Review: On the Fringe by Courtney King Walker

Book Description via Goodreads:

Paperback, 272 pages

October 19, 2011, Lands Atlantic Publishing, LLC 

Claire is struggling to overcome the murder of her childhood friend and secret crush, Daniel. Everyone else seems to be moving on with their lives, but she's still trying to cope. The fact that she finds herself alone and drowning on her 16th birthday isn't helping.

Neither is thinking she sees Daniel's face in murky water as she mysteriously resurfaces. But something happened during those four and a half minutes that will make her realize it was not just her imagination.

As Claire and Daniel try to grasp a possible reconnection, other grudge-holding beings have plans of their own. Now, the two of them have to decide if their fleeting relationship is worth the possibility of Claire being trapped on the fringe forever.

Beautifully told, On the Fringe intertwines fresh ideas about devotion, revenge, and the consequences that come with life and death.

Source: Courtney King Walker (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

Claire was still alive although she died for a little while on her 16^th birthday. She was still in the phase of mourning for the death of her childhood friend and love, Daniel. I was amazed with the depth of her emotions for Daniel. But I knew what it was like to have someone’s face and someone’s voice in your head for a very, very long time so I could relate to how she was feeling. When she realized that Daniel could possibly still be on earth, Claire started to hope.

Daniel was dead. But somehow he hasn’t moved on to the other world. He was attached to Claire but mind you, he barely remembered or even realized this, not until he was dead. Daniel’s experiences as a ghost were intriguing. I liked how the creativity and imagination that the author showed through her concept of traveling and reliving memories. It was a common idea that when people die, they see a flashback of their life surging in their heads. Walker took this idea to the next level by integrating it to ghost life. Daniel was living ‘on the fringe’ and there, not every ghost was as harmless as him.

They were a cute couple albeit an unconventional one. Their relationship was fueled by the second chance to be together. For them, every minute was important. It was justifiable since the two have been friends since childhood and they knew each other well. They have seen each other’s best and worst and I suppose that made it easier for them to be close. Their relationship was a combination of the sweet and nostalgic quality behind the relationship of Grace and Daniel from The Dark Divine by Bree Despain and the complication of Amelia and Joshua’s relationship from Hereafter by Tara Hudson.

The author did a good job with the action, scary scenes and tension-filled scenes in this novel. The flashbacks and the jumping from past to present were smooth, vivid and well-done. Overall, On the Fringe was enjoyable but I felt that there’s still room for improvement on the thrill and unpredictability department.

On the Fringe is what I imagine would be the baby of The Dark Divine by Bree Despain and Hereafter by Tara Hudson. Bittersweet, tragic, imaginative and against-all-odds, On the Fringe will appeal to paranormal romance readers! I recommend this!

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