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Friends From the Edge
A missing teenage boy. Three friends who know what happened. A secret they swear never to tell. Until the secret comes back to haunt them…thirty years later. Jack, Matt, Cassie, and Lisa are four friends growing up on “The Edge”, a cul-de-sac in the 80s. The alpha male, the lucky one, the goody-two shoes, and the glamorous hottie that all the boys want. On the outside, they seem to have it all. Yet inside, the teens are shattered in pieces. It is their unbreakable friendship with each other that prevents them from falling apart. Until the one night when tragedy is set forth into motion by their actions, leaving one of the four dead...and missing. The remaining three swear to never speak of that night again…or to each other. They go their separate ways, hoping to bury their mistakes and the past. Thirty years later, one of the friends gets an ominous message. Someone is digging into their past and threatening to expose their secret. Who is it and what do they really want? Is their secret the only thing that isn’t safe, or are their lives in danger, too?
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2018
1379 people are currently reading
887 people want to read
About the author
Heather Balog
23 books136 followersHeather Balog is a self proclaimed "Bad Mommy" and the author of fourteen novels, including the Amy Maxwell Cozy Mystery Series. She also collaborates with her "Tween-age" daughter on the Lexie Maxwell Series for young readers. She blogs at "The Bad Mommy Diaries" which, according to her family, is mostly obnoxious exaggeration, but it's much cheaper than therapy. When Heather is not writing or complaining on her blog, she's a school nurse, taxi driver, her household Sudoku champion, and a runner with way too many aches and pains to be any good. She lives with her husband and her two children who all make fun of her inability to exist without the help of a Post-It note list on a daily basis. She also has two very needy dogs who do not make fun of her, but take turns emptying the garbage in the kitchen just to get her blood pressure boiling. Visit her website at http://www.heatherbalog.com or her blogs at : http://www.thebadmommydiaries.com or http://badmommyreads.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
December 19, 2022
I thought that the premise that an awful event which occurred in youth could impact their entire lives was plausible given their youth and the fear telling allowed for some twists which kept me reading and ultimately surprised me. I do agree with some readers that there were things which did not add to the story and could have been removed. The characters didn't have any filters as teenagers nor did they yet as adults, so expect a lot of explicit language and sex. Again, what seems to be becoming more and more common these days is a sad lack of proofreading. There were numerous typographical/syntax errors. In spite of all that...the plot was good, the characters had complications that were frequently negative. It was a long slow read, but with lots to reveal about the trials of teenage life, and the attraction of a growing mystery whose solution is kept well-hidden till the end. Overall, a fairly good read.
April 30, 2019
I liked this SO much more than Note To Self. I hope she's written more in this vein as I'll be on the lookout for them. I whizzed through this as I was just dying to know who died, who murdered, who was poking around in the case when they thought nobody else knew.......fascinating and interesting stuff. And as usual I guessed wrong......hehehe !! I was so sure that in this story I'd got it spot on, I should've known better. I've no imagination at all, so it's just as well I read and don't write.
I'd expected to read more about the 80s pop culture but it really could've been set in any decade as there were no real references to the era at all, which was a shame. Cassie was my favourite of the "gang" of four and Lisa I liked the least. I did enjoy a couple of little descriptive sentences she wrote, one about happy hair and another telling us what they called Cassie's granddad.
She did have a problem with speechmarks, though. They were used where nobody was actually speaking but for the most part dropped where someone was ! A couple of sentences also made no sense presented as they are, only needing a comma to sort them out. There were too many words dropped from sentences as well, like a/an/to......then recall was written and not recalled, guy not guys, he not she, a not as, ss not as, Lindberg not Lindbergh, murders not murderers, pointing not pointed, incredible not incredibly......too many rubbish errors like this cost it a 5* review from me. And this sentence, ".....he screamed into his obliterated face face"......I mean, how does any editor or proofreader not spot these yet they smacked me in the face ??
She also did that awful American English writing here and there. For example, "He stared at his phone for a couple of more seconds" or "Cassie had always went along with whatever the crowd was doing."
Not too many authors do this but it makes me wince when they do as it just comes out sounding backward to me.
A bit of a spit 'n' polish is what it needs, though. Don't let the presentation spoil the story.
