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On the Edge: Stories at the Brink
A collection of powerful stories reveals what it is like to live life on the edge and features such contributors as Terry Davis, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Alden R. Carter, Rich Wallace, and Ellen Wittlinger. Reprint.
- GenresShort StoriesAnthologies
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2000
37 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Lois Duncan
68 books2,003 followersLois Duncan (born Lois Duncan Steinmetz) was an American writer and novelist, known primarily for her books for children and young adults, in particular (and some times controversially considering her young readership) crime thrillers. Duncan's parents were the noted magazine photographers Lois Steinmetz and Joseph Janney Steinmetz. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Sarasota, Florida. Duncan started writing and submitting manuscripts to magazines at the age of ten, and when she was thirteen succeeded in selling her first story.
Duncan attended Duke University from 1952 to 1953 but dropped out, married, and started a family. During this time, she continued to write and publish magazine articles; over the course of her career, she has published more than 300 articles, in magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest. After her first marriage, which produced three children, ended in divorce, Duncan moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to teach journalism at the University of New Mexico, where she also earned a BA in English in 1977. In 1965 she married Don Arquette, and had two more children with him.
Duncan was best known for her novels of suspense for teenagers. Some of her works have been adapted for the screen, the most famous example being the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, adapted from her novel of the same title. Other made-for-TV movies include Stranger with My Face, Killing Mr. Griffin, Don't Look Behind You, Summer of Fear and Gallows Hill.
In 1989 the youngest of Duncan's children, Kaitlyn Arquette, was murdered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, under suspicious circumstances. Who Killed My Daughter? relates the facts and conjecture about the still unsolved case.
Duncan's second book about her daughter's murder, ONE TO THE WOLVES: ON THE TRAIL OF A KILLER, picks up where the first book leaves off and contains all the new information Kait's family has uncovered from private investigation.
The 1971 children's book Hotel for Dogs was released as a theatrical movie in 2009, starring Emma Roberts. That book has now been republished by Scholastic along with two sequels, News for Dogs (2009) and Movie for Dogs (2010).
Duncan's Gothic suspense novel, DOWN A DARK HALL, is being filmed for the Big Screen and will probably be released in 2016.
Follow Lois on Twitter: http://twitter.com/duncanauthor
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?i...
http://www.kaitarquette.arquettes.com
Duncan attended Duke University from 1952 to 1953 but dropped out, married, and started a family. During this time, she continued to write and publish magazine articles; over the course of her career, she has published more than 300 articles, in magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest. After her first marriage, which produced three children, ended in divorce, Duncan moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to teach journalism at the University of New Mexico, where she also earned a BA in English in 1977. In 1965 she married Don Arquette, and had two more children with him.
Duncan was best known for her novels of suspense for teenagers. Some of her works have been adapted for the screen, the most famous example being the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, adapted from her novel of the same title. Other made-for-TV movies include Stranger with My Face, Killing Mr. Griffin, Don't Look Behind You, Summer of Fear and Gallows Hill.
In 1989 the youngest of Duncan's children, Kaitlyn Arquette, was murdered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, under suspicious circumstances. Who Killed My Daughter? relates the facts and conjecture about the still unsolved case.
Duncan's second book about her daughter's murder, ONE TO THE WOLVES: ON THE TRAIL OF A KILLER, picks up where the first book leaves off and contains all the new information Kait's family has uncovered from private investigation.
The 1971 children's book Hotel for Dogs was released as a theatrical movie in 2009, starring Emma Roberts. That book has now been republished by Scholastic along with two sequels, News for Dogs (2009) and Movie for Dogs (2010).
Duncan's Gothic suspense novel, DOWN A DARK HALL, is being filmed for the Big Screen and will probably be released in 2016.
Follow Lois on Twitter: http://twitter.com/duncanauthor
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?i...
http://www.kaitarquette.arquettes.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 13, 2012
This short story collection brought me back to the days of high school and being a teenager. Where things like crushes, zits, parents, and peer pressure were every day life-threatening concerns. Several of these stories carry with them dark undertones of young kids forced to grow up faster than their friends to take on mature problems.
"Stevie in the Mirror" by Ellen Wittlinger - ★★★
After a suicide attempt Stevie is committed to a mental hospital. Inside she will meet some interesting characters.
"Nethergrave" by Gloria Skurzynski - ★★
Jeremy, a wimpy high schooler spends his free time secluded in his room immersing himself in his online chat world.
"Pig Brains" by Alden R. Carter - ★★★★
Shadis, a high school student decides to bring "fried brains" to his class to one up a bully jock. Does anyone notice that it's only a prank? // The voice of the character and his sharp wit totally win me over.
