Dark Eden

Dark Eden #1

by Patrick Carman, Patrick Arrasmith (Illustrator)

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.

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Thriller, Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

I have been a lifelong writer and storyteller. Salem, Oregon is where I spent my formative years and I graduated from Willamette University. After college, I spent a decade living in Portland, Oregon where I worked in advertising, game design, and technology.

I've written young adult and children's books for Scholastic, Little Brown Books For Young Readers and Katherine Tegen Books/ HarperCollins Publishers.

I've been fortunate enough to have had some bestselling series work: The Land of Elyon, Atherton, Elliot’s Park, 39 Clues, and Skeleton Creek. Here's a fun note...the books have been translated into approximately two dozen languages. Currently I'm developing a few new-media projects. Check out DARK EDEN to experience this type of cross-platform project.

When I'm not writing or creating a story, I spend my free time supporting literacy campaigns and community organizations, fly fishing, playing basketball and tennis, doing crosswords, watching movies, dabbling in video games, reading (lots), and (more than anything else) spending time with my wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

i am amazed at the high ratings for this book. flummoxed. gobsmacked. bewildered. forlorn. horrified.

if you are new to karen, let me give you some background. i used to be really frownyfaced at the number of adults coming into the store looking for teen fiction. i run the regular adult fiction section, and i used to take great pleasure in telling grown women, "twilight?? why, that is in the children's department." i used to be amazed that so many women in their thirties were reading books intended for fifteen-year-old girls. i used to bemoan this phenomenon. not that i was some literary elitist - i wasn't reading super-challenging literature, but i was at least reading books that were age-appropriate and i could not understand why so many people were into YA lit.

and then i took a YA readers' advisory class for school because i loved the professor and i quickly realized that contemporary YA can be really excellent. it can be sophisticated and it can tackle difficult subject matter and it can be stylistically challenging and have a character-depth that is impressive even when compared to literature intended for adults. (and i think we all know i am not talking about twilight here)

this book. this book was more or less what i considered YA lit to be when i was busy sneering at it.

and maybe this book is intended for a younger-than-teen audience. i might be completely off-base here, and if that turns out to be the case, i will delete every nasty thing i am about to say about this book and write a more careful, reasoned review for a book directed at, say 8-year-olds.

but for now - is bad. is very very bad.

here be spoilers

i don't even care at this point if i give things away, because i am just so confused as to why anyone would like this book. this book is already spoiled simply by existing, so for me to share plot points that are particularly bad seems fair and balanced. i will avoid giving away the final twist buahahaahahaaaa, but the rest of it is fair game as far as i am concerned.

you have been warned.

plot: so it starts out fine. will besting is at his psychiatrist's office, from whom he has been frequently and surreptitiously downloading files both his own and those of other patients when she leaves the room to make tea or whatever. when he learns that his parents have agreed to send him away because his deep pathological fear is best handled at some sort of retreat for other pathologically-terrified kids, he finally listens to the files to better understand what he is getting into. he also reads the files about the "camp" itself. he learns things. seeecret things. when he and the other kids get shuttled out there, he breaks away from the group and hides out in this underground bunker which is outfitted with monitors on which he can see the proceedings, as each child is "cured" of their own personal worst fear. he is skeered of the place, but continues to hide and to watch.

characters: so there are 7 teens who are all life-stallingly terrified of one particular thing. will knows each of their fears, because he has listened to their session tapes. because he is a douchebag. but we don't learn his fear until later. you wanna know what is is?? it's peeeeeeeople not even kidding. most of the characters don't even matter because they are so shallowly depicted that they are interchangeable. but there is one...marisa, who is important because our creepy will develops a crush on her after hearing her audio tapes. yeah - the ones where she is crying and recounting her deepest darkest secret fears. that's evidently what makes him interested in a girl. and he uses information he has learned from the tapes in order to woo her. yeah, you wanna be scared of people, will?? come over here and i will put the fear of GOD into you, you little stalker-twerp ugh. okay. where was i - characters. yeah - there aren't any. they are all just shadowy outlines that are really only placeholders for their fears. yawn.

"writing:" okay so let me just groan about a couple more things. there are footnotes. in two different places. like "ooh, it works for DFW, it can work for me! there is no reason why these things need to be footnoted and not just part of the main text. but isn't it cool to have footnotes in a book? doesn't that make the reading process a richer experience and really call the reader's attention to the act of reading and engaging with the text??

yeah, maybe in a better book. in this one, it is just irritating. this ain't house of leaves.

there are also pictures and maps and stuff, like this is an epic fantasy novel or something. looks like padding to me, buddy.

OOH, I HAS DISCOVERED CUT AND PASTE!!

so as he is watching each of these kids be cured on the monitors, hiding out and eating energy bars and engaging in this absurd voyeurism - because he isn't even trying to save these kids, when he thinks this place is creepy and dangerous, he is just watching like this ineffectual jimmy stewart creepazoid - what a guy! but so every scene is the same. kid goes into a room, each one a different color, puts on a wired helmet, and is confronted with their worst fear/memory, which will also gets to see. these scenes are all nearly identical. the names have been changed, but the scenes are the same. cut and paste, cut and paste - forever and evers.

and then: PLOT TWIST!!

and then: PLOT TWIST AGAIN!

and then...some boring wrapping-up of loose ends. sort of.

OH DID YOU THINK THE BOOK WAS OVER?? NOT SO!!

because then there is a section called "observations" in which the character of will (not the author) goes on a tour of "DID YOU SEE HOW CLEVER THIS BOOK WAS??" town. the first section is fine - it is just speculation about how this all could have happened...and why...

but then. oh god, it pains me to even write about these parts.

so then - there is a section that i shall call: "oh my god, are my literary references showing?? how embarrassing!!" where the character (again - not the author) goes into this lesson about the colors of the rooms and their meanings. HINT: they are a reference to an edgar allan poe story!! and the character gives a little literary criticism exercise about why those colors were chosen and what the deeper meaning was to the plot of the book the thing that he supposedly lived through. (where is seth meyers when you need him??)



and then - another section! where steinbeck's the pearl and kobo abe's the woman in the dunes are discussed, (both having been name-dropped in the text) where the character talks abut their significance to the plot the thing he just experienced. and then the names of characters people he has met are discussed, along with their literary significance. WHYYYYY??? why is the character talking about this???

THIS IS WHY GOD INVENTED AUTHOR AFTERWORDS!!!

and then there is another little snippet and by this point, i was so wrung out, i could only laugh. oh, dear. why in god's tall towers does anyone like this book??

last saturday, i watched skyline and i thought to myself - "that was the worst movie i have ever seen." and now i know who would be perfect to make the film version of this book.

http://enterdarkeden.com/

you can go to that site if you want to download the app for this book. yeah, the APP. there is some sort of interactive version of this for your little devices. you know, if you don't want to read the damn thing. go look at the website. there was clearly more care and imagination going into the creation of that than of the book itself. jeebus.

i did not like this book.

come to my blog!

[Giselle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy freaking cow! Now this is a thriller! I often go into books believing them to be thrillers, when they end up being barely creepy with a romance -or something similarly annoying- taking over the story. Dark Eden was not the case. It had me almost piss my pants! Seriously! I was reading this at 2 in the afternoon in a very bright and cheerful environment, wrapped up in the book, when my husband gets home... He throws the door open and I practically jumped out of my skin! I thought my heart would beat out of my chest! It was so much fun!!

Will, a 17 year old with a crippling phobia (of unmentioned nature to avoid spoilers), gets sent to an institution, with 6 other kids, that can apparently cure fears. As soon as they arrive, Will escapes from the group and ends up hiding in what appears to be a panic room... A panic room with monitors that lets him see what's going on in the institution. Does this sound ominous enough for you? Prior to reading the book, visiting Dark Eden's website worked wonders on my mind's eye. It has videos, audio diaries, pictures, even a fun fear test, that really gets the imagination going. The teaser video is incredibly creepy and the freaky pictures sets the mood just right. This greatly added to my amazing experience with the book. I suggest you visit it beforehand.

Everyone is wary of the unknown to some degree. Patrick's Dark Eden makes a great example of this. He took an especially creepy premise full of questions and unexplained occurrences and gave us a spine-chilling novel. The big plot twist isn't completely impossible to deduce - I'm sure most will guess to a certain extent, but the whole ordeal behind it and sinister feeling throughout the book had me covered in goosebumps the whole way through. I never knew what's going to happen next and on top of that, I was made constantly afraid of Will's discovery.

The protagonist, Will, is smart, competent and brave. At times I was fearing this bravery, but I was also confident in his decisions. The other kids in the institution are not incredibly distinct, but their interactions aren't prominent outside of what Will sees on the monitors. There are little tiny specks of romance in the story as well, which is not incredibly necessary but adds a bit of fun to all the angst. The ending has bit of everything: despair, contentment and foreboding. It's not a cliffhanger ending, although it's left open for the possibility of a sequel.

Ultimately, Dark Eden fully exceeded my expectations. It's a very thrilling and interesting read that I think readers who like getting spooked will enjoy. Still not sure? If you take a look at the website you'll get an idea of the vibe of the book.

[✶meow for heals✶ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before I begin, please be warned that there will be slight spoilers in this review.

To explain my feelings for this book, I would have to provide some personal context. My line of occupation deals with work related to a vast spectrum of psychological disorders. Dark Eden is centralized around one in particular: phobia.
The first thing we need to keep in mind is that phobia is very different to fear. A phobia is a persistent and irrational fear of something; a morbid fear that renders a person completely incapacitated.
Granted, not all levels of phobia are of the extreme, crippling sort, and some people may in fact function perfectly well despite suffering from phobia. With a lot of exercises and self-regulation, many may even learn to face their phobia and even overcome them.

The phobia suffered by our seven characters in Dark Eden, however, is of the crippling, incapacitating level. I can confidently say this because -- well, first of all that's what it says on the blurb -- second of all because these children have apparently undergone all sorts of psychological treatment, went to all sorts of different professionals, and nothing had been able to help them; and third of all, we learn later on in the novel that they were in fact chosen specifically because of their "crippling" and extreme phobias.

I was fortunate enough to work with this lady; a woman who suffered from an intense phobia of birds. Hers was so extreme that her phobia would be triggered by the slightest of cues; a feather drifting from the rooftops, a distant sound of flapping wings -- and once exposed to the smallest of stimuli, she would freeze on the spot and shake uncontrollably.
The reason I mention this, is because for someone apparently suffering from a "crippling phobia", our main character - Will Besting - exhibits none of these symptoms. His phobia is that of people. The phobia of people itself is still rather broad; does he have a morbid fear of human interaction? of humiliating himself in public? a fear of groups of people? or is it a phobia of the people themselves -- as in, human beings? In any case, even if he had a phobia of all of the above, it is never demonstrated or evident in the slightest.
Will copes perfectly fine being in a bus filled with six strangers. He deals perfectly fine with being exposed to stimulus of watching people on live footage -- people, mind you, who are in the building right next door. Maybe he seems aloof, a little shy perhaps, and keeps to himself -- but that is hardly a psychological disorder. He can still function perfectly well in social situations.
And yet I am supposed to believe that this "crippling phobia" of his is the underlying reason he ran off upon their arrival at Fort Eden, and went and hid in the basement?

The bottom line is, the founding premise that was supposed to catalyze events in Dark Eden was not convincing for me. And because it was not convincing, everything that went on in this novel turned out weak and without purpose. Or maybe I'm being too demanding and this was meant for a much, much younger audience.

