About This Book
"Dancing on the Edge" is an intense and exceptionally well-written novel that delves into the mind of Miracle McCloy, a young girl from a profoundly dysfunctional family. After her mother's death and her reclusive father's unexplained disappearance, Miracle, raised by her psychic grandmother, retreats into an elaborate internal world filled with mystical spirits and auras. This alternative reality becomes both a refuge and a dangerous obsession, leading her to a near-fatal crisis. The book explores themes of grief, abandonment, mental health, and the difficult journey back to reality and self-acceptance. Praised by Kirkus and School Library Journal for its psychological depth and compelling narrative, it's a poignant story of resilience. This book is best suited for mature readers aged 11-16.
A young girl from a dysfunctional family creates for herself an alternative world which nearly results in her death but which ultimately leads her to reality.
mental_health_themes
peril_danger
abandonment
family_issues
Discussion Prompts
1
How does Miracle's "alternative world" help her cope with her family problems and her father's disappearance? What are the dangers of retreating too far into imagination?
2
The book is described as "sad, funny, and tender." Where do you see moments of sadness, humor, and tenderness in Miracle's story?
3
Miracle's grandmother, Gigi, believes in psychics and auras. How do Gigi's beliefs influence Miracle's own understanding of the world and her experiences?
4
What does it mean for Miracle to "lose herself" in her quest, and what does she gain by ultimately leading herself "to reality"?
5
How does the book explore the idea of "truth" when different characters have different versions or explanations?
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