Dancing on the Edge

This book was my favorite growing up. I was a dancer and intrigued! I read the last page and blurb on the back. I started reading it before we left the book fair! I laughed and I cried-this book was a wake up call and changed my life. I lost my original copy several years ago. I noticed this one had the original cover art- I had to have it! Very pleased with this purchase 👍🏻👍🏻

I chose this rating because the author developed her characters so well that anyone reading the book can understand the fear and loneliness that each character experiences. Miracle is raised on Gigi's lies and fantasies and the blind disinterest of her father. Neither Gigi nor Dane can emerge from their egos long enough to love that lonely, confused little girl. Everyone thought Miracle was better off with lies about her mother when what she needed was the truth and loving affection from the adults around her.This book is an excellent, compelling read. I would recommend it to anyone who loves in-depth characters and a fast moving plot.

Every teenager should read this book, adults should not be fooled or harbor denial that teens don't know about these things... and this story will give them a hopeful perspective. For those of you concerned with issues involved, this book is a breath of fresh air compared to the unresolved atrocities of war and human suffering kids are routinely exposed to on the news - which of course usually offers no constructive resolution or hope. This book teaches that we are not alone, asking for help is OK and that hope does exist and can be found from within.

I really like this book and i love this author. I recommend it.

I was lucky enough to meet Han Nolan in college and she signed my copy! Great story - gritty and touching.

Award-winning author Han Nolan again captures our full attention in Dancing on the Edge.Not many people can claim to have been born after their mother was killed in a car accident, and not many people can claim that their father was a child novelist prodigy at age 13--but Miracle McCloy can.But when Miracle's father, Dane "melts away," as Grandmother Gigi puts it, and the neighbors begin making trouble for the small family due to Gigi's involvement in the occult, Gigi and Miracle leave town and move in with Gigi's ex husband, Granddaddy Opal. For the first time in Miracle's life, thanks to Granddaddy Opal, she gets a chance to be a child and pursue her own interest, dancing.Yet all of the problems with the adults in her life and her inability to face reality cause Miracle to follow in Gigi's footsteps in the occult, leading her to practice on her classmates. But when a student accuses Miracle of being fake, she sets herself on fire and ends up as a patient in a mental hospital. Inevitably Miracle learns through her psychiatrist, Dr. DeAngelis, the coping methods to change her life and stop living in the past.Dancing on the Edge is a powerful novel filled with a bevy of unique characters and difficult topics that challenge the reader to stick with this book. While I enjoyed Miracle, Granddaddy Opal and Gigi, I also felt that much of the true intent of the story was lost on the quirkiness of the characters. There never seemed to be a person of reason in Miracle's life until Dr DeAngelis and by then, Miracle has spent most of her life, and a better part of this book, in the shadow of her parent's past and her eccentric family members lifestyles.All that set aside, Dancing on the Edge is worth the read. You can't beat Ms. Nolan's writing ability in facing issues such as mental illness, suicide and the occult.Armchair Interviews says: Lots of life's challenges all in one book.

This was a great story. It held my interest and I had a hard time putting the book down' I highly recommend this book.

Dont read this book expecting anything. Approach it with an open mind and try to understand the deeper meaning behind what’s written. It’s an absolutely amazing read and years after my first reading I still believe it’s one of my favorite books ever written.