But moving past poorly formed characters and misconceptions of psychological disorders, one other thing that disappointed me was the way the novel turned out towards the end. Reading other reviews and the synopsis gave me the impression this would be some sort of psychological mystery/thriller. Something chilling to read late at night by the fireplace.
Again, it must have been geared for a younger audience, for I did not find this to be frightening or scary or intense in the least bit. There were no horrors, nothing eerily fascinating about a boy watching CCTV recordings in a basement except for how stalkerish and meaningless it all was.
Perhaps I can overlook the fact that Dark Eden wasn't able to give me goosebumps - but the ending? I can't overlook that. I cannot overlook the fact that, for the entire novel, we were taken on a mystery/psychothriller ride, but all of a sudden, without warning and completely out of the blue, we took a nosedive into a supernatural explanation.
Snap. Just like that. We were never once given any clues or warnings that the ending could've turned out the way it did. And in this sense, I felt duped and conned. Like this lame joke a kid used to ask me: What did the cookie say to the blonde? Nothing! Cookies can't talk! hahaha, how knee-slappingly hilarious. The ending of Dark Eden was as much as a let-down as that "joke".

[Bèbè ✦ RANT ✦ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seven Teens... One cure... No escape...



Dark Eden is a YA thriller based on psychological problems of teens. They are not your typical teenagers since they are afraid of one thing only and they have been brought to the "camp" to find the cure. One teen stands out from the rest who's POV this story is based on. While going to his therapist, he stole all the tapes from her office so he could listen to other six teens to get to know him better.

Once they arrive at the camp, he decides to hide and not associate with any of the people. While he took liking of Marissa on the bus, he can't risk being discovered by whoever runs the "camp" because on his opinion, they might kill him. That's when he discovers a basement with cameras set up where he could watch everyone at the house. Later he finds out that the only way to be cured is to face their fears.

I'm not even sure what to think of this book. The summary sounded so good but the way it turn out was just a little off than what the idea supposed to be. I really couldn't stand Will and with his presumptions that he was going to die there and that everyone is dead, and there's death everywhere. Once the story got into it, plot twists at the end made sense but should have been incorporated into the story a little different. I did like the website that was presented for this book and watched all of the videos that were pretty entertaining.

http://enterdarkeden.com/

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay. I read a few reviews before I started reading it, and I was a little worried that I wouldn't enjoy it.

Now, is it the best YA book I've ever read? No. But, it was an enjoyable read that I didn't have to think much during. I used it as a book to just sink back, relax, and read. No pressure reads - I like those.

The premise is very interesting - seeming to focus on a group of teens and their fears. I would have loved this idea to be fleshed out more, because I always felt like there was something else going on that wasn't there. Supposedly, there was an online companion website that really gave you all of the info, but I wasn't that invested to go searching for that. I just wanted to enjoy the book.

I think this book would do really well for early YA readers. As an adult who enjoys YA books? Not really my thing. But, the writing style is very easy to read.

So all that being said, it is a good book but wasn't a winner for me.

Two out of five stars.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story has several problems. To begin, there's a fine line in a suspenseful novel that separates there being too much information given to be frightening, and not enough; this novel was definitely on the side of not enough. For the first three-quarters of the novel, I was thinking, "Ok, I'm interested to see how this ends, but I'm not scared in the least." It was compelling enough to get me to keep reading simply because I was confused as to what exactly was so frightening, because clearly something ominous was happening. Then, in the last quarter of the novel, the author reveals the ah-ha of the big ominous secret in a very childish, "Look teacher, I'm so smart" kind-of-way. I wasn't sure if the secret evil-doings of the villain were really all that evil or not, and I certainly wasn't impressed that the author was able to use some "cool" aspects of other stories as symbols in his. Oh wow, you're an author that has read other stories and has found a way to incorporate them into yours- you're so supercool!... So in the end I was really just left confused as to whether or not the villain was a villain, and if this "Dark Eden" was really all that scary at all. It's really more depressing than anything else. I was also wondering how well the author was paying attention when he read Edgar Allen Poe, because he clearly didn't learn how to write a horror/suspense novel from him. In addition, the ending is a bit open-ended so that there's the possibility of having a sequel, but I definitely wouldn't read it. I think this story could be more interesting if it was, well, written better, and if the villain was developed more thoroughly; for that spark of potentiality, I'm being generous by giving the book three stars instead of two.

Oh dear, there will be a sequel...

Review Source: Once Upon a Twilight Book Tours
http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/

[Tanja · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a light fever going, have just eaten half a garlic and a whole red bell pepper, there is a war raging inside me between beginning flu and my immune system and I'm going to read this book while I wait for the outcome!

If I were 12 or so I probably would have loved this book. A shame all of the supernatural stuff was sort slapped together at the end. It would have been nice to have some of it spaced out throughout the book.

Another review reminded me of the lame lame lamest afterword... where the protagonist starts going all English lit on his own horror story... Taking a star of for that.

[Koltyn Krenz · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are 7 main characters. They are being sent to a new doctor to help them with their fears. The doctor dropped them off on a trail to let them get to know each other. The trail led them to a house when they reached there. Will left the group and went around the back of the house they came to he didn't trust them. He went in the house and found a cellar that had monitors in there. He uses the monitors down there to see what is actually going on. They go into rooms and come out perfectly cleared of their fears. Will had a feeling that something Wasn´t right then he noticed that the six others he was with were acting weird. After a bit he came out and it was about to be his turn to get cured. They all had to sacrafice something in order to fix there fear some of them were greater than others. I think that this book was boring and the ending i hated it was the worst ending in a book that i´ve read and the book was slow and i didn´t understand what was happening most of the time.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read anything written by Patrick Carman before, and I know I'm poorer for that. He's a prolific author, and one that's greatly touted in YA fiction circles. I plan to correct my ignorance very quickly since I found "Dark Eden" a most compelling novel.

First of all, I was drawn by the inspired concept for this novel. I can never turn down a book about insanity or horrific phobias. Stephen King is the man who ruined me for that. Once I was hooked on his scary writings...it was the end for me! Now I can't resist a novel about a creepy mental hospital, fears, strange cures and demented doctors. Nor can I keep my bulging eyes from reading about deeply scary wooded areas, creepy-crawlies and being alone in those dark places. Are you starting to see my "fears?" Wheeeee no dark edens for me, please...

All that being the preliminary to telling you that this "Dark Eden" fulfilled all my hopes for a YA novel on the edge of asylum-unhinged scariness. Patrick Carman had me from the first pages; I was at his mercy whether I wanted to be or not. Poor Will Bestings...poor other teens...and poor me as we began to learn what the cures for their phobias was going to be, or what oddities might have to be endured to lose their assorted fears.

Will embodies the "best in" (no coincidence in the name) all teen aged boys who dive into a situation to help others that might call for strengths and extraordinary tasks they didn't even realize they had. I loved this character and his willingness to understand what was happening to his "captured" group.

What I loved most about the book was the psychological twists and turns that led us to the ending. It had the touches of all slightly skewed minds... What over-powering fears do you have that you'd give anything to do away with?

The problem, if I may identify one, would be that the other characters are not fully developed. While we understand who and what Will seems to be about, the other characters become mostly shadow figures outside of their "fears" and that causes us to be less inclined to attach ourselves to them. That makes the conclusion less satisfying than it might have been. But, getting there was good... Does this ruin the book? No, but it may have made for more impact.

As for me, I'll be up late reading more books by Mr. Carman.

4 cabin creepin' stars


PS: By going to Harper Collins you'll see this trailer

[Rachel's Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last thing Will Besting wanted to do, was be stuck on a bus with six other teenagers. They all had one thing in common: fear. They were all sent by Dr. Stevens to do the impossible, cure their fears. Dr Stevens had said she knew a man who could cure their fears. As they are told to go into the forest, Will follows his instincts. He runs. He observes what goes on in this ‘therapy camp’, Dark Eden, from afar and knows one thing. Things aren’t what they seem. They aren’t going after their fears, their fears are going after them. As Will listens, one question haunts his mind. Can they cure their fears, or is fear the cure?


Woah. Seriously.

This book is amazing (that word seriously does not do it justice.) *grabs thesaurus*
This book is astounding. Patrick Carman'’s ‘'Skeleton Creek'’ is amazing, but I feel that this book is his best. Ever (although, I haven'’t read all his books yet.) It blew the hinges off my door of expectations (no joke.) After months of anticipation, I looked at the book before me and wondered if maybe my expectations were too high.
*snorts* yeah, right.
If you read one book this year, this should be it. Will grabbed my attention and more importantly, my emotions. As Will tells his tale you become mesmerized in something so.......…relatable and at the same time, otherworldy. As he laughs you laugh and as his heart breaks, yours breaks too. That was just so…...masterful. Perfect. Not to mention, this book had more twists in it than a stick of licorice. I cannot wait for the next installment. For all you who want to know the ‘negatives': three cuss words. It didn’t bother me. For all you tech/new wave people out there, the story is also told in app form (which is also fantastic, by the way.)

This book is going to the 'Shelf of Fame'

I am also having a give away with major Dark Eden prizes (it will be up until late November.) Click on the book cover to go to the competition. I highly recommend this book.

http://www.rachelsbookreviews.com/sci...

[Amanda (Good Choice Reading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark Eden had a striking premise, definitely nothing like I’ve read in quite some time, and I had high hopes for it. Unfortunately, the novel didn’t really deliver for me.

Dark Eden starts slow, and I kept wondering what was going on and what each of their fears were, and what the main character’s fear was (though it wasn’t difficult to figure out), and there was so much mystery without the tension I was hoping for. I was wondering, yes, but it was a frustrating wonder, rather than an edge of my seat wonder.

The action does pick up a bit mid way through, and I honestly wasn’t expecting some of the turns the novel took.

I think my biggest issue with the story was the revelation. I wanted Will (and I) to be in the middle of the action and experiencing everything first hand, and I wanted all of the shocking little details to come out throughout the story, where I could experience the shock with Will. Unfortunately, much of what we learn is revealed in the end, and it didn’t have the same effect on me that it may have had otherwise.

There was a lot of potential in this story, and I definitely think I would have enjoyed it with a different execution. Perhaps it was geared at a younger audience than I’m used to? I’m not sure, but I will be looking into some of the other books Patrick Carman has authored.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of seven 15-year-olds with crippling phobias gathered together at a remote fortress in the woods for one week, with the promise that their fears will be cured definitely drew me in. The engaging and fast-paced writing style made this an easy read and initially, a lot of fun. While the book was age-appropriate for YA audiences, I had a lot of issues with both the characters and the plot.

The characters' development was minimal, and while the phobia-angle was interesting, the fears themselves were not fleshed out enough and I just wanted more information about these teenagers. The majority of the plot's twists could be seen a long way coming, and though the final revelation was a surprise, its justification was not satisfactory. There wasn't enough of a build-up and a surprise without justification just feels like the reader was tricked, and the preceding pages were a waste of time.

The book advertises an accompanying app, which may appeal to some readers, but my iPhone had some trouble downloading it, and after finding the book rather lackluster, I decided it wasn't worth the trouble. I do like the idea of a book having special features, and apparently the entire book can be experienced through the app. Maybe the flaws in plot and character development are not as obvious in a flashy format...

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why read: Requested from Amazon Vine

What impressed me: I found the teens themselves to be interesting, especially how their fears effected them and how they related to each other. Nothing else really impressed me. The writing was good, as was the story as a whole, but nothing really leaped out as being so good it needs to be praised.

What disappointed me: The pacing was off. The build up was slow, too slow, which made the tension fizzle. I thought the treatments were more interesting than horrific, which was unfortunate being that the book kind of hinged on you believing these treatments were evil in some way. The ending was reminiscent of certain Stephen King novels, which is to say that what could have been a good sciencey horror book turned paranormal at the last minute. I love King, but I absolutely hate when he makes that move and the author here fairs no better.

