Get documents about "The Edge
Document Sample
The Edge
Alan Gibbons
Can a brutal killer be a hero?
a n’ s m a o eaa r o o d n o sa e r b . n
D n y Mu h st g t w yf m L n o t e c p t u l A d o e
where his Mum goes Danny has to follow. Thus he ends up on the
grim, hostile Edgecliff Estate, a small community on the edge of a small
town. Perhaps Danny would have managed to cope with the move if he
was white. But he is mixed race with a white mother and a black father.
The Edgecliff Estate is almost exclusively white and has more than its
fair share of racists. And not only does Danny have to deal with the
racist taunts and abuse of kids at his new school, he also has to deal
with the prejudice of his grandfather, Harry. This is an unflinching
examination of life on the edge both literally and metaphorically as
an n i s te i v
D n ya d h moh rle a l o a k i ’ e g o te e g o
i n
f
e fs
ne d e n h d e f
society. Gripping and edgy from beginning to end!
1
hs o k s b u …
T ibo iaot
No two people read a book the same
a . o h t o o hn b u T e
w y S w a d y u tik a o t‘h
d e? s h ttme t eo o
E g ’ U e te sae ns b lw t
help you finalise your thoughts. Order
them from 1-10, one being the statement
with which you agree most.
Order of
Statements about The Edge agreement
from 1-10
This novel is mainly about running away from
your worst fears
The Edge is about overcoming your worst fears
This is a book that explores the racism that
exists in small towns
This novel focuses on the process of coming to
love your own family after a major disagreement
The Edge is a book about correcting the
mistakes of the past
This book is about the need to use violence on
occasions
This novel is about the terrible consequences of
violence
The Edge chronicles the experience of starting a
new life
The main focus of this novel is about how to
stand up to bullies
2
You are free to discuss
‘h E g ’na yw y
T e d ei n a
Talk
the
you wish. Follow the
prompts below to give
you some good starting
points. Also feel free to
think up questions of Book
Talk
your own.
1. Discuss the beginning of the novel. As a thriller how does it try
to grab your attention? Is it successful in doing so?
2. Is the racism on the Edgecliff Estate believable? Do you agree
i h ok i ht h i
h s n
wt te b o ’ le ta ti k d o rc s n f a ism exists in small
communities but not in big cities?
. i s te h rc o H r D n y rn fte.
c e y s
3 Dsu s h c aa tr f ar, a n ’ga dah r
4. The narration is told in the third person but each section focuses
on a different person. What is the effect of this unusual narrative
structure? Why do you think the author chooses to use it?
. o o i h p e rn e f a n ’ a h n h y i t
n s r
5 D y u f d te a p aa c o D n y D d w e te fs
meet believable?
6. What are the roles of Chris and Steve? Which do you find most
offensive? Why?
7. There is a lot of violence in the novel. Which episodes of
violence stand out in your mind? How do you think the book tries
to deal with this violence?
8. Discuss what you think should happen to Chris.
. i s C ty e t n h i e .
c s ao p h
9 Dsu s ah ’rl i s i wt D s
10. Is this a good book, a good story, both or neither?
3
eod h ok
B y n t eB o …
All about Alan Gibbons …
Alan Gibbons must be a very busy man. As well as writing a large
lme hde ’ o e v r h a t w l
a l s s
number of critically acc i d c irn n v l o e te p s te e v
years, he also works as a writer-in-residence at two schools close to
Liverpool and runs writing workshops in other schools –in fact, his
website (http://www.alangibbons.com/) explains that he visits about 150
schools in a year! All this leads him to question his own identity. He is
o s r f e s n a to-ta h ro a t c e-a to” et n e
e
n t ueih i a “uh re c e” r “ a h r uh r C r iyh ! al
Iy ule owriting B y h ny u hise…
f o i own Me t o te o ’l
feels his dB y esbenefits froml vcontinued close involvement with
k lo
young people, with many of his own ideas coming from the writing
workshops he runs. In particular, he is interested in writing for boys and
why boys tend to underachieve in their own writing compared to girls.
l s ri o es n o
n tn
Aa ’ w i gc v r ma ytpics and genres. His earlier work included
ei , i t o k a e ru d h ai ’
e g
the Total Football s r s e h b o s b s d ao n te n t n os
favourite sport, and his latest work is the fantasy Lost Souls Series, two
sequenced novels entitled Rise of the Blood Moon and Setting of a
Cruel Sun.
And finally: if you like The Edge te c e ko th s tls…
h n h c u te e ite
Shadow of the Caught in the Calling a Dead
Minotaur, by Alan Crossfire, Man,
Gibbons by Alan Gibbons by Gillian Cross
o ue g e ’
C mp tr e k s A post 9/11 tale of Murder and
virtual reality game what happens when mystery all the way
based on Greek racial conflict is from the UK to
myth and legend exploited by white Siberian Russia in
becomes all too real. supremacists. this gripping
thriller.
4
