The House at the Edge of the World

What happens when your life is turned upside down? You have to leave what had been your home? This is what Amal might be facing. Honeydew Library her home for her 11 years closes – but, then a miracle, the family learn they have inherited an enchanting, but crumbling house on the edge of a cliff – Hope House. It is a magical place with a mysterious past. But someone else lays claim to the house. Now Amal and her sister, Sara, unravel the mysteries surrounding Hope House in a bid to save it – and her home.

Central to Jassat’s story is hope and this is a theme that is sustained throughout the narrative as the two girls who cling onto it. Amal and Sara are a lively pair, their family a coherent, loving unit. Their opponent Victoria is suitably nasty – but even she is allowed an element of redemption that explains her actions and possibly some hope. The atmosphere is an intriguing mix of the real and the magical – but a magic that is very much derived from place and environment, as well as history. Jassat’s style is direct and immediate – there is a twist at the end that is very satisfying. The story is presented in a verse format with eye catching ‘chapter’ headings. This creates an impression of immediacy, of easy access to reading and would indeed attract many. However, much of the verse narrative could be presented in the more conventional prose format creating a more familiar flow without losing any momentum.