I'd expected to read more about the 80s pop culture but it really could've been set in any decade as there were no real references to the era at all, which was a shame. Cassie was my favourite of the "gang" of four and Lisa I liked the least. I did enjoy a couple of little descriptive sentences she wrote, one about happy hair and another telling us what they called Cassie's granddad.
She did have a problem with speechmarks, though. They were used where nobody was actually speaking but for the most part dropped where someone was ! A couple of sentences also made no sense presented as they are, only needing a comma to sort them out. There were too many words dropped from sentences as well, like a/an/to......then recall was written and not recalled, guy not guys, he not she, a not as, ss not as, Lindberg not Lindbergh, murders not murderers, pointing not pointed, incredible not incredibly......too many rubbish errors like this cost it a 5* review from me. And this sentence, ".....he screamed into his obliterated face face"......I mean, how does any editor or proofreader not spot these yet they smacked me in the face ??
She also did that awful American English writing here and there. For example, "He stared at his phone for a couple of more seconds" or "Cassie had always went along with whatever the crowd was doing."
Not too many authors do this but it makes me wince when they do as it just comes out sounding backward to me.
A bit of a spit 'n' polish is what it needs, though. Don't let the presentation spoil the story.
March 25, 2019
Seriously?
From the first page this felt like a bad made for tv movie script written by a teenager. The writing was laughable, the plot was ridiculous, the characters were insufferable. I won't be checking out any other titles by this author...fool me once.
From the first page this felt like a bad made for tv movie script written by a teenager. The writing was laughable, the plot was ridiculous, the characters were insufferable. I won't be checking out any other titles by this author...fool me once.
April 18, 2019
WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE.....
Three friends share and keep a deadly secret , end their friendships to preserve the secret until 30yrs later find out they have been exposed. These 'friends' suck, show no loyalty and do not understand the laws of revenge ESPECIALLY how to get revenge.
The buildup was amazing and I enjoyed the chapter shifting from 30 yrs ago to the present. They were 'lost' kids and dysfunctional adults; the ending fell flat and I was disappointed 😶
Three friends share and keep a deadly secret , end their friendships to preserve the secret until 30yrs later find out they have been exposed. These 'friends' suck, show no loyalty and do not understand the laws of revenge ESPECIALLY how to get revenge.
The buildup was amazing and I enjoyed the chapter shifting from 30 yrs ago to the present. They were 'lost' kids and dysfunctional adults; the ending fell flat and I was disappointed 😶
March 31, 2019
The story itself was good enough. I did not like the lay out of the book. Short chapter of back story, then short chapter of current day. And nothing thrilling at all. The title suggests excitement and at least close to horror. There was none. Then to top it off the ending was even worse. No wonder this was a free book.
July 6, 2021
I liked the story and was eager to find out who else knew what happened. However, I was very disappointed with the ending and big reveal. I feel it didn't do the rest of the story any justice. Teens living with some disfunctional adults can not have a happy ending. The characters weren't as developed as they should have been. There really wasn't a character I really liked.
April 8, 2019
Liked the beginning, but then couldn't deal with the rampant sex scenes.
July 15, 2019
The familiar premise of a dark teenage secret promising unwanted revelations in adulthood underpins this novel, but enjoys its own particular twist. The story switches between past and present, with lots of backstory and teen angst—the beautiful people vs the always-left-out, the longing for love and acceptance… The characters are all convincing, teens, parents, and grown-up teens. But the lives are slowly told, and the complications frequently negative. It makes for a long slow read, with lots to reveal about the trials of teenage life, and the attraction of a growing mystery whose solution is kept hidden till the end.
Disclosure: I got it on a deal.
Disclosure: I got it on a deal.
April 17, 2019
This is a book told from two time periods. First, the 1980s, when a group of 4 friends from a nice neighborhood find themselves leaning on each other as life becomes increasingly difficult and complicated for them. Then in alternating chapters, we find 3 of the group today drawn together to resolve a problem that caused had separated them 18 years ago. I give the author a lot of credit for telling these two stories in parallel and getting them to resolve together in the last chapters. Though some of the mysteries aren't terribly mysterious, there are enough surprises to compensate. Good book.
