"Face At The Edge Of The World" is a 1985 young adult novel by Irish-American author Eve Bunting.
High school senior Jed is left bewildered and devastated by the sudden suicide of his best friend Charlie Curtis. As he grieves, Jed tries to search for the reason that Charlie made his decision. At the same time, strange things are happening around their hometown of Oceanside, California; another suicide, a missing classmate, the possible involvement of the school dealer DD and his gang. And then, there's the strange behaviour of Charlie's girlfriend Dominique. What does this all have to do with Charlie?
The book was adapted as an After School Special episode, A Desperate Exit, in 1986.
This book provides examples of:
- Betty and Veronica: Jed's girlfriend, sweet, gentle Annie, is the Betty. Meanwhile, Charlie's girlfriend Dominique, who is rich, secretive, and sneaky, is the Veronica.
- Death by Childbirth: Jed's mom died like this.
- Driven to Suicide: Jed's main goal throughout the novel is to try to find the reason why Charlie decided to end his life. In the end, he discovers that Charlie was torn apart by his guilt over his inability to save Idris when she was overdosing, believing he had been mistaken that she was already dead. After finding her body over the cliff known as the "Edge of the World", he believes she had died from the fall and that he could have saved her. Overwhelmed with guilt, coupled with the pressure Dominique is putting on him to keep it a secret because she doesn't want anybody to know they were together, Charlie decides the only answer is to kill himself. Tragically, it wasn't really Charlie's fault; Idris really had been dead already. She had gotten laced dope from DD, who didn't want it traced back to him, so he pushed her body over a cliff. Charlie, in his pain, hadn't considered that.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Jed and Charlie were best friends and did everything together; they were even planning on attending UC Santa Barbara together and sharing an apartment. This is why Jed is all the more devastated
- Hormone-Addled Teenager: Jed really wants to make love to Annie, but she believes they're not ready. He also can't help but be attracted to Dominique, despite disliking her as a person.
- It's All My Fault: Charlie mistakenly believes that he could have prevented Idris's death; his trauma and guilt, as well as his inability . After Charlie's suicide, Jed blames himself for not noticing anything was off or being able to stop him.
- Maternal Death? Blame the Child!: Jed and his father have a difficult relationship, which Jed believes is because his father blames him for 'killing' his mother. Jed has internalized the blame to some extent.
- Missing Mom: Jed's mother died giving birth to him.
- Race Lift: In the book, Dominique is the white daughter of French immigrants, while Jed's girlfriend Annie is Native Hawaiian. In the adaptation, Dominique is played by Black actress Nadia De Leye, with no reference to her French roots besides her name, while Annie is portrayed by white actress Allison Balson. Dominique's change is especially odd, given that in the book, one of the reasons she wanted to keep her relationship with Charlie secret is that she thinks her father wouldn't approve of her having a Black boyfriend (though social class is the main reason, and that aspect is retained in the film).
- Parental Substitute: Jed's neighbour, Mrs. Sanchez, plays this role since his father frequently leaves on business; when he was a kid, she would take care of him when he was sick or sleepwalking. She was friends with Jed's mother before she died.
- The Runaway: Subverted. Idris Dellarosa, the missing girl from Oceanside High, was rebellious, did drugs, and talked about running away to San Francisco. Everyone, including the police, assumes that she did exactly that. Her mother, however, insists Idris didn't run away, because the day she vanished, she had taken meat out to thaw in the morning so she could cook meatloaf that night, but never came back. As it turns out, Mrs. Dellarosa is right; Idris is dead, and Charlie incorrectly believed he could have prevented her death. That's what triggered his suicide.
- Secret Relationship: Charlie and Dominique have one, because the latter's father wouldn't approve of her having a working-class Black boyfriend.
- Spell My Name With An S: Idris's real name is Iris, but she calls herself Idris because she thinks it's more exotic.
- Uptown Girl: Dominique for Charlie. To a lesser extent, Annie for Jed — she is from a wealthier family than Jed is, but the difference isn't nearly as big as between the former couple.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: Jed's father is often away from home for his construction job.
