Dark Eden

Oh how I had high hopes for this one. It actually started out pretty good. I was thinking teen psycological thriller but as it went along, it quickly became obvious that it was aimed more at the tween segment. Ok, I could live with that. It had some little moments/hints of Dorian Gray so I thought there was still some kind of possibility of good story. And then the story fell off the cliff, tumbled through some undergrowth, rolled past some tumbleweeds and lay in a heaping mess at the bottom of a canyon of vampire-ness. Ugh. I have no issues with ya books containing vampires; some are actually pretty good (no, not the sparkly ones). But to suddenly take a story that is supposedly about phobias and fear and make it all about an immortal being? I didn't know whether to laugh or throw the book across the room.

Speaking of phobias. How about our illustrious, super smart, main character/supposed hero, Will Besting. When we finally find out his fear, what is it? People. More specifically crowds, but the author apparently doesn't see much difference. So looking back, how in the world did Will ever manage to get in that van with 7 other humans he didn't physically know, drive for hours and yet not have even 1 small panic attack? Um. yeah. Ok. Since his fear is apparently more of a relapsing-remitting type fear rather than a crippling one, perhaps the adults in his life should have been more concerned about his stalker like tendencies. Perhaps if the author has given more info about how Will's little brother died, like if he was involved or if it was a horrific accident, this would have made more sense

On top of all that the author apparently felt the need to have Will explain why the author made some of the writing choices he made. Not once. Not twice. But THREE times. Who writes what basically amounts to 3 epilogues? Why encourge ya readers to read The Pearl for themselves, when you can just explain it all in an epilogue. Want to appear oh so smart to your readers, bring up Edgar Allen Poe and then explain why you decided to bring him up after the story was done. Apparently the author was following a mantra of why have less, when you can have more. Kinda like those AT&T commercials with the little kids. In this case, less is more would have been a better way to go.

Pros: intriguing mysteries, several good plot twists, very light romance

Cons: simplistic writing for a teen book, end twist comes from left field

For Parents: the treatments are a little intense, but there's nothing particularly graphic, no swearing or content

Seven kids, each of whom have crippling fears, are shipped off to Fort Eden for treatment. But Will Besting, one of the patients, suspects something sinister is going on.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand the writing is simplistic (lots of repetition, easy words, the end twist is narrated rather than something you discover), on the other hand there are some good plot twists and a light romance.

The protagonist did some things that seem strange until you discover his - rather apt - fear. Indeed, learning what the kids are afraid of is part of the fun of this novel. As are the hints that not everything's right in Eden.

I'd place this as a teen book for younger readers who don't mind a few chills.