"Fine?" by Margaret Peterson Haddix - ★★★★
Bailey, a young girl suffers health problems and things start to unravel when she finds out she might have a brain tumor.
"Hot Lava" by Pete Hautman - ★★★
Centered around Chris, a boy who daydreams of a girl while simultaneously worrying about a large zit.
"Secret Numbers" by Winifred Morris - ★★★★★
Kristen's brother slowly unwinds with a mental illness. Viewing the effects of a mental illness through the eyes of her impressionable mind was very intriguing. My favorite of the collection.
"Pluto" by Gail Carson Levine - ★★★★
Rachel attempts to impress her parents with her success in drama, but all her attempts are overshadowed by her older sister's outbursts.
"Unbalanced" by William Sleator - ★★
Linda is an ambitious ballerina who has recently beat out the entire group for a soloist part. But someone has gone out of their way to ensure she fails.
"Sables Mouvants" by Liza Ketchum - ★★★★
Brandon travels to France to distance himself from a tragedy. While spending a day with his grandfather he learns more than he asks for and grows to come to terms with his family's mistakes.
"Steppin' Eddie" by Rich Wallace - ★★★★
Jack is a quiet student, never speaking a word to his classmates. His story is also quiet and bleak, but it clearly depicts the life of a boy who's almost invisible.
"The Ravine" by Graham Salisbury - ★★★
Vinny is pressured by his friends to step out of his boundaries and break the rules. Will he overcome his friends or submit under their pressure?
"In the Valley of Elephants" by Terry Davis - ★★★★
Very interestingly written short story about the struggles of a Vietnamese family after the Americans left Vietnam.
"Stevie in the Mirror" by Ellen Wittlinger - ★★★
After a suicide attempt Stevie is committed to a mental hospital. Inside she will meet some interesting characters.
"Nethergrave" by Gloria Skurzynski - ★★
Jeremy, a wimpy high schooler spends his free time secluded in his room immersing himself in his online chat world.
"Pig Brains" by Alden R. Carter - ★★★★
Shadis, a high school student decides to bring "fried brains" to his class to one up a bully jock. Does anyone notice that it's only a prank? // The voice of the character and his sharp wit totally win me over.
"Fine?" by Margaret Peterson Haddix - ★★★★
Bailey, a young girl suffers health problems and things start to unravel when she finds out she might have a brain tumor.
"Hot Lava" by Pete Hautman - ★★★
Centered around Chris, a boy who daydreams of a girl while simultaneously worrying about a large zit.
"Secret Numbers" by Winifred Morris - ★★★★★
Kristen's brother slowly unwinds with a mental illness. Viewing the effects of a mental illness through the eyes of her impressionable mind was very intriguing. My favorite of the collection.
"Pluto" by Gail Carson Levine - ★★★★
Rachel attempts to impress her parents with her success in drama, but all her attempts are overshadowed by her older sister's outbursts.
"Unbalanced" by William Sleator - ★★
Linda is an ambitious ballerina who has recently beat out the entire group for a soloist part. But someone has gone out of their way to ensure she fails.
"Sables Mouvants" by Liza Ketchum - ★★★★
Brandon travels to France to distance himself from a tragedy. While spending a day with his grandfather he learns more than he asks for and grows to come to terms with his family's mistakes.
"Steppin' Eddie" by Rich Wallace - ★★★★
Jack is a quiet student, never speaking a word to his classmates. His story is also quiet and bleak, but it clearly depicts the life of a boy who's almost invisible.
"The Ravine" by Graham Salisbury - ★★★
Vinny is pressured by his friends to step out of his boundaries and break the rules. Will he overcome his friends or submit under their pressure?
"In the Valley of Elephants" by Terry Davis - ★★★★
Very interestingly written short story about the struggles of a Vietnamese family after the Americans left Vietnam.
July 15, 2020
Hot Lava was definitely my favorite out of all the stories. I really liked the way it was worded and how everything was described.
Nethergrave had to be a close second. It was a very interesting story and I really like the little shock ending.
The Ravine was also a good one. My prediction for the ending wasn’t even close to what had happened, and I really liked the twist.
Steppin’ Eddie a notable one too. It was very interesting.
The rest of the stories just weren’t my cup of tea. But this book is definitely worth the read anyways.
Nethergrave had to be a close second. It was a very interesting story and I really like the little shock ending.
The Ravine was also a good one. My prediction for the ending wasn’t even close to what had happened, and I really liked the twist.
Steppin’ Eddie a notable one too. It was very interesting.
The rest of the stories just weren’t my cup of tea. But this book is definitely worth the read anyways.
June 18, 2015
There's an art to writing a short story, I think in this book they captured that.
