Edgewood is the first book in the Edgewood series by Karen McQuestion.Russ Becker has insomnia and has found that the only way he can get to sleep is to roam the town late at night when almost everyone else is sleeping. He does this so often, that he’s found certain houses along his route where other people are up late as well. He likes to go by those houses and glance in the windows, feeling a sense of camaraderie with the others who, like him, are not sleeping at that late hour. After he walks his route, he is able to go home and go to sleep. Otherwise, he’s a normal teenager, looking forward to getting his driver’s license soon, going to school and studying and dealing with the ordinary things teenagers have to deal with, like parents and homework.One night, during his late night walking, he sees some sort of astronomical event, similar to a meteor shower, but different. These meteors are falling to the earth, and they don’t look quite like meteors, they glow. So, he decides to try to locate where they are landing and get a better look at them. When he finds the spot they are landing in, he sees that they are arranged in a spiral shape on the ground and they are all giving off a beautiful glow. He walks into the center and notices he feels wonderful standing there, like they give off some kind of energy. He stays for a while, then goes back home and goes to bed.The next day in school, he keeps thinking about the night before. While he is in science class, waiting for the teacher to show up, he starts doodling in his notebook and draws the spiral shape the stones were arranged in. The pretty girl in front of him, who never paid any attention to him before, suddenly seems very interested in what he is drawing. She starts asking him questions about it, but the teacher comes in shortly thereafter. The teacher starts talking about an astronomical event that happened last night and offers rewards, such as extra credit, if anyone will talk about seeing it. Russ is reluctant to say anything for fear he will get into trouble for being out so late. None of the other students seem to have seen it, and the teacher begins offering bigger rewards. Russ is also suspicious because there was nothing on the news about this event and the teacher seems almost desperate to find someone who saw it.This is how Edgewood starts out. The mystery builds from there. Why is this girl so interested in Russ all of the sudden and why is the science teacher trying so hard to find someone who saw the event? Eventually Russ learns that he now has the power to heal himself and others. He also finds other teens that have seen a similar event and have powers of their own. There is evidence though that a secret organization may be after them, and this organization will go to any lengths to get the teens to work for them. Edgewood was a really good book. It was suspenseful, the characters had depth. I felt genuinely concerned for Russ and his friends. It kept me guessing about who they could trust. There were surprises throughout the book, and hints that things are not as they seem. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Wanderlust, because I’m betting it will be even better than Edgewood was. At times, Edgewood seemed to drag a little, but I think that’s just because the story had to be built. There are many characters who are well developed, and that takes time. Despite the occasional drag, Edgewood was very enjoyable and interesting. I don’t normally read sci-fi books, so I was a little concerned I wouldn’t like it, but I really did. The build up to the ending was great; I was on the edge of my seat rooting for Russ to make it through the challenges. I have suspicions that his sister knows some important things that she hasn’t shared with Russ yet. Read this one, even if you don’t like sci-fi. If you like mystery and suspense, you’ll like Edgewood. This book was not bad at all...but it's missing something that would make it really good, too.I can't put my finger on anything "bad" - the writing and editing is better than most self-pub novels I've read to date, the plot line certainly sounds like something I might enjoy, Russ is a likable character and a humorous narrator at times. But even though it sounds good in theory, it just didn't really excite me. It had promise, but ended up falling flat for me. But by all means, give it a try and see what you think!
What do You think about Edgewood (2012)?
Something about it kept me interested. I've read other similar stories but really enjoyed it.
—morgance
Decent story, interesting enough to keep my attention, but fairly predictable.
—Swaz
I found this quite enjoyable and believeable.
—countrylady
