The Edge (novel)
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First edition cover | |
| Author | Alan Gibbons |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult novel |
| Publisher | Orion |
Publication date | 9 July 2002 |
| Pages | 192 |
| ISBN | 978-1-84255-094-6 |
| OCLC | 59498003 |
The Edge is a young adult novel by Alan Gibbons, published in 2002. The novel features the young Danny Mangam as he battles his mixed race as he escapes with his mother from his abusive stepfather. It was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal.[1]
Synopsis
The novel begins in London with Danny Magnam and his mother, Cathy Mangam, attempting to escape from Chris Kane, Danny's mother's abusive boyfriend. Chris pursues the pair to the local tube station, but they manage to escape to an area of the country known as "the Edge" to live with Cathy's mother and father, Joan and Harry. However, Chris is highly possessive of Cathy, and tries to get her back.
At first, Harry refuses to accept Danny because he is both mixed race, and the result of an unplanned teenage pregnancy. As the book progresses, Harry accepts Danny as his grandson. At school, Danny befriends, and later dates a girl called Nikki, whom Steve fancies. Nikki warns him not to get on the wrong side of Steve, a racist bully; it is implied in the novel that Steve and his gang were responsible for an arson attack on a black-owned store. After an altercation with Steve and his gang, Danny is saved from by a man named Des, who turns out to be Danny's real father.
Meanwhile, Chris attempts in vain to find out where Cathy fled to. Though she covered her tracks well, he finds a newspaper article, and is able to deduce where she and Danny have gone. Chris shows up at Danny's new school and chases him back to the house. Attempting to retake Cathy by force, he overpowers Harry, before being restrained by police officers. At the end of the novel, Chris is in prison, and Danny now has a happy family and a good life.
Characters
Danny Mangam
Danny is the main character in the book; he is mixed race and finds himself treated unfairly because of it. Danny is quite anxious and uncertain at the beginning of the book, as a result of being abused by Chris Kane. Later in the book he gains confidence as he escapes Chris. Because of being mixed race he has suffered racial abuse from his grandfather and his neighbour Steven Parker.
Catherine Mangam, in the book known as Cathy
Cathy is Danny's mother, she's shown throughout the book as a loving and caring person and she has an abusive boyfriend named Chris Kane. When Chris harms her, she doesn't care about the pain he inflicted on her but the pain it might cause for Danny. She sometimes worries about what she has put Danny through. In the story she escapes with Danny to stay with her parents at 'The Edge Cliffe Estate'. Her father, Harry is somewhat racist at the beginning of the book and is reluctant to accept her back into his life as he has never forgiven her for becoming a teenaged mother, but Joan, Cathy's mother, welcomes her, and has put the past behind her. Cathy is really happy that Joan her own mother has actually still welcomed her back home. After all those years of not seeing her mother, Joan and her father Harry and she has escaped to see them. But still, Harry doesn't welcome her home or Danny home.
Chris Kane
Chris Kane is a tall, lean man and the stepfather to Danny. He is violent and possessive tries to hunt Cathy down when she escapes with her son. He is referred to by Danny as 'the Animal' and he is psychotic, cruel and possibly mentally unstable. He can be charming but finds it hard to control his anger. He encounters with the police a couple of times but at the end he finally gets arrested but remains attached to Cathy. He is very threatening and wants to control Cathy and Danny.
Joan Mangam
Joan is Cathy's mother and Harry's wife. She regrets her marriage because Harry drove her family out of the house following Cathy's pregnancy. Further on in the story she falls in love with Harry again when he begins to stand up for Danny and Cathy.
Nikki Jones
Nikki Jones is the past girlfriend of Steven Parker. She is also a friend of Danny Mangam and from the beginning Danny found her attractive and appealing, over time they form a relationship.
Steve Parker
Steve Parker lives next door to Danny; he and his friends Craig and Jamie give Danny a really hard time because of the colour of his skin. Steve suffers a broken nose when Danny punches him in retaliation to a racist comment. It is strongly implied that he played a part in the burning of some Asian-owned stores. At the end of the novel, he keeps his racist beliefs to himself, after having his jaw broken by Chris.
Abbie
Abbie is actually a boy, short for Abdul. He is one of Danny's friends but can only get in touch by phone now because Danny moved away to the Edge, where his grandparents live. Danny tells him to delete his number but first memorise it. That is so if Chris tries to get information off Abbie (which he does,) Chris won't find Danny's number and track him down. Abbie has no idea where Danny moved to as Danny won't tell him in case it slips out when 'the animal' (Chris) is around.
Des
Des is Danny's father. He appeared several times throughout the book, the first time he showed up was in a coffee shop where Cathy worked. He had Danny when Cathy was only 16 years old and then he was married and had a child, but his wife left him when she found out he had an affair with a 16-year-old. His son Danny desperately wants to meet him.