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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Brockenbrough, Martha

At the Edge of Lost

240 pp. | Scholastic | October, 2025 | Trade ISBN 9781546125020 $18.99 | Ebook ISBN 9781546125044 $17.99
(2) 4-6 Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, Caleb has been averse to change. So when his parents, who work for the State Department, get a new posting in Vietnam, Caleb successfully lobbies to stay in Seattle with his grandfather, Poppy, rather than be separated from his friends and, most essentially, his aging Irish wolfhound, Ronan. When a new strain of avian flu breaks out and Poppy gets sick, Caleb is sent to Bainbridge Island to live with a prickly great-aunt, who hates dogs. Consequently, Ronan is left alone to await Caleb's mom's imminent return -- but not for long. Desperate to reunite with Caleb, Ronan escapes, only to become injured and stranded in the woods. As a massive storm bears down, Caleb grows increasingly fearful about Ronan's whereabouts and takes matters into his own hands. Brockenbrough's (To Catch a Thief, rev. 5/23) latest is an adventure story with a big heart, told in two first-person voices: Caleb's (complete with text threads from his group chat) and Ronan's, which is both lyrical and wise: "To love as a dog is to let go of the small things, the false things, so that there is nothing left but the truth of you." The fast-paced narrative successfully weaves numerous strands about forgiveness, growth, and change -- but the overarching message is one of a love fierce enough to fight for. Animal lovers won't want to miss this canine-centered tale of loyalty and determination.
Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2025

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