Review of Dark Eden: Eve of Destruction

My Pre-Reading
Paul's Review

Dark Eden 2 was very much like Dark Eden - same characters, similar set up, and same villain. However, I enjoyed this one better than the first one. I thought the whole battling death to defeat am immortal being was interesting, and I kind of liked how Will was forced to watch everything from afar - like he had chosen to do in the first book.

The only thing I was kind of concerned about was that the kids trusted Mrs. Goring in any capacity. She had done nothing in Dark Eden to earn their trust, and Will should have known that she would force him to tell everyone what he knew. And that Marissa would be angry with him. Also, shouldn't he have known who Mrs. Goring had trapped in the underground silo? I mean, how did he really plan on catching him anyway?

Ok, so Will wasn't exactly my favorite character. But he is a 15 year old boy, and I think all of his flaws and annoying tendencies made his character seem more real.

I thought Carman did a great job with the suspense throughout the novel. As soon as you get comfortable with what's happening, he throws another wrench into the mix and everything gets all screwed up again. And eventually, the kids have to get out of it on their own.

I think my favorite part was the play on words with the title, Eve of Destruction. I really liked how he fit it into the book, and I thought it was clever how he kind of just dropped it without making it too obvious.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who read Dark Eden, and to anyone who like middle-grade psychological thrillers. I thought both were an easy read, and if you're looking for something you can finish in a day and still be intrigued, I would suggest this duology. I give this book a pretty solid 3/5.


--Ashley

Paul's Dark Eden and Dark Eden 2 Review

Titles: Dark Eden and Dark Eden 2: Eve of Destruction
Author: Patrick Carman
Year Published: 2011 and 2012

Ashley picked these books, or rather she won the sequel on twitter, and as usual they have creepy covers. I didn't like the cover of Dark Eden with the two attractive "teens". They didn't look anything like the characters to me.

Do you remember school book fairs? The ones at my school usually were in the library and there were stacks, bins, and shelves full of paperback books on sale. These books had that feeling to them. They weren't epic stories, but they were entertaining. There wasn't anything edgy about the series. The fears were interesting, but the most controversial bit was one line in the first few chapters that wasn't expanded upon questioning Alex's sexuality. I was just waiting for that to be brought back up, but it wasn't other than Alex not pursuing a love interest.

Both books used a similar formula of Will being outside the main action as an observer until he had to rush in and try and save the day.

I could not get into the first book. Will wasn't likable or relatable. Throughout both books he went into great lengths of his theories. Can't I as the reader come to conclusions on my own? I did like the Keith character, though. All of the twists at the end made the beginning worth reading.

The sequel reminded me of a horror movie sequel. Let's bring back the same cast. Different situation, but same formula. Even the Amy character was in the same style as the first book.

An aspect of the sequel that I thought was interesting, although I didn't take advantage of it, was the website. There were little references at the bottom of some pages with passwords to use to view certain things. I bet middle grade readers would love this.

Overall, these were entertaining books. I recommend them to someone looking for a light read or for middle grade readers looking for something a little scary. I give this duology a 3/5.


-PAUL

Dark Eden 2: Eve of Destruction

Title: Dark Eden 2: Eve of Destruction
Author: Patrick Carman
Year Published: 2012

Synopsis: Will Besting and the other teens who were “cured” at Fort Eden are still experiencing the strange signs of aging that were a part of their recovery. Now they are being called back to Fort Eden because Mrs. Goring is dying, and for some reason she wants to see the seven teens together again.

But once Will and the others arrive at Fort Eden, they find themselves ensnared in a dangerous plan to finally end the reign of Rainsford. Will must lead the group through a perilous underground trap masterminded by two devious souls. Can he outwit both Rainsford and Goring and find a new cure?

Patrick Carman’s Eve of Destruction is another terrifying journey into the depths of fear, love, revenge, and—ultimately—redemption.

Why?: I won this book in a Tweetstakes from HarperTeen. So I figured I should read it! Plus, I liked the  first one, and I'm interested in how this one will continue the story.

Expectations: I expect another psychological thriller, but with more action. Also, I hope that the characters will be further explored, and all of Rainsford's motives and such will be explained.

Judging a book by its cover: The cover of the edition I have has a girl walking down a long hallway. I think a hallway, or a maze of hallways, will be important. And the girl too. What does she have to do with anything? Is it one of the girls from the first book?


--Ashley

"Why are you hiding in this room all alone?"

My Pre-Reading

When I started this book, I really wasn't sure what to expect. A psychological thriller, of course. A lot to do with fears and curing them. I was expecting the unexpected though, and that's exactly what this book gave me. At the very end, it was a huge "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?" moment.

I really liked the way the fears were "cured" - I thought it was really interesting to see who was afraid of what, and why. And I also really enjoyed the Masque of the Red Death tie-in. I thought it gave the whole novel an interesting twist, especially with how it ends. Because Rainsford - what in the world is up with that guy? I'm hoping Carman delves deeper into his character in the next book. Mrs. Goring too. I really want to know more about her past, and why she even has the association with Rainsford that she does. Especially knowing how and why he cures the teenagers.

Although I initially found Will to be a very strange character (since his fear is not revealed until about halfway through the book), I actually found myself liking and even feeling sorry for him by the time it comes for him to be cured. Especially after finding out why he fears what he does. I really liked the way that Carman had that happen, especially since Will spends most of the novel hidden away in a room by himself watching and listening to the other kids.

I'm pretty excited to read the next novel in the series, since I think that the "new and improved" Will Besting will be a very interesting character. Having him finally able to live without being crippled by his (not so ir)rational fear will bring out quite a lot in him that I think was lacking in this installment.

Overall, I think I would give this book a 3/5. Not exceptional, but definitely intriguing and interesting enough to keep my attention long enough for me to finish it in one sitting. I'd probably recommend it to someone who was a fan of mysteries, with a little bit of the fantastical and the thriller thrown in. Also, to someone with a very open mind. You have to be pretty accepting of some weird things to have this book work for you.


--Ashley

Dark Eden

Title: Dark Eden
Author: Patrick Carman
Year Published: 2011

Synopsis:   Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to Fort Eden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once there, Will and six other teenagers take turns in mysterious fear chambers and confront their worst nightmares—with the help of the group facilitator, Rainsford, an enigmatic guide. When the patients emerge from the chamber, they feel emboldened by the previous night's experiences. But each person soon discovers strange, unexplained aches and pains. . . . What is really happening to the seven teens trapped in this dark Eden? Patrick Carman's Dark Eden is a provocative exploration of fear, betrayal, memory, and— ultimately—immortality.

Why?: I'm kind of a sucker for these really creepy books. Psychological thrillers, suspense, horror... those are all kind of my books right now. I've been interested in this book for a while, but just haven't gotten a chance to buy it or read it. Then, I won the sequel in a contest on Twitter. So I bought the first book to finally read so I can read the sequel when I get it.

Expectations: I expect this book to be very suspenseful, and have a lot of secrets. I don't expect anything to be what it seems to be. I also expect it to be more suspense/thriller than horror, although I'm sure it will be part horror since it deals with peoples' greatest fears. As long as there aren't clowns or gas tankers...

Judging a book by its cover: From the cover, I would say that a boy and a girl are very important in this book. The boy is probably Will, but I have no idea who the girl is. Maybe she'll end up being the love interest? Or a family member? Maybe he's afraid of girls? Oh, and they're in the woods. Fort Eden is probably in the middle of nowhere in the woods.


--Ashley