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After Eden #1
After Eden
When mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school Eden Anfield is intrigued. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So how come he doesn't recognise pizza and hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden most, however, is the interest he's taking in her.
As Eden falls in love with Ryan, she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written fifty years in the future. Unravelling Ryan's secret, she discovers he has one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.
As Eden falls in love with Ryan, she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written fifty years in the future. Unravelling Ryan's secret, she discovers he has one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 16, 2013
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February 1, 2014
See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
1.5 stars
After Eden is your typical YA sci-fi novel. Basically, there's a really hot and gorgeous guy (Ryan) who appears out of nowhere. All the girls at school are fawning over him. All the guys are jealous of him. And when Eden meets him, she feels an attraction to him immediately. He's not just a pretty face (Ryan insists himself he's a gorgeous face, not just pretty), he's also awfully smart and has a fantastic grasp on astronomy. However, he seems to know nothing else: he doesn't know what pizza is, he doesn't know who Hitler was. No one suspects a thing--apart from Eden.
What I liked about this book:
- How about nothing. Yeah.
What I disliked about this book:
- Eden. So I'll give her credit for discovering that Ryan wasn't a person from Earth but from the future--all by herself. But apart from that, she's pretty dead stupid. My main example? When she discovers Ryan's secret, Eden starts asking bucket loads of questions. Ryan tells her that he can't tell because he'd be in a lot of trouble if he did; however Eden persists and claims that he doesn't trust her and crap like that when he still refuses. Like c'mon girl. It's none of your bloody business, he said it's dangerous to let anyone know about the future but you think you're an exception? Not to ruin your ego but...YOU AREN'T SOME SPECIAL RAINBOW UNICORN THAT CAN SPEAK ELEPHANT SO NOOOO.
- Connor. I love girl/boy friendships. They're like romance, but contain much less drama and cheesiness. I was waiting for those awesome scenes with Connor and Eden however they acted like they weren't best friends at all. Eden or Connor might say something about how long they've known each other to someone, but I never saw their friendship, if that makes any sense. Additionally, I hated Connor in general. He got jealous in an instant about Ryan and acts like a douchebag half the time. Ugh.
- Ryan. Well hellloo there Gary Stu. I don't understand how he's smart. If he didn't want to be discovered (that he was a dude from outer space), then why ask people what pizza is? It only turns heads and makes people wonder what's up with your brain (or lack of one.) Because of that one clue, and other small ones that followed (due to his stupidity), Eden found out his secret.
- The conveniences. This paragraph contains mild spoilers. At the end of the novel, Eden nearly dies. But she doesn't because Ryan saved her. Can someone please explain how the hell does Ryan just suddenly appear out of nowhere (once again). Honestly, that scene felt so fake and I was banging my head of the wall. NOTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE.
- Insta-Iove. Must I go into that any further? Because I don't think I need to.
Moral of the story: learn from your mistakes. It makes life much better (and less painful) (and means you can read good books instead of shockingly horrible ones).
~Thank you Bloomsbury Australia for sending me this copy!~
1.5 stars
After Eden is your typical YA sci-fi novel. Basically, there's a really hot and gorgeous guy (Ryan) who appears out of nowhere. All the girls at school are fawning over him. All the guys are jealous of him. And when Eden meets him, she feels an attraction to him immediately. He's not just a pretty face (Ryan insists himself he's a gorgeous face, not just pretty), he's also awfully smart and has a fantastic grasp on astronomy. However, he seems to know nothing else: he doesn't know what pizza is, he doesn't know who Hitler was. No one suspects a thing--apart from Eden.
What I liked about this book:
- How about nothing. Yeah.
What I disliked about this book:
- Eden. So I'll give her credit for discovering that Ryan wasn't a person from Earth but from the future--all by herself. But apart from that, she's pretty dead stupid. My main example? When she discovers Ryan's secret, Eden starts asking bucket loads of questions. Ryan tells her that he can't tell because he'd be in a lot of trouble if he did; however Eden persists and claims that he doesn't trust her and crap like that when he still refuses. Like c'mon girl. It's none of your bloody business, he said it's dangerous to let anyone know about the future but you think you're an exception? Not to ruin your ego but...YOU AREN'T SOME SPECIAL RAINBOW UNICORN THAT CAN SPEAK ELEPHANT SO NOOOO.
- Connor. I love girl/boy friendships. They're like romance, but contain much less drama and cheesiness. I was waiting for those awesome scenes with Connor and Eden however they acted like they weren't best friends at all. Eden or Connor might say something about how long they've known each other to someone, but I never saw their friendship, if that makes any sense. Additionally, I hated Connor in general. He got jealous in an instant about Ryan and acts like a douchebag half the time. Ugh.
- Ryan. Well hellloo there Gary Stu. I don't understand how he's smart. If he didn't want to be discovered (that he was a dude from outer space), then why ask people what pizza is? It only turns heads and makes people wonder what's up with your brain (or lack of one.) Because of that one clue, and other small ones that followed (due to his stupidity), Eden found out his secret.
- The conveniences. This paragraph contains mild spoilers. At the end of the novel, Eden nearly dies. But she doesn't because Ryan saved her. Can someone please explain how the hell does Ryan just suddenly appear out of nowhere (once again). Honestly, that scene felt so fake and I was banging my head of the wall. NOTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE.
- Insta-Iove. Must I go into that any further? Because I don't think I need to.
Moral of the story: learn from your mistakes. It makes life much better (and less painful) (and means you can read good books instead of shockingly horrible ones).
~Thank you Bloomsbury Australia for sending me this copy!~
August 19, 2016
1,4 / 5*
O čem to je?
O tom, jak dalekohled zachránil svět.
Naivní. Hloupé. Trapné. Prostě jen WUT!
Nezapomenutelný čtecí zážitek.
Nemám vlasy, nemám prsty.
Stydím se, že jsem tohletoto četla.
Jen abyste věděli..
Hlavní hrdinka, co má za rodiče asi rajčata, protože jinak si nedokážu vysvětlit její stálé rudnutí..?
Hlavní hrdina, co své šestnáctileté spřízněné duši dá auto?
Sázení stromku lásky?
Souboj s časem, aby nebyla objevena planeta, která zničí lidstvo?
Ráda bych řekla, že vám se to určitě bude líbit.
Ale..
Ale..
Ne. :D
Nebudu klamat okolí.
O čem to je?
O tom, jak dalekohled zachránil svět.
Naivní. Hloupé. Trapné. Prostě jen WUT!
Nezapomenutelný čtecí zážitek.
Nemám vlasy, nemám prsty.
Stydím se, že jsