How to Live on the Edge

by Sarah Lynn Scheerger

Overview

Eighteen-year-old Cayenne barely remembers her mother, who died of breast cancer when Cayenne was four. The women in her family have a history of dying young. Cayenne figures she'll meet the same fate, so she might as well enjoy life now, engaging in death-defying risks like dodging trains and jumping off cliffs with her boyfriend.

When Cayenne receives a series of video messages her mother made for her before dying, she isn't sure she wants them. Her aunt Tee has been her true mother figure. But then Aunt Tee tests positive for a BRCA gene mutation—the one that doomed Cayenne's mom—and decides to get a mastectomy to reduce her chances of developing cancer. As Cayenne helps her aunt prepare for the surgery, she finds herself drawn to her mother's messages, with their musings on life, love, and perseverance. For the first time, Cayenne starts to question what it truly means to live life to the fullest, even when death might be written into her DNA.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541578890
Publisher:	Carolrhoda Lab (R)
Publication date:	08/04/2020
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	HL710L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sarah Lynn Scheerger is a clinical social worker who works with "at-promise" youth, helping them figure out who they are and who they want to be. She started writing as a convenient excuse to avoid laundry, and admittedly has gotten a little carried away. She writes picture books as well as middle-grade and young adult novels. She lives in southern California with her husband and children. To learn more, check out her website at www.sarahlynnbooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Readers will root for Cayenne despite the many mistakes she makes."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

03/01/2020

Gr 9 Up—Breast cancer runs in Cayenne's family, and she is planning on living every day to the fullest. Because of the high risk of inheriting the BRCA gene mutation that already claimed her mother's life when she was little, Cayenne is an adrenaline junkie who dodges trains and jumps off cliffs just for the rush. When they lost their mom, Cayenne and her sister, Saffron, were taken in by their young aunt, who undergoes a preventative mastectomy to reduce her chances of getting what they call the "Silk family curse." When the sisters receive a series of videos filmed by their mother before her passing, family secrets will come into the open, including the identity of the father they never knew. Too many changes put Cayenne on edge, and when tragedy strikes, she'll have to ask herself if everyone and everything she loves are worth risking. This novel deals with some important issues such as body image and the definition of femininity. Are breasts and ovaries what make a woman? And if she must have them removed, will she still feel desirable? Readers will root for Cayenne despite the many mistakes she makes. VERDICT This book has a strong character arc and can be used as a starting point to talk to teenagers about life choices, identity, and the inescapable reality of life-ending diseases. Recommended for libraries where books about medical issues and family secrets circulate well.—Carol Youssif, Taipei American School, Taiwan

School Library Journal

2020-01-23
A teen reckons with her family’s genetic curse.

In this sweeping bildungsroman, Scheerger (Mitzvah Pizza, 2019, etc.) introduces sisters Cayenne and Saffron Silk, who were orphaned at a young age when their mother succumbed to what they call their family curse and lost her battle with breast cancer. Raised by their aunt, the girls barely remember their mother and have never known the identity of their father. The only certainty in their lives has been the knowledge that, in the last two generations, no woman on their mother’s side has lived past age 37, but a family friend shares a letter from the girls’ mother that reveals more of their history. Scheerger plumbs how growing up with this knowledge has influenced Cay, who seeks to beat death at every turn by engaging in daredevil acts like train dodging and cliff diving with her boyfriend just to get a rush and take control of life. Throughout this action-packed tale, the contrast between Cay’s and Saff’s reactions to their newfound knowledge, as well as their and their aunt’s decisions about whether to get tested for the BRCA gene mutation, yield a revealing study in personal growth and sibling relations. But psychologically probing as Scheerger’s narrative is, it’s maddeningly vague in describing these presumably white, lower-middle-class characters, making it difficult for teens to imagine themselves in similar circumstances.

An engaging tale of vulnerability and control. (author’s note, resources) (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews