The Leading Edge of Now is a gripping book that hit entirely close to home. This book is about forgiveness, finding the truth, and moving on from loss. It’s emotional and hard hitting, but incredibly moving.
Summary
Just when Grace is beginning to get used to being an orphan, her estranged uncle suddenly comes forward to claim her. That might have been okay if he’d spoken to her even once since her father died. Or if moving in with Uncle Rusty didn’t mean returning to New Harbor.
Grace once spent the best summers of her life in New Harbor. Now the place just reminds her of all she’s lost: her best friend, her boyfriend and any memory of the night that changed her forever.
People say the truth will set you free, but Grace isn’t sure about that. Once she starts looking for it, the truth about that night is hard to find — and what happens when her healing hurts the people she cares about the most?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this free book as part of an arc promotional tour. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: Rape
The Leading Edge of Now moved me on a personal level. As a survivor, this book mirrored so many of my feelings, my fear of telling people what happened as well as the guilt and shame. For the longest time I thought if I confronted them, I would feel a sense of closure, of resolution. And then I recently realized, I never will. If they said sorry, if they were punished, I’d never go back to before. The world would always look a little sharper. What I loved in this book is that The Leading Edge of Now deals with this grieving process.
There are all these added layers of loss, and while this is, by no means, a story only about finding out the truth or a revenge fantasy, it’s a story about processing our loss and moving forwards. Curtis deals with an extremely tough, and personal themes for me, set of topics about sexual assault, the difficulty in speaking up, and the ways this loss touches the people around us. It also deals really well with the topics of grief and the theme of loss is handled through a variety of different characters in very thoughtful ways. The Leading Edge of Now is a raw, roller coaster of heartbreak, fear, and family.
Additionally, The Leading Edge of Now never lets us be sucked in by the sadness, by the grief and at the same time it is never truly overshadowed by the light. There’s a great balance struck between them that allows us to accept both parts of life. If you’re ready to be emotionally moved by a book, then check out The Leading Edge of Now on Goodreads.