April 8, 2019
How would you have handled it?
Well written with believable characters and intriguing plots that keeps your interest until the end. Would recommend this for anyone who loves a good mystery.
Well written with believable characters and intriguing plots that keeps your interest until the end. Would recommend this for anyone who loves a good mystery.
April 24, 2021
This book was a page turner for me, but at the end I felt manipulated. There was one character who turned out to be someone different than I had thought throughout the book. Another reviewer said that the author misled the reader with the way names were used in the book, so it wasn't just me. The one thing that I felt really resonated was the description of the Gen X childhoods the characters in this book had. I have read that Gen Xers were the least nurtured and parented generation in American history, and I believe it. This is a story about four teenagers who, in 1989, when they were fourteen or fifteen years old, were involved with someone's death, although we don't find out what actually happened until the last chapters. They made a blood oath to "Never Tell". When we find out what actually happened, in some ways it seems unbelievable that they decided not to tell anyone for decades. Then again, none of them had the kind of parents they could confide in. I can understand when I remember what it was like to be that age, a member of Gen X myself, distrustful of authority figures and adults with good reason, and then their actions when the incident first occurred make sense. BUT, as they grew older and were on their own as adults, that's when you would think that at least one of the witnesses would have gone to the police. Also, the four main characters didn't really seem to be "friends". There was a lot of jealousy and resentment between them. It did accurately describe adolescent angst and confusion, before the murder even happened.
May 1, 2019
Dumb, just … dumb. The story was nonsensical, the characters flat and unbelievable, the grammar horrendous, and the end predictable. I don't know what the author was trying to accomplish with the "man who must not be named" (oh, Harry Potter, where are you?), while at the same time, insistent that there were only the four (or was it three?) "friends" present in 1989. Easily one of worst books I've read this year. I'm probably in the minority, but I don't care. Will not be reading anything by this author again.
October 30, 2018
Interesting read with a twist to the ending. The characters were interesting and were fairly well developed. The book definitely held my interest and was a quick read for me. I have never read anything by this author before but would definitely consider reading something by her again.
May 26, 2020
( Format : Audiobook )
"Never tell anyone."
Four teenagers, three of them friends since childhood before a glamorous 13 years old girl from New York joined the group, spent most of their free time together.for two or so years before tragedy struck and one died. The surviving boy and two girls make a pact never to speak of that day to anyone, not even each other. Each go separate ways until, thirty years later, one of them suddenly receives a message that shows someone else knew the secret they'd been hiding. But who? And why had this person only now revealed the knowledge, and what did this person intend?
Whilst the story initially promised a tantalizing mystery, it was written in a bland prose form both colorless and irritating in construction, alternating short chapters between present day happenings and the events leading up to the incident in 1989. A profile of each of the four youngstsrs is given, enough to make all four appear fairly unpleasant without really giving character to any. The final revelation of what happened was long drawn out and tedious, proving ultimately unsatisfying and with too many loose ends left despite an epilogue. The narration, however, was good, lifting the book itself to some extent. Chris Koprowski has a pleasant voice, well modulated, with some definition in separate voices for different protagonists but occasional words were mispronounced and there was a tendency not to leave even a brief gap between chapters which was slightly confusing.
I received this book, Friends from the Edge, at my request as a complimentary download from Audiobook Unleashed. My thanks to the rights holder for making it freely available to all at the click of a button. Sadly, however, and despite an intriguing beginning, the time spent on it was wasted, a promise never fulfilled.
"Never tell anyone."
Four teenagers, three of them friends since childhood before a glamorous 13 years old girl from New York joined the group, spent most of their free time together.for two or so years before tragedy struck and one died. The surviving boy and two girls make a pact never to speak of that day to anyone, not even each other. Each go separate ways until, thirty years later, one of them suddenly receives a message that shows someone else knew the secret they'd been hiding. But who? And why had this person only now revealed the knowledge, and what did this person intend?
