My Diary from the Edge of the World Hardcover – Import, 3 November 2015

Gracie lives in a world similar to our own but with important differences. In her universe the world is flat and has an edge, the Civil War ended in three months because sasquatches from the Smoky Mtns. joined the northern armies. When a person or pet dies, a dark cloud hovers about for a while before taking them away. Students take tunnels to school to avoid dragons during their migration season. Unicorns are endangered and the US, outside a few urban centers, is largely a wilderness because of the many hostile creatures that populate it.When a dark cloud begins to approach their house, the Lockwood family -- Gracie, her absent-minded father, musical mother, obnoxious older sister and sickly little brother Sam -- fears Sam is in danger and embark on a dangerous trek across the country, hoping the legends are true-- that if they can get far enough south, past the realm of the Great Kraken, they'll be able to reach the Extraordinary World -- a round planet where monsters don't exist and technology is common.This story is well paced and interesting, and explores family relationships. Gracie, writing in her diary, is an entertaining narrator, but there is the usual awkwardness one finds in epistolary novels. Otherwise the book is quite charming and a fun read for middle schoolers (or adults who've never quite grown up :-)

Wonderful characters, uplifting and poignant in turns, a lovely read.

Fascinating story of an alternate Earth where dragons, witches and other magical creatures exist alongside everyday things like TV, cars, and modern cities. But there are major differences. The world is flat, magic is slowly squeezing out science and death follows you around as a dark cloud you can see coming. So what's a family to do when they fear their youngest, and most sickly little boy seems to be the current target of a dark cloud? Pile into a Winnebago and flee West in search of the Extraordinary World. A mythical world which is round and hangs in space and is somewhere beyond the Southern edge of the world. And hopefully, beyond the reach of the dark cloud. A very interesting story full on adventure and odd twists to the world that make it so much like and so very different than our own.

As a thirty year old I'm probably not the target audience for this book, yet I found it charming. I'm giving it five stars because the ending was more than just charming. The ending was powerful.

I loved Jodi Lynn Anderson’s May Bird series but hadn’t read any of her other works. I stumbled on this one and decided to give it a go based on the reviews. I won’t get too deep into the story (on reviewer had a huge unannounced spoiler that ruined the ending for me) but it is a rather unique story with unexpected spins on familiar species (anyone need to hire a guardian angel?). And rather than seeing the sasquatch as mindless, I actually deeply sympathized with it; I felt so sorry for her. But again, I don’t want to spoil anything. I recommend this book if you are looking for something original and slightly left-field. I still prefer May Bird but My Diary from the Edge of the World is a quick, unique read.