Recommended: Not especially. It was okay. Nothing made this book stand out as something anyone would need to run out and get immediately.

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea what to expect from this book just because the synopsis was so subtle and didn't give much information. I was blown away by the deception and the mystery involving Fort Eden as I'm sure most people were.

I definitely didn't realize this would be a thriller/paranormal book. Throughout the whole book you're literally left in the dark. Seven teenagers with unknown fears have been sent to Fort Eden to get their fears cured. Sounds straight forward right? Well it's a little more complicated than that. I needed to keep reading. I needed to know what Rashford was up to. Things didn't add up.

I liked Will's character. Always questioning things, never believing a word he said. He was smart to be stubborn. Because once you find out the truth, well you definitely clap Will on the back!

There was just enough romance, mystery and thrills to keep you reading. This is a wonderful book filled with twists and turns.

Quotes

"It would have been epic-unforgettable-romantic-awesomeness."—Will (245)

"What he does,he does in secret."—Will (313)

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book at 8am.... and finished by 1pm the same day.... Patrick Carman is such a great author, and this book really blew me away! It is such a neat story with so many twists to it, you can never tell what is going to happen next. The super mega humongonourmous twist ending will blow your socks off, too! It was probably my most favorite book by him, and in general too!

[Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected at all! Review to come!

[Kristina Mathioudakis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Closer to a 4.5 but still a great read! It was so hard to put this book down, and I had not anticipated that ending at all!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just how far would you go to cure yourself of your darkest fears? What price would you be willing to pay?

Fort Eden promises a cure for even the most incurable of phobias. A cure that will take you to the darkest depths of your fear, making you confront what terrorizes you the most.

But in the end, if you make it through and the cure doesn’t kill you, you will be able to live a normal life. Free of the crippling dread that once left you paralyzed.

But at what cost? How much of yourself would you be willing to give up to be free? And would it still be worth it if you knew just what dark purposes were achieved in order for you to be cured?

If living free of your worst nightmares is worth any price, then welcome to Fort Eden….

***

Dark Eden is a gripping story that will draw readers into the mystery of Fort Eden and the seven teens who are sent there to confront and overcome their fears.

As each piece of the puzzle is slowly revealed about this remote facility that promises a cure to what seem to be incurable phobias, new questions arise, leaving readers to guess as to just who Rainsford is and how the supposed cures really work.

When Will Besting and the six other patients – Ben, Kate, Alex, Connor, Marisa and Avery – first arrive at Fort Eden, Will releases he just can’t go through with it. So, as the others head to the Fort, Will takes off, figuring he can hide out until the week is over.

While he does have provisions that can sustain him for the week, what he fails to realize is that the nights are extremely cold. So when he gets the opportunity to sneak into the bunker that is adjacent to the facility, he takes a chance.

And what he discovers in the basement of the bunker is both fascinating and chilling – a bomb shelter with monitors that allow him to watch the other patients as they receive their cures. So, as one by one each of the patients undergoes the process that supposedly cures them, Will watches unnoticed. Hidden away in the depths of the bunker, he is a voyeur to all that is happening.

The more he sees, the more he begins to question just what is going on. And in his attempt to find out the secret behind the cures and what Fort Eden really is, he may just become its next victim.

Author Patrick Carman has done something quite different by offering this story as both a complete novel and one that can be approached as a multimedia experience.

Exploring the word of Fort Eden through audio and video, as well as through the written word, can make each reader’s experience an individual one depending on just how much or how little of each of the different media they choose to incorporate into their reading.

While choosing to include some, or all, of these extras into the story does enhance the overall effect, it is not required to enjoy this book. Told entirely in the first person from Will Besting’s perspective, it’s as if readers are experiencing the horrors of Fort Eden right along with Will.

Dark Eden is a fast-paced and captivating story with a twist at the end that readers just might not see coming.

On a personal note:

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I received a copy of Dark Eden for review. I hadn’t heard about it until it arrived in my mailbox, but from the description (especially that last line), the tagline “Fear is the Cure,” and the cover, it sounded really cool. Definitely something I might enjoy.

I was a little bit wary after I took a peek inside and saw the chapters were named after the different characters in the story. I was so sure that this would be told by each of the seven characters and I thought that having this story told from all those perspectives might be just a bit too much.

But when I finally picked it up and got past the first chapter I was ecstatic to discover that the entire story was told from Will Besting’s point of view.

I got off to a little bit of a slow start with this book, as I found myself puzzling over just what was going on during the first few pages. I spent way too much time trying to figure things out, rather than reading on and getting absorbed in the story. Which I did. Very shortly thereafter.

And once I did, I was completely taken in. By Will. By everything that was happening at Fort Eden. I wanted to know just what each character’s fears were, what Fort Eden was doing to them and whether everything would be okay in the end. I just had this bad feeling that things would end on a dark note.

In addition to this being a thriller, there was a mystery, which I immediately set out to try and unravel. And while I was able to figure out most of the story’s secrets and the character’s motives, I did end up missing the biggest one of them all.

Though I had a few suspicions, I didn’t discover everything there was to know and didn’t quite get what I did piece together right. When everything was revealed at the story’s end, I found myself saying, “Huh” and “Didn’t see that coming….”

Will Besting was the most interesting – and surprising – of the seven patients at Fort Eden and I liked having the whole story told from his perspective. I loved how he was practically a ghost at Fort Eden for the majority of his stay, wandering alone, in secret and afraid, but I wish he could have explored some more. I would have loved to get a longer look at Fort Eden.

I did download the App for my iPhone and checked out the free episode Arrival and watched some of the videos and listened to some of the audio. Which really did enhance the experience of this book. But I did all that after my read, rather than combining both and making this a truly interactive experience.

The videos and audio added a level of creepiness to the Dark Eden experience, but I would have liked to have the author paint more of a picture through his words and through Will’s observations in the book itself.

I absolutely loved the bunker, which reminded me so much of the one in Lost with those monitors. But my favorite part of Fort Eden had to be the staircase that spiraled down into the endless dark. The one that Rainsford used to come and go.

I also loved how the numbers and colors had meaning – which I won’t say anything more about because they are definitely spoiler-y.

But what I loved the most – and it probably has something to do with my age and younger readers won’t find as interesting – were the observations and wrap-up at the end.

I had wondered about a lot of what was talked about and revealed in that last section. And I liked that the author made his reasons for including certain things a part of the story rather than simply explaining things in an afterword.

As soon as Will and the other six were headed to Fort Eden I was hooked and was not able to put this down until all my questions were answered. And Will Besting made me smile, right up to – and especially because of – the last line.

This was such an enjoyable and easy read, with a mystery to solve, a few eerie and chilling moments, especially as pertains to Rainsford, and a pretty huge twist at the end. And while this was not a heartbreaking story, there was just something so sad about how it all ended.

[Gracy Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.3

I love this book. I had read this is sixth grade and remembered liking it. Although when I reread it, I only remembered bits and pieces. This made the reveal at the end SO GOOD. There were a couple things I expected, but there were many things that I didn’t expect. love love love this book.

[Hitzebelastung · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fand es unheimlich schwer zu lesen und zu verstehen. Nicht Mein Fall. Ich weiß nicht warum dieses Buch so hohe Bewertungen hat und es kommt ganz schnell zurück in den Bücherschrank.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrick Carman you have done it again, you are by far my favorite author, and this continues to be my favorite series that you have written. Dark Eden. It was an amazing thriller of out of the ordinary kids seeking help for different psychological issues they have and find a Doctor who claims they can cure them, but at what cost? Read it yourself to find out.

[Alisha Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the title of this review says, I LOVED Dark Eden! But I sort of knew I was going to the moment I read the premise for it. I'm someone who has always been interested in the different phobias that exist and how some of the more ridiculous ones (that tended to show up on the Maury show...a show I've NEVER watched...not at all) tended to make people freak the hell out. Basically, I'm interested in the psychology of it all. And since this book was a psychological thriller, it had the potential to be full of win for me. Which it was. Yay!

What I loved most about Dark Eden (besides the insight into phobias, I mean) were the characters. This is one of those books where you have 7 teens vastly different from one another, yet they're relateable in that you immediately think that you know someone like them. It's very easy to fall into the trap of having them come out cartoonish or stereotypical. Luckily for everyone involved, these characters fell far from stereotypic. Another good thing is that I could see where every single character's fear was coming from. It seemed like it was something so tied to their personality that I didn't think the writer just pulled a particular fear out of thin air and just pressed it upon whatever character tickled his fancy. Each one of the fears made sense. And it was sort of fun for me to try to figure out which character would have which phobia. Sometimes you can tell immediately (like with Will), othertimes it took a while for me to figure out, yet when it cropped up, I thought "Of course!"

However, the most awesome thing about Dark Eden were the elaborate twists and turns that even I couldn't figure out ahead of time (and I almost ALWAYS figure it out ahead of time). Seriously, some of the twists and turns just came out of left field, but still somehow made absolute sense. And were sort of creepy, to boot. I'm awed at how the author's mind works when you take in how it started, with the phobias, and how it ended, with something I'm not going to give away. Mind-blowing! So, mind-blowing that I'm going to admit that my ego's a little bit bruised that I couldn't see it coming.

So, I loved Dark Eden. It was a semi-creepy, psychological thriller that I really want a second installment of (even if it really wouldn't make much sense). It was fantastically written, immensely interesting, and overall full of awesome. However, as I read this as an ARC, I didn't get the app that's supposed to be included in it. In fact, I find that whole aspect of it to be a bit gimmicky, so just know that if you decide to forego that particular item, as I did, you won't be missing much as the story clearly doesn't need it.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes, I read a book that truly jumps off the page and comes to life. Sometimes, when I pick up a book with no idea what to expect, but it was so excellent that I wonder why I never considered reading it before. That was my experience with Dark Eden. I hadn't heard anything about it prior to requesting it from Amazon Vine, and chose it just because it was one of the few vaguely interesting options in last month's newsletter.

What I got was amazing -an excellent concoction of horror and thriller with a dash of dystopian, mystery and even some science fiction that I devoured in just one sitting and was left desperate for more.

Dark Eden is told through the eyes of young Will Besting, who is suffering from a horrible phobia. In order to cure it once and for all, he is sent to a camp at Fort Eden, a research facility that supposedly has the right treatment for his phobia. There, Will meets a group of six other teenagers with similar phobias and while the treatments start out with promise...it doesn't take long for things to come crumbling down. The teens are thrown in a horrible world of fear and horror, where they are forced to flee for their lives in a dark world known only as Eden.

It's been a long time since I've read something so unique, fresh and as incredibly engaging as Dark Eden. Frightening, but powerful, Dark Eden explores some of the darkest corners of the human mind and delves into the very heart of fear -not just fear, but betrayal. I was completely hooked on Carman's writing style, and on his main character, Will. While I admit that for a good portion of the novel I was a little antsy about what the real secrets were behind the dark happenings in Eden. Plus, it seemed like the plotlines that involved each of the teens didn't seem to work together in one coherent overarching plot.

Then I got to the ending. Explosive. Every tiny issue I had with the book, all of the plot points that made me uncomfortable or just didn't seem right were completely tied up in one of the most satisfying endings I have read in a long time (I especially liked the Poe references). Provocative, intelligent, thrilling and wild, Dark Eden is one of the most surprising, books I've read all year.

P.S. Dark Eden would also make a great horror movie -as long as they don't make it into some cheesy teen slasher, more of a cerebral horror film.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will Besting is afraid. He sees a therapist, but his fears are still set in deep. His doctor sends him to Fort Eden with six other kids that all have phobias. Here, they will be cured. Will strays from the pack when he sees Dark Eden looming ahead and decides to go it on his own for a while. When each kid gets "cured" down deep in chambers the others haven't seen, they come back with strange ailments. What is really going on at Fort Eden? Is everyone really getting cured? What is the price they must pay?