Whilst the story initially promised a tantalizing mystery, it was written in a bland prose form both colorless and irritating in construction, alternating short chapters between present day happenings and the events leading up to the incident in 1989. A profile of each of the four youngstsrs is given, enough to make all four appear fairly unpleasant without really giving character to any. The final revelation of what happened was long drawn out and tedious, proving ultimately unsatisfying and with too many loose ends left despite an epilogue. The narration, however, was good, lifting the book itself to some extent. Chris Koprowski has a pleasant voice, well modulated, with some definition in separate voices for different protagonists but occasional words were mispronounced and there was a tendency not to leave even a brief gap between chapters which was slightly confusing.
I received this book, Friends from the Edge, at my request as a complimentary download from Audiobook Unleashed. My thanks to the rights holder for making it freely available to all at the click of a button. Sadly, however, and despite an intriguing beginning, the time spent on it was wasted, a promise never fulfilled.
June 25, 2019
Friends From The Edge by Heather Balog
This is a very interesting and fun read. Four friends who lived at a suburban cul-de-sac called "The Edge," somewhere in Michigan are completely bound together by the events that transpired in a terrible night, September of 1989.
The story is told from three timelines, 1987, 1989 and the present (2017?). The four friends are: Lisa Bianchi, Matthew (Matt) Daniels, Jack Powers, and CassieGarrison-McAllister.
From the onset, we know that something went horribly wrong that September, but the writer takes her time and increases our curiosity as she keeps going back and forth in the three timelines.
The kids had sworn not to speak about the terrible events in question but after 28 years, a stone is thrown to Cassie's new home threatening to expose what happened. Even though they had not spoken for twenty-eight years, the friends find each other and are forced to relive the trauma.
The book is narrated from the third person point of view. Unfortunately, the author switches back and forth without any warning to the reader and it was a bit confusing to figure out who was actually "speaking." Other than that, the book is a page-turner: it drove me in from the beginning and it was hard to put down. Read it in two seatings. The characters are alive and real: they have faults, they are damaged, they need help. As we realize that one of the four is dead, we can't help but try to come up with theories as to what actually happened. Who knows, how they know, and could it be possible that the dead one is not dead.
I loved the book and recommend it highly!
This is a very interesting and fun read. Four friends who lived at a suburban cul-de-sac called "The Edge," somewhere in Michigan are completely bound together by the events that transpired in a terrible night, September of 1989.
The story is told from three timelines, 1987, 1989 and the present (2017?). The four friends are: Lisa Bianchi, Matthew (Matt) Daniels, Jack Powers, and CassieGarrison-McAllister.
From the onset, we know that something went horribly wrong that September, but the writer takes her time and increases our curiosity as she keeps going back and forth in the three timelines.
The kids had sworn not to speak about the terrible events in question but after 28 years, a stone is thrown to Cassie's new home threatening to expose what happened. Even though they had not spoken for twenty-eight years, the friends find each other and are forced to relive the trauma.
The book is narrated from the third person point of view. Unfortunately, the author switches back and forth without any warning to the reader and it was a bit confusing to figure out who was actually "speaking." Other than that, the book is a page-turner: it drove me in from the beginning and it was hard to put down. Read it in two seatings. The characters are alive and real: they have faults, they are damaged, they need help. As we realize that one of the four is dead, we can't help but try to come up with theories as to what actually happened. Who knows, how they know, and could it be possible that the dead one is not dead.
I loved the book and recommend it highly!
July 31, 2020
This was such a good suspenseful mystery. It starts with a group of friend who lived together on a street they called The Edge. They are all different but are friends since they are neighbors. One summer night their lives changed drastically. They all held onto a secret and went their separate ways. But they were forever connected. But now they are called back together as adults because someone else knows their secret. The story goes through their lives then and now. We slowly learn about them and the author gives us clues onto to what happened. When the truth of it all was revealed I was blown away. I was totally fooled on what I thought the truth was! I couldn't put this book down. I was listening every chance I had. I needed to know what happened and what was going to happen. This narrator did a great job. His voice really added the suspense to this story. I can't suggest this enough to mystery and suspense fans. Really anyone who loves a good story that is full of surprises will enjoy this story. It's a must read/listen! I definitely will be checking out more from this author.
January 3, 2021
Life is too short to read bad books; skip this one.
