• Age: 12
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 12

Maddie and Ivan have been friends forever. They go to school together, surf, party, and hang out all the time. Ivan eats at Maddie's house almost every day. But all is not well in Ivan's world, and as control of his life slips farther away from him, Maddie agonises over her role in his life. Ivan fears the fallout if the people in his community discover what he's been hiding, but Maddie thinks telling his secret will help him. As Maddie struggles to figure out her own post-high-school path, she worries about how to deal with the things she knows about Ivan's life. Is she a keeper of his secrets? Should she help him hide what's going on in his family? Or should she tell someone and get help? What does betrayal look like when your best friend is in trouble?

Kari Jones is happy to call Victoria, British Columbia, home: a city where you can go down to the beach with your kayak, find an island, a lighthouse and an adventure, and be back in time for dinner. Kari is a college instructor who teaches students to write, but when school is out, she can often be found with her family and friends exploring the natural world and dreaming up adventures to share. Kari is the co-author of Hiking Adventures with Children as well as several essays and articles on being in nature with kids. For more information, visit www.karijones.ca.

Kari Jones' profile page

• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
• Short-listed, Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize

"Maddie and Ivan are both likeable, well-developed characters with a strong sense of self and purpose. Their lifelong platonic friendship, devoid of stereotypical sexual tension, is refreshing, and the intergenerational family dynamics are recognizable and realistic. The conflicting forces of tension and devotion in the teenagers' relationships with their dads is palpable...At the Edge of the World will have readers reflecting upon their own parent-child relationships, obligations, and expectations with renewed perspective."

Quill & Quire

"The friendship depicted between the two is tender and authentic. A strong, palpable sense of place anchors the story as Maddie and Ivan teeter on the precipice of independence. Readers will be moved by Maddie and Ivan's deep, enduring friendship."

Kirkus Reviews