Review: On the Fringe

On the Fringe by Courtney King Walker

Summary: Claire is struggling to overcome the murder of her childhood friend and secret crush, Daniel. Everyone else seems to be moving on with their lives, but she’s still trying to cope. The fact that she finds herself alone and drowning on her 16th birthday isn’t helping.

Neither is thinking she sees Daniel’s face in murky water as she mysteriously resurfaces. But something happened during those four and a half minutes that will make her realize it was not just her imagination.

As Claire and Daniel try to grasp a possible reconnection, other grudge-holding beings have plans of their own. Now, the two of them have to decide if their fleeting relationship is worth the possibility of Claire being trapped on the fringe forever.

My Thoughts: I thought that description sounded much more ominous than the story ended up being. I think it could have been super creepy – After Obsession creepy – but it fell short. Far short. I think because we see things from Daniel’s perspective (as well as Claire’s), the spooky factor is seriously diminished. We already know who’s doing it, just not the full 100% why behind it. That part of the story is interesting, but somewhat predictable.

All of this is complicated by the fact that this book didn’t really make me feel much of anything. There were some more suspenseful moments at the first part of the second half of the book, and those kept me turning pages for a while. But it didn’t last long, because too much is revealed too quickly. This story has the potential of being super suspenseful, if not creepy. The too-much-too-soon problem likely also killed the aforementioned creep factor. Back to not feeling much of anything – I didn’t even really feel much of anything for the characters. None of them. I just couldn’t connect with them. These are not characters I want to see where they end up after the story’s over.

Finally, the writing style just didn’t work for me. We are told the story in alternating first-person narratives (Claire and Daniel). I liked seeing both character’s perspectives, except when it meant that major plot devices were revealed too early. We know – and sometimes are able to deduce – too much way too soon to keep the story’s momentum going. I think that having Daniel’s perspective VERY limited – like to only when he’s with Claire, or only when he’s near her, or something. That would have helped the story. Also problematic, for me at least, was that I felt like it was overwritten at times. There were parts where descriptions were overdone, and it felt like the author was trying too hard. Generally, I felt like I was being told the story, rather than having the story come alive. I hope that makes sense, as it’s a hard thing for me to explain.

Overall, no, I wouldn’t say I really liked this book. I was tempted a few times to stop reading, but decided to see it through. The conclusion was satisfactory, but the dramatic events prior were a bit much for me. Just don’t work. If you like a good, spooky read, I wouldn’t recommend On the Fringe. It’ll disappoint you. I’m sure there are some readers out there who do/will love this book. Unfortunately, I’m just not one of them.

Source: Received through Around The World Tours for review.

Challenges: Counts for the 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge.

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FTC Disclosure: All items reviewed were either obtained by me for my own enjoyment or sent (from the author, publisher, publicist, via tour sites, etc.) in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation for my posts. All opinions expressed are my own.

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