The writing quality was poor from the beginning, but the plot concept made me keep reading. Wish I had just called it a DNF after the second chapter. The "twists" were so predictable, and I can only imagine a reader being surprised if they'd never before read a mystery or suspense novel. The author goes out of her way to avoid naming the male character to keep you wondering which one died, but when an author works so hard to plant obvious clues to make you think it's one character, it's obviously going to be the other 🙄
The big reveal of what happened that night, as well as who sent the threatening note, were so disappointing. So anticlimactic. The epilogue was so cheesy. Really?! After all that, those two end up together? Lame. None of the characters was actually likeable from the beginning anyway, it was less like four close friends who were devestatingly separated by tragedy, and more like four teenagers who were assholes to each other and never had a bond to begin with.
The writing quality was poor from the beginning, but the plot concept made me keep reading. Wish I had just called it a DNF after the second chapter. The "twists" were so predictable, and I can only imagine a reader being surprised if they'd never before read a mystery or suspense novel. The author goes out of her way to avoid naming the male character to keep you wondering which one died, but when an author works so hard to plant obvious clues to make you think it's one character, it's obviously going to be the other 🙄
The big reveal of what happened that night, as well as who sent the threatening note, were so disappointing. So anticlimactic. The epilogue was so cheesy. Really?! After all that, those two end up together? Lame. None of the characters was actually likeable from the beginning anyway, it was less like four close friends who were devestatingly separated by tragedy, and more like four teenagers who were assholes to each other and never had a bond to begin with.
June 28, 2023
I liked this book. Not because of the mystery or the secret that the book unravels as it progresses, but because of the excellent portrayal of the trials and tribulations of the main characters as the book continuously moves between the present and the past. There's a secret shared by 3 friends, which they had made a pact they would never disclose. Now after 28 odd years someone has thrown a stone at Cassie's house with markings about the secret. And the three friends come together again at the Edge where they spent their childhood. Only Cassie continued to live at the Edge, the other two moving on to other places. We keep moving between the present and the past with the story building up to the event where they lose a friend. The author chooses to spring a surprise at the end, which was quite clever and catches you unaware and you are tempted to turn back a few pages to recheck, whether you got it right or not. With fluent and smooth writing, the book is a breezy read.
March 21, 2019
The book was just okay. Four friends, one of them ends up dead. The story stretches out over 28 years and jumps from present to past frequently. For me, that made the story choppy. Most of the action takes place in a graveyard - a bit cliche. Also, I had a hard time finding a character that I liked. All the parents are terrible, Cassie is weak, as is Matt, Lisa is a conceited bitch, Jack, the teenage heart throb, is a let down when push comes to shove. If there is any mystery here, it is that the author keeps secret (until the end) which one of the boys dies. All in all, this story was very anti-climatic, dragged frequently, and there was a whole lot more telling than showing. I skimmed lots of pages because I was much less interested in the pages of backstory than I was in hoping (vainly at times) that something would happen.
December 9, 2022
3.5. Well, I read the book to the end so that says a lot about it. I think it could have been a short story to be honest as the characters never evolved for me. I had guessed who it was that had been killed as only 2 of the 3 surviving friends were named during the ‘now’ chapters…a little contrived but, hey, I couldn’t do any better I’m sure so we’ll done to the author, Heather Balog. I also felt the end was unbelievable but did bring the story to a conclusion. I’m not going into any more detail as it would spoil any possible surprises. All I’ll say is … whatever the consequences is it better to tell the truth or easier to live with a terrible secret.
May 9, 2019
Friends with a toxic secret
Told in chapters of before and after, 3 teenagers try to cope after an horrific crime is committed and one of them decides they can never tell. Their lives are never the same again as they can't even talk to anyone about what happened. The final scene of what really happened on that night is revealed at the end and then the twist that I didn't see coming. Good back stories on each of these troubled teenagers. A few spots of bad editing spoiled and otherwise really good book.
Told in chapters of before and after, 3 teenagers try to cope after an horrific crime is committed and one of them decides they can never tell. Their lives are never the same again as they can't even talk to anyone about what happened. The final scene of what really happened on that night is revealed at the end and then the twist that I didn't see coming. Good back stories on each of these troubled teenagers. A few spots of bad editing spoiled and otherwise really good book.
