The Edge is a young adult novel by Alan Gibbons

Alan Gibbons

Alan Gibbons is an author of children's books and a Blue Peter Book Award. He currently lives in Liverpool, England, where he used to teach in a primary school. His father was a farm laborer, but was hurt in an accident when Alan was eight years old. The family had to move to Crewe, Cheshire...

, published in 2002. It was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal

Carnegie Medal

The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...

. It features a writer's device known as split narrative. There is a lot of action in the book and is written in the present tense.

Plot summary

At the start of the book, a mother and her son escape from their evil stepfather. The stepfather, named Chris, hears them and chases them to the local tube station, though he is unsuccessful in his efforts to catch them. Unknown to Chris, the mother, Cathy, and the son, Danny, are going to live with Cathy's mother and father, Joan and Harry, in an area of the country known as "the Edge". Chris believes that he owns Cathy, and tries to get her back.

At first, Harry refuses to accept Danny because he is Mixed Race, and also because Danny was the result of an unplanned teenage pregnancy. As the book progresses, Harry accepts Danny as his grandson. Danny has a lot of trouble at school with a racist bully named Steve Parker and his friends. Danny befriends, and later dates a girl called Nikki, who Steve fancies. Nikki warns him not to get on the wrong side of Steve; it is implied in the novel that Steve and his gang were responsible for an arson attack on a black-owned store. Also during this time Danny encounters his real father, a man named Des, who saves him from Steve's gang.

Chris, meanwhile, is attempting in vain to find out where Cathy fled to; she covered her tracks well leaving virtually no clues, other than a newspaper article from the Edge. He tries to get details off the school Danny used to attend, although the headteacher, Mr. Dickson, refuses to give Chris those details as requested by Cathy. He then tries to get clues from Danny's old friend, Abbie. Chris is halted at this attempt as well. Eventually, he finds the 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.

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.
He also goes to the same school as his mum (Cathy Mangam) did when she was little.

Catherine Mangam, also 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 often worries about what she has put Danny through. In the story she escapes with Danny to stay with her parents at 'the Edge'. 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 teen-aged mother, but Joan, Cathy's mother welcomes her, and has put the past behind her.

Chris Kane

Chris is violent and possessive. He wants to own Cathy and tries to hunt her 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 is tall and lean with blue eyes. He can be charming but finds it hard to control his anger. In the end of the book he is finally arrested, although he remains attached to Cathy.

Harry Mangam

Harry is Cathy's father. He is racist at the beginning of he book and treats Danny with hostility as a result. Towards the ending of the book he sees the error of his ways and accepts Danny, defending his family against Chris Kane who hunts them down.

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 is Danny's friend and the former girlfriend of Steve Parker. She supports Danny in battles against the bullies, and they eventually 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 black-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 one of Danny's curious friends. He fought Chris and refused to give him any details on the whereabouts of Danny. (He didn't even know anything about the location of Danny.)

Des

Des is Danny's father. He appeared several times throughout the book. His son Danny desperately wants to meet him.

PC Daniels

PC Daniels is one of the minor characters in the book; she had two cases relevant to the novel. PC Daniels is an officer who has a slight tendency to be racist (for example, during the scene in which Chris attacks the house, she assumes Des to be the attacker, on account of his skin).