My favorites include:
Stevie in the Mirror by Ellen Wittlinger
This book was about a girl who had to go to a "nuthouse" mainly because she ran away. She discovers how easy it is to succumb and act insane in order to hide something, she discovers a lot of girls that do this to the point where they lose themselves. The author brought up a lot of interesting points from a lot of different angles. This story ended too soon, no wonder I loved it, Ellen Wittlinger is the author of one of my favorite books- Hard Love.
Another story I loved was Fine? by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I can't exactly explain why I liked it so much, but I did.
I liked how realistic it was, how the girl was convinced she had cancer, so the ending was a little bit of a surprise.
Another one I liked was Pluto by Gail Carson Levine. I can't explain why I liked that one a lot, either. I liked how Rachel was the most sensible and wise person of her entire family.
I really loved Unbalanced by William Sleator, but it made me feel sick inside like a twinkling tune from a music box becoming demented and creepy. It was about a professional ballerina being sabotaged by some of the jealous ballerinas. The ending was predictable for me, I suspected who it was, but for others it might have been unpredictable.
This is my second favorite book of short stories.
My favorites include:
Stevie in the Mirror by Ellen Wittlinger
This book was about a girl who had to go to a "nuthouse" mainly because she ran away. She discovers how easy it is to succumb and act insane in order to hide something, she discovers a lot of girls that do this to the point where they lose themselves. The author brought up a lot of interesting points from a lot of different angles. This story ended too soon, no wonder I loved it, Ellen Wittlinger is the author of one of my favorite books- Hard Love.
Another story I loved was Fine? by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I can't exactly explain why I liked it so much, but I did.
I liked how realistic it was, how the girl was convinced she had cancer, so the ending was a little bit of a surprise.
Another one I liked was Pluto by Gail Carson Levine. I can't explain why I liked that one a lot, either. I liked how Rachel was the most sensible and wise person of her entire family.
I really loved Unbalanced by William Sleator, but it made me feel sick inside like a twinkling tune from a music box becoming demented and creepy. It was about a professional ballerina being sabotaged by some of the jealous ballerinas. The ending was predictable for me, I suspected who it was, but for others it might have been unpredictable.
This is my second favorite book of short stories.
January 27, 2009
Elida Almaraz
901-9D
On the Edge:Stories at the Brink
By:Lois Duncan
224 pages publisher Simon Pulse
ISBN:0689832567
Book Review
Imagine having different type of desserts all at once, that would be great-wouldn't it? This book on the edge makes you feel exactly like this. On the edge By:Lois Duncan talks about different teens and there stories. Each story is like a dessert as soon as you get one bite of it, you want more and more.
Lois Duncan along with other writers put in action and emotion to make the reader feel as if they were really there. Many of these stories talk about experiences which teens can easliy relate and compre to.
What made these stories sound good were the themes they used which were love, betrayal, family friends, hate and whole lot more. Every teen in this story has a problem and face hard obstacles and decisions. As time goes on these teens are able to defeat and face these obstacles.
On the Edge has something that would make every teen want to read it which is the way the characters are. Iwould personally recommend this book for those who are wanting some action. Once you read the beginning of the first story you wouldn't want to close the book not even for a break.
901-9D
On the Edge:Stories at the Brink
By:Lois Duncan
224 pages publisher Simon Pulse
ISBN:0689832567
Book Review
Imagine having different type of desserts all at once, that would be great-wouldn't it? This book on the edge makes you feel exactly like this. On the edge By:Lois Duncan talks about different teens and there stories. Each story is like a dessert as soon as you get one bite of it, you want more and more.
Lois Duncan along with other writers put in action and emotion to make the reader feel as if they were really there. Many of these stories talk about experiences which teens can easliy relate and compre to.
What made these stories sound good were the themes they used which were love, betrayal, family friends, hate and whole lot more. Every teen in this story has a problem and face hard obstacles and decisions. As time goes on these teens are able to defeat and face these obstacles.
On the Edge has something that would make every teen want to read it which is the way the characters are. Iwould personally recommend this book for those who are wanting some action. Once you read the beginning of the first story you wouldn't want to close the book not even for a break.
September 20, 2014
This book is very attracting. It tells of all sorts of different people and their experiences in high school. The book focuses on teen decisions and how each person has to deal with the stress of high school. This book is for anyone who wants mystery. It keeps you on the edge of your seat asking questions.
April 1, 2009
A quick read.
August 12, 2009
I'm reading this to find stories for the basic skills 9th grade English class I will be teaching this year.
January 3, 2015
As with any anthology, most were okay and a couple were outstanding. None were terrible so that means something! There was more of an edginess in some than others but that is also to be expected.
July 1, 2015
Quite an interesting anthology.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews