Book Review: Walk the Edge

Walk the Edge (Thunder Road #2)

By: Katie McGarry

Published By: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: March 29, 2016

Page Count: 426

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: Purchased by Reviewer

Audience: Young Adult - Contemporary

Review of Book #1: Nowhere But Here 

Breanna Miller is the smart girl who blends into the high school tapestry. The only time people see her is when they are making fun of her ability to remember facts and details. In spite of Breanna's intellect, she constantly questions herself and suffers from a low self esteem. As the middle child in an extremely large family, Breanna feels that she is overlooked by her parents and siblings more often than not. The story begins when her family forgets to pick her up after orientation for her senior year of high school. Her family's forgetfulness brings her face to face with Razor, a fellow senior and one of the most feared members of the Reign of Terror. Their chance meeting morphs into a tenuous friendship that will change both of their lives.

Breanna finds herself being blackmailed by a classmate and Razor may be the only one who can help her salvage her reputation. The blackmail truly bothered me as it focused on high school guys using their popularity and power to bully girls. The novel heavily focuses on the use of technology to bully as well as slut shaming. I don't understand why guys feel that it is okay to objectify women in this manner. I was outraged on behalf of Breanna and all the other girls that fell prey to this group.

Breanna and Razor make an unlikely pairing, but as the novel progresses, I found myself firmly on their side. There is a bit of a Romeo and Juliet vibe in this one as Razor is strictly off limits due to his affiliation with the Reign of Terror. Breanna's parents have always warned her to stay away from the motorcycle club that rides through the streets of Snowflake. They would never understand her growing feelings for a boy who wears a cut and drives a bike.

In addition to the romance, McGarry touches on some serious issues. Razor is still dealing with the grief from losing his mother when he was a kid. He has so many unanswered questions about the circumstances of his mother's death. His father and the club refuse to give him the answers he so desperately seeks so he takes matters into his own hands. Breanna agrees to help Razor track down answers and he agrees to protect her from her blackmailer. Suicide is also discussed. I love that McGarry doesn't sugarcoat the negative aspects of life, but uses them to teach her characters lessons.

Furthermore, it was nice to see the characters I grew attached to in the first novel make appearances. Oz and Emily take a backseat in this one so that Razor and Breanna can take center stage. I found that I enjoyed Razor and Breanna's romance just as much as Oz and Emily's. I love this series and can't wait to see who will be the focus of the next novel.

One Last Gripe: I was frustrated by how clueless Breanna's parents were about her situation with Kyle.

Favorite Thing About This Book: Razor's protective streak

First Sentence: There are lies in life we accept.

Favorite Character: Razor

Least Favorite Character: Clara and Kyle tie for this spot.

Summary:

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds.

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life. 

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules. 

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.