MMGM- At the Edge of Lost

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Brockenbrough, Martha. At the Edge of Lost

October 21, 2025 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Caleb's parents work for the State Department, and are currently on assignment in Vietnam with his younger brother Ezra, so Caleb has gotten clearance to stay with his grandfather, Poppy, in his Washington State Leisure World retirement community for the year. Caleb's Irish Wolfhound, Ronan, who is 11, is with him as well. Some chapters are from Ronan's point of view, so we hear about his aches and pains as well as his devotion to Caleb and Poppy. When an avian flu causes birds to fall out of the sky, Poppy falls ill, most likely due to his interactions with crows on the beach. He ends up in the hospital, and Caleb's parents send a friend from the State Department to deliver Caleb to his Great Aunt Pat's house on Bainbridge Island. The friend and Pat insist that Ronan remain at Leisure World, but make no plans for him other than leaving food and water. Caleb is unhappy, but there is little he can do. His friends Liv and Gen make plans to free Ronan and take him to Gen's basement, but are caught by Leisure World security guards and get in trouble. Ronan has already managed to break out of the apartment, and has taken off, getting hit by a car and injuring his leg. In the woods, he is befriended by a pregnant cat named Jade who brings him small animals to eat and keeps him company. Ronan isn't thrilled with cats, but comes to enjoy Jade's friendship. Ronan attends school virtually, texts Viv, and tries to get along with Aunt Pat, who is very different from her brother. Caleb's mom is on her way back from Vietnam, but keeps getting delayed. Pat tells Caleb that she wants to be a better aunt to him, but won't accompany him to search for Ronan. One night, Caleb sneaks out, steals a dinghy that probably belongs to Poppy, and searches for his beloved dog. He makes it back to the area near the senior facility, and finds Jade and her kittens. Eventually, he finds Ronan, who has been badly injured by a wolf or coyote he calls Yip. After hearing an alert on his phone that a man about his grandfather's age has succumbed to the avian flu, Caleb is anxious to find out about the fate of his grandfather. 

Strengths: I'm not usually a fan of chapters written from the dog's point of view, but Ronan was surprisingly philosophical and mellow, and I rather enjoyed his observations, especially about Jade. This was particularly intriguing, since early on Ronan opines that "Cats do not have the soul to fill up a raindrop"! (From the E ARC.) Poppy and Pat were both interesting characters, and Caleb's interactions with them were realistic. It was good to get a glimpse of Caleb's friends as well. The COVID pandemic is mentioned, and we get just enough information about the effects of the bird flu, which worked well. The pacing was quick, and the cover will draw in readers right away. 
Weaknesses: While middle schoolers will find it entirely plausible that Ronan was left alone in Poppy's apartment, I could not believe that anyone would leave a dog that big alone for an undetermined amount of time. Not only would the mess be enormous, but Poppy's neighbor's would have complained right away. I would have preferred it if Caleb and Ronan could have had their survival adventure together. Also, the odds of Caleb finding Ronan outside seemed slim. 
What I really think: Dog books and survival stories are both very popular with my students, and I frequently have dog books on display. This will be a great one to add to that collection, along with Hashimoto's  Off the Map, Smith's Stranded, Goebel's Back Country, Mason and Hines-Stephens' Evacuation Order, and Rudd's How to Stay Invisible.