November 16, 2019
I read the book but didn't like it. Teenagers who were supposed to be friends but really weren't friends. They had really bad home lives and that was about the only thing they had in common. They had a thirty year old secret and met again because evidently someone had known a out it. There was too much flipping back and forth between the then and now. They had decided to go to the police with what they knew and the book was over quickly. Probably won't be reading any more of this author's books. This was a real disappointment.
January 19, 2020
A good book about buried secrets
Solid grammar and only one typo that I can recall. Good believable writing. The story jumps (by chapters) between teen years/the past and adulthood. The author maintains suspense by not sharing who dies and although it's frustrating,it does work. I liked how the characters stayed true to form... Whether adults or teens,their thoughts and actions were dead on. I would definitely read more from this author!
Solid grammar and only one typo that I can recall. Good believable writing. The story jumps (by chapters) between teen years/the past and adulthood. The author maintains suspense by not sharing who dies and although it's frustrating,it does work. I liked how the characters stayed true to form... Whether adults or teens,their thoughts and actions were dead on. I would definitely read more from this author!
May 9, 2019
Weak Overall
This was a fairly interesting story, but there were so many flashbacks to when the characters were 15, that the reading got quite tedious and I started to just skim read. The story did get more interesting about the 90% point, but by that time I had decided not to read any more books by this author.
This was a fairly interesting story, but there were so many flashbacks to when the characters were 15, that the reading got quite tedious and I started to just skim read. The story did get more interesting about the 90% point, but by that time I had decided not to read any more books by this author.
September 11, 2019
A fun book to read with a surprise ending
I enjoyed reading this book but found the flow of the story difficult to follow probably because it bounced back and forth in time and also because that was maybe to contribute to the mystery. I might read this author again though as the ending did surprise me.
I enjoyed reading this book but found the flow of the story difficult to follow probably because it bounced back and forth in time and also because that was maybe to contribute to the mystery. I might read this author again though as the ending did surprise me.
October 1, 2020
Predictable
The story builds up like it's trying to hide a big secret but tells you the ending early on instead. It's like the author couldn't think of how to end the book in a dramatic way and just stopped abruptly. A good idea for !let of the.book but requires work for a better plot twist to make it worth reading.
The story builds up like it's trying to hide a big secret but tells you the ending early on instead. It's like the author couldn't think of how to end the book in a dramatic way and just stopped abruptly. A good idea for !let of the.book but requires work for a better plot twist to make it worth reading.
October 8, 2020
Unlikeable characters, not a satisfying resolution for me personally. And I wish the author had added more jokes and levity into the narrative. It was very depressing and unlikable all the way through with little relief. All that keeps one reading is wondering what happened. That was done very well.
Wouldn't recommend it, too depressing all the way through.
Wouldn't recommend it, too depressing all the way through.
May 1, 2021
Nice
Its good for a one time read. Words used are simple and ordinary. So people won't be searching their dictionaries. I like the character of Cassie and other characters were also defined satisfactorily. Climax was somewhat disappointing but still it kept me interested and engaged and I knew Matt died but I kept figuring out how.
Its good for a one time read. Words used are simple and ordinary. So people won't be searching their dictionaries. I like the character of Cassie and other characters were also defined satisfactorily. Climax was somewhat disappointing but still it kept me interested and engaged and I knew Matt died but I kept figuring out how.
March 7, 2022
Totally Enjoyable
The title leads you to believe this is a “creepy” story. Not so! Enjoyed the characters, their crazy friendships & how they managed early teen years. The story is tragic with a great turn of events at the end of the book. Did not see that coming!! Very well written.
The title leads you to believe this is a “creepy” story. Not so! Enjoyed the characters, their crazy friendships & how they managed early teen years. The story is tragic with a great turn of events at the end of the book. Did not see that coming!! Very well written.
July 18, 2024
Nice thirty year old murder with happy ending
This is a story of four friends and the death of one of them nearly thirty years ago. It all comes back when one of them is contacted about the secret that happened in the graveyard when they were all just teenagers. It is definitely worth reading.
This is a story of four friends and the death of one of them nearly thirty years ago. It all comes back when one of them is contacted about the secret that happened in the graveyard when they were all just teenagers. It is definitely worth reading.
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