So this book was pretty fast-paced and interesting. I think boy readers and reluctant readers will really enjoy it. For me it was just okay. I found a lot of it predictable, which isn't necessarily bad, but not exciting. I did read right through this book though, because there were a lot of interesting things to read about and discover. I was not expecting the ending surprise at all. Very interesting idea. One thing that really bugged me was the Observations section at the end. It goes through and Will Besting pretty much tells you all of the hidden references throughout the book. I wish this wasn't part of the story. I realize that a lot of kids may not get these references, but it seems unfair to readers trying to puzzle it out to shove it in their faces. I wish it was labeled something else, and didn't have more bits of the story attached to it. I don't know why it really bugged me so much, but there it is. Will was an enjoyable narrator and his whole adventure at Fort Eden was high action. Hiding from people is always a lot of work and a lot of suspense. The other kids were only really memorable by their fears, which is really all you need to remember about them. Mrs. Goring was a fantastic character, full of cranky-old-lady life. I do not have any of the devices that you can download the books App for, so I cannot really say anything about that. I would be interested in hearing from people who have read the book with the App. If this book's summary piqued your interest, I would definitely check it out. It was a fast and fun read with interesting turns of events.

First Line:
"Why are you hiding in this room all alone?"

Favorite Line:
"I'd started calling them monkey phones on the off chance that is might amuse me, which it didn't."

Read more: http://www.areadingnook.com/#ixzz1cTK...

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2019
** spoiler alert ** This book was kinda weird.

And, unfortunately, not in the weird way that I like.

It was sort of like a new twist on the classic vampire tale, except it was really strange and didn't feel very well thought out.

So, these six kids, who are chosen because they are in therapy for their fears, get pulled to go to a random, off-the-beaten-path cabin, literally in the middle of the woods cabin. They all suffer from serious phobias. And their therapist is all like, "this will totally help you get over that."

In realty, the people that are at the cabin use the kids to retain their eternal youth.

Not through blood sucking or whatever, but through a "machine" that sucks away their fear. This fear is then processed so that the doctor who runs the cabin is eternally young.

...

One of the problems that I had with this book is that it felt like the author wasn't thinking about the story itself. Especially when it came to the ending. Everything felt like the author looked at the previous 3/4ths of the story and just went, "Well, I need to stop writing this somehow. I'm just going to throw some bullshit in there and hope that it sticks."

...

There are six kids all together. Five of them walk willingly into the cabin, but one of them stays hidden in the woods. Eventually he finds his way into the basement, where it is revealed that their is a camera system watching the rest of the house. He stays hidden from the rulers of the cabin, all the while thinking that his fellow kids are fine and everything is fine.

At the end it is revealed that the rulers of the cabin totally had it planned that way the whole time.

This is just one of many examples of the ending feeling like it was just used as a way to tie pretty little bows on top of everything, but not actually try to make it feel like it was meant to be that way.

...

Plus, the therapist turns out to be in on it the whole time! (Serious sarcasm going on there.) Literally, like the most obvious "plot twist" of all time. And, again, it felt like the author was just trying to get rid of the book. Just trying to tie off some ends so that they could move on.

...

Unfortunately, the author didn't just quit writing this storyline, but wrote a second book. Which I also read and will review next.

[Kathleen Minde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will Besting has an untreatable phobia not identified at the beginning of the book, a phobia his therapist states she is unable to treat. However, there is a program that involves leaving his insular life at home and staying at a facility with six other teenagers being treated by the same therapist, also affected by crippling phobias. There, within a week he will be treated and cured. Though it sounded far-fetched, I did want to read more about this facility and discover Will's phobia.

Once the group reaches the facility called Fort Eden, hidden far from civilization in a bunker in the woods, Will bolts and runs away. Here's where the author uses a very interesting narrative device: he has Will hide in an outbuilding that happens to have food, a toilet, an old cot, and...monitors to the bunker. He is able to see what is happening to the other teenagers and how they are "cured". They are introduced to Dr. Rainsford who runs the treatment program, a sketchy character we only see by monitor. Nicely built up, everything about the place just feels wrong, the kids should all run away.

Each teenager takes a turn in a room to be "cured". They wear weird helmets with tubes and wires and they are subjected to videos recreating the source of their phobias. At one point we do discover Will's phobia and it is a crafty twist.

Using the monitors to narrate the story is clever, however the author leaves little room for character development or character interaction with Will. And that is a huge drawback for me. But, the answer to the existence of the facility and it's staff is a huge twist that very few readers will even see coming and I found to be ingenious. And that is where the story basically ends. There are a few short pieces of epilogue, but I wanted more. Although it would be totally out of character, I wanted Will to go back and face this mysterious Eden, perhaps even stop it from continuing to affect other teenagers. And we never learn if he went back to his therapist which is a major issue.

It's a good book for teenagers. It's not dumbed down and it does have some creepy moments they will like. But, as an adult, I have too many questions at the end of the book. Perhaps this is a series?

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE FAERYS VIEW

Imagine your absolute worst fear and then multiply it by 100. That fear is so severe that it interferes with every aspect of your life-awake and asleep, if you’re able. That is what brings Will Besting and six other teens to Fort Eden, a special ‘Clinic’ where they’ll undergo treatment to cure them of their phobias but what they find there isn’t so much salvation as descent into the unknown where their fears are brought to life a what happens at the end of their time there just might be worse than their life altering phobias.

Dark Eden by Patrick Carman is told in first person by Will, we’re taken on a suspenseful psychological thrill ride when he escapes the group and hides in a room where he’s able to view almost everything that’s happening on video monitors. With the help of the group’s facilitator, Dr. Rainsford, Will watches as each member of the group enters a mysterious chamber and comes out miraculously cured. Will watches closely though and every person cured seems to have something wrong, an ache or pain here, excessive sleepiness there; it just doesn’t add up and Will fears there is something very dark at work in Fort Eden.

Dark Eden was a little slow at the beginning but it picked up fairly quickly. I was bothered by the fact that I didn’t get to know what each person’s phobia was, particularly Wills, until much later in the book. There is an underlying creepiness that pervades the entire book and the narrative is such that sometimes you feel as if you’re vacationing in Wills head-an extremely bizarre place to be but also kind of cool because he’s so smart and distrustful. I found myself becoming increasingly paranoid and weirded out even when I wasn’t sure if he was a little off his rocker or in the beginning when I was urging him in my mind to rejoin the group. This takes me to the plot! Mr. Carman kept me guessing until the very end and there were some plot twists that I didn’t see coming.

Dark Eden is a unique book, intriguing and fresh along with thrilling and suspenseful. The ending is definitely not what I expected and makes up for the slowness of the beginning.

THE FAERY SAYS YOU JUST MAY LIKE THIS BOOK!

[K the Vampire Slayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was skeptical about this book, it’s been on my shelf for a while, another Value Village find, of which most I’ve grown wary of now after a lot of bad apples, but it was actually a quick, pleasant read. Though that might’ve been helped by the fact that the power went out at my house and I had nothing else to do.

Either way, it may not be the greatest thing I’ve ever read, but it was interesting enough to hold my attention and finish in one sitting. The story was fast paced and definitely had a few surprising turns and details which I didn’t expect, and then some I did expect. Though the lack of character depth meant some of those twists and details didn’t really make me feel the way they probably should have. Like you could have replaced the whole cast and I wouldn’t have noticed because there was barely any development of any of them. But that seems to be a problem with most YA books I’ve read recently: The characters merely being cardboard cutouts of basic tropes or stereotypes just there to move the plot along. In fact, you could probably swap the cast of the last YA book I read with this one and there would be literally no difference. The loner, the smart kid, the popular girl, the jock, etc.

So overall: it was a decent concept, it moved along well enough, and was a little predictable, but not overly so, I don’t know how I actually feel about the twists because I didn’t really feel anything, but the characters definitely needed more fleshing out. Also, there was a bout of insta-love, which usually warrants an instant sound of disgust from me, but in this case it was only a small annoyance like a buzzing fly, so it didn’t require my anger so much as simply my suspension of disbelief.

Anyway, this is one of those books that probably won’t stick with me too long, but I don’t regret reading it and though I wouldn’t actively go out searching for the sequel, if I saw it at a thrift store or a yard sale, I would probably pick it up to see how the story continues. Solid 3 star rating.

But I was trying so hard to not picture the main character as the guy on the cover because he looks like not one but several annoying kids I used to know.

[Reena Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expect my complete review October 17, 2011 on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer: http://wp.me/pPz8s-1OT

Dark Eden started off quite slow. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. After reading the blurb, I thought the book would be a YA paranormal, but the further I progressed, the more it just seemed like a book about a boy with a phobia. In fact, I wasn’t even sure what his phobia was at first, only that he was elusive… and a bit of a stalker.

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed the book was so far off from what I’d expected. I’m not saying a book about kids with mental disorders couldn’t be interesting. After all, I quite enjoyed Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson. It was more on the lines, I had no idea what the ultimate purpose of the story was until well into the book. What were the stakes? Simply spying on kids with phobias wasn’t enough for me.

Eventually, I did discover what was at stake: be cured of the phobias using some weird, undisclosed method or continue to live with the fear. Even with the stakes laid out, they weren’t big enough to make this work stellar. Interestingly enough, the bread crumbs left as I followed the story kept me entertained and eager for the big reveal. Unfortunately, it never came.

I hit the end of the book, well what seemed like the end, and was sorely disappointed in the conclusion. The ending was followed by several short sections which explained what was really going on in Dark Eden, and this is where I hit the paranormal aspect of the book. The oh by the way, this is what happened and why wrapped up everything in a nice package, but the presentation was flat and lacking in appeal.

I hate to be overly critical, but Dark Eden by Patrick Carman was mediocre, which is a shame, because it had the potential to be so much more.

I received this work from the publisher in exchange for a review. 2.5 stars

[Lyanndra Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating is like a 2.5. because there was a surprising something at the end. I don't think I can write a proper review for this because I rushed through the last few pages a bit, not because I was excited to find out what happens, but more because I wanted to get the book over with. So I'll just jot down some of my random thoughts. Here goes:

-Did not hate this book. Did not love it either. I semi-disliked it but not exactly? Books like this make me feel weird.
-Played the "vague and mysterious" card for too long. Most readers would get bored from lack of detail at the beginning, I think.
-Main character falls immediately in love with eligible female. Ugh.
-Stereotype characters. More ugh.
-Why does the gorgeous-yet-bitchy character always have to be blonde. I want a
- Interesting premise, but the execution is like ???
-Was this supposed to be a psychological thriller or something?
-What the heck genre is this anyway. I'll check later.
- All plot twists were squeezed in the last few pages.
-Weird unexpected fantasy/paranormal twist.
-One plot twists shocked me in particular, so that was nice.
-BUT WHY PUT ALL PLOT TWISTS IN THE END SERIOUSLY.
-Vague character backgrounds, making characters unrelatable.
-I was already 200 pages in (out of 300+ pages) and I felt like I should have already known what the book was about but I REALLY DIDN'T 'CAUSE EVERYTHING WAS SO MYSTERIOUS AND VAGUE.
-What was the point of the "love story" WHY DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO HAVE A LOVE STORY.
-They're FIFTEEN and supposedly have LIFE-RUINING, IRRATIONAL FEARS and are stuck in a WEIRD, TWISTED SUMMER CAMP
-GODDAMIT WHY ARE THEY SO EAGER TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP WHO HAS THE TIME FOR ALL THAT LOVEY DOVEY STUFF IN THEIR SITUATION

...
Did I mention everything was pretty vague???

Okay I'm done.