Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: How To Live on the Edge

Author: Sarah Lynn Scheerger

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended For...: contemporary

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, very dangerous activities that can get you killed, language, cancer TW)

Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab

Pages: 312

Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Cayenne barely remembers her mother, who died of breast cancer when Cayenne was four. The women in her family have a history of dying young. Cayenne figures she'll meet the same fate, so she might as well enjoy life now, engaging in death-defying risks like dodging trains and jumping off cliffs with her boyfriend.

When Cayenne receives a series of video messages her mother made for her before dying, she isn't sure she wants them. Her aunt Tee has been her true mother figure. But then Aunt Tee tests positive for a BRCA gene mutation--the one that doomed Cayenne's mom--and decides to get a mastectomy to reduce her chances of developing cancer. As Cayenne helps her aunt prepare for the surgery, she finds herself drawn to her mother's messages, with their musings on life, love, and perseverance. For the first time, Cayenne starts to question what it truly means to live life to the fullest, even when death might be written into her DNA.

Review: For the most part this was a well done book. The book has a very interesting story and it’s very informational. You can tell the author is very informed and passionate about learning and teaching about the BRCA gene, which is the gene that causes cancer. The book has great pacing as well.

However, I don’t think the characters are well developed in this book and it was really hard to understand the motives of Cayenne. The book also doesn’t have great world building.

Verdict: It was a good book!