Sarah Lynn Scheerger

Kids whose parents have served in the armed forces are recognized with a day honoring their sacrifices. When a group of friends witness a camouflage-clad mom saying goodbye to her family before leaving for military service, they wish desperately that they could help. Some research leads them to a website for Purple Up! Day, which is observed on April 15.

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.

Review by Kelly M, Media Last updated on 27 May 2020 My Recommendation How to Live on the Edge is such an important and relevant read for young people, opening up the conversation of cancer and how it can affect lives. This is a book that should be put on school reading lists. Buy this Book on