|
 To
The Edge:
An Interesting Coming-of-Age
Tale in Two Parts
by Cameron Abbott
To The Edge,
a new title by first-time novelist, Cameron Abbott, is a tale of one
woman's coming of age during the free-lovin' 70's and later, the politically-correct
90's. Broken into two halves, aptly titled "The Seventies" and "The
Nineties," Abbott weaves an interesting story around Anne Henderson,
a sexually confused theater major at an Ivy League school.
Anne's not a novice when it comes to Sapphic leanings, but these brief interludes
with Gallagher, her brooding, dark-eyed high school friend, spark something
inside her she can't, or rather, won't acknowledge. Once in college, however,
the free wheeling Rae Sheldon, an enigmatic and provocative classmate,
arouses those same feelings. When sexy Rae ignites those long-suppressed feelings,
Anne explodes on a journey of sexual exploration and discovery of her true self.
Amidst the angst of denial, acceptance, heightened libidos, and first-time loves,
Anne's character simply shines, giving the reader a feeling of "yeah,
I know how that feels..." as she describes the wondering, heart-pounding
moments she has with Gallagher, the frenzied heat of making out in a car with
Rae, the heartbreak of betrayal, and ultimate loss of innocence.
By the time "The Nineties" roll around however, Anne has become
a boring, cardboard character; the token lesbian, ball-bustin' bitch at
a law firm, resembling many politically correct women I've met throughout
the Nineties. A rising star, she's known for her visceral guttings of the
opponent and pathetic personal life. This time around a highly explosive
legal case, along with the resurfacing of Rae Sheldon, and continued presence
of Gallagher, promises to bring some mystery, intrigue, and  rekindled
passion into her life. Sadly, that too becomes predictable and unremarkable.
When the villain is the legal case is inadvertently revealed prematurely, at
least to this reader, the story becomes a letdown and would have been quite disappointing
if not for the continuing storyline of Anne, Rae, and Gallagher. Even then, one
was left wanting to see more of what shaped these three—who they were today,
what kind of people had they become, what forces shaped the decisions they made
to become those people—and definitely more of dark, brooding Gallagher. The
leap in logic, for Anne from theater to law, was a bit hard to swallow, and deep-souled
Gallagher as a corporate-raiding investment banker was even harder. Their careers
just didn't fit their previously crafted personalities at all. Rae Sheldon was
the only one who seemed to fit the role of a smarmy TV journalist pretty well—willing
to do anything to get what she wants no matter what.
While "The Seventies" half of To
The Edge was
brilliant and touching, "The Nineties" was
unfortunately reminiscent of the real thing—a bit too predictable, too politically
correct, and shallow for my taste. Cameron Abbott would have been better off
leaving her characters in the past.
Rating: (on a scale of
1-5, with one being poor and five as excellent)
To The Edge 
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Cameron Abbott is an attorney
in New York City, where she litigates complex commercial disputes involving
a variety of high-tech industries around the world. She also serves as
an arbitrator in the securities industry, teaches as an Adjunct Professor
of Law at a law school located in New York, and has appeared as a television
commentator on various legal issues. This is her first novel. Visit her
Web site.
Other Books by Cameron Abbott
An
Inexpressible State of Grace (review coming soon!)
|
 To The Edge
Author: Cameron Abbott
Category: Coming-of-age
Paperback: 267 pages
Published: August 2001
ISBN: 1560232234
Retail: $19.95
Publisher: Haworth
Click here to buy TO THE EDGE |
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Don't miss our review of Alex's first novel, Facades, another
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