Think you know books? Try our new Book Trivia!

What do readers think of At the Edge of the Haight by Katherine Seligman? Write your own review.

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

At the Edge of the Haight by Katherine Seligman

At the Edge of the Haight

by Katherine Seligman

  • Critics' Consensus (12):
  • Readers' Rating (33):
  • Published:
  • Jan 2021, 304 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Reviews

Page 2 of 5
There are currently 33 reader reviews for At the Edge of the Haight
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

Barbara B. (Evansville, IN)

Fictional Account of Homelessness in San Francisco
The dire homeless life of 20-year-old Maddy Donaldo is depicted very honestly and vividly in the novel At The Edge of the Haight, written by Katherine Seligman. Why do young people choose to live such a careless and rough lifestyle when they are given opportunities to improve their lives? This is the most important theme throughout the novel.

There is a pecking order among the homeless population in and near the Golden Gate Park of San Francisco. Maddy and her friends Ash, Fleet, and Hope rely upon one another to avoid being victims of theft. But crime and drugs still touch their lives. Maddy and her dog, Root,more
Melissa C.

Insightful story about being young and homeless in SF
I received this book after entering a BookBrowse giveaway. It took me a bit to get into the book and had initially considered putting it down. But I stayed with it and ended up liking it. I didn't love it.
I liked the way the book is told by the main character "Maddy"- a 20 year old homeless woman (still a girl in many ways) who, with her beloved and devoted dog, lives in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
Through Maddy, the reader is introduced to many characters - other homeless youth/young adults and people who want to understand Maddy and her choice to live on the streets - all of whom are caring, yet alsomore
Katie V. Madison, WI

A Gripping Story of the Darker Underbelly of San Francisco's famous Haight-Ashbury Neigborhood
For four years, I lived in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. In the morning, I'd run through the neighborhood as the city's inhabitants--housed and homeless--began to stir. On the weekends, I'd run through Golden Gate Park, through many of the places this book's main character, Maddy, sleeps at night and spends time in during the day. I was fully aware of how sinister these lushly overgrown trails could feel at night. Going to and from work and wandering the neighborhood on the weekends, I saw the mostly white, mostly young people sitting on the streets, many of them unwell, strung out, or both.

more
Gingie W. (Waupaca, WI)

At the Edge of the Haigh
The reason I was intrigued by this book was my own experience in San Francisco with our son who was an emergency room resident. As I began to read, I became involved immediately into the lives of the young adults in the story and could visualize what I had seen in San Francisco. The descriptions of the homeless communities, and their daily struggles were very true to what I observed and also my son's experiences living in SF. The story not only gave me the thought process of the homeless youth but also the social systems available to them. I would think this book would be of interest and may be appropriate formore
Marcia C. (Jeffersonville, PA)

Searching for a Life
Maddy Donato is 20 years old and choosing to live on the streets of San Francisco. Maddy has had little or no contact with any one in her family for many years. She graduated from high school, ran off to San Francisco and found her new "family" there on the streets.
An incident in the park unexpectedly upends the relatively secure life Maddy has created for herself. Her life becomes more dangerous. She gets pulled into unwanted relationships with the police, a possible killer, and the parents of a young man who was murdered. As a result, her life takes new twists and turns and Maddy begins to find a differentmore
John W. (Saint Louis, MO)

Life on the Street - A Young Girl's Perspective
As a previous foster parent this story brought back sad memories of true stories foster children have shared. Maddy experiences the horror of some children when she is part of the system designed to protect children - food rationed, children locked in their rooms, etc. by foster parents that are only in the role for the money.

I found the author's portrayal of life on the street from dumpster diving, crime, drug and alcohol abuse, scamming for money, etc. consistent from these children's stories.

I highly recommend this book.
Louise E. (Ocean View, DE)

A Glimpse
This story gives you a glimpse into what homelessness is like for young adults. The characters need to be developed more and the story needs to be fleshed out more. It was interesting to see that some businesses are friendly to homeless people because most do not want anything to do with them.

By the end of the story I was wondering what it would take for these young people to turn themselves around – have a home, get a job, marry, and raise a family. There is a movement in the United States to find a permanent place to live first then get them the services they need.

You can learn a lot about a topic readingmore
Gina V. (Mesa, AZ)

Captivating and frustrating
This book definitely left me with more questions than answers. I know very little about teenage homelessness, so this was very interesting and thought-provoking. I had a difficult time understanding the kids' aversion to being helped and their reasons for leaving home. It seems as though there are no easy answers to this mountainous problem. I have a feeling this book will stay with me for a long time. It would make a great book club read.

More Information

Read-Alikes

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    Broken Country (Reese's Book Club)
    by Clare Leslie Hall
    A love triangle reveals deadly secrets in this thriller for fans of The Paper Palace and Where the Crawdads Sing.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant
    by Liza Tully

    A great detective's young assistant yearns for glory, but first they have learn to get along in this delightful feel good mystery.

Win This Book
Win These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas

"[An] atmospheric tale of unexpected hope." —Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author

Enter

Book
Trivia

  • Book Trivia

    Can you name the title?

    Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

W the C A the M W P

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.