turns with effortless humour and poignant impact of the message behind the story. Incredibly well-written with a cast of brilliant characters; gently humourous , yet thoughtful, bold and captivating; full of spirit and wonder; what a wonderful book! Simply fantastic!