At the Edge of the World

Book excerpt: Maddie and Ivan have been friends forever. They go to school together, surf, party, and hang out all the time. Ivan eats at Maddie's house almost every day. But all is not well in Ivan's world, and as control of his life slips farther away from him, Maddie agonises over her role in his life. Ivan fears the fallout if the people in his community discover what he's been hiding, but Maddie thinks telling his secret will help him. As Maddie struggles to figure out her own post-high-school path, she worries about how to deal with the things she knows about Ivan's life. Is she a keeper of his secrets? Should she help him hide what's going on in his family? Or should she tell someone and get help? What does betrayal look like when your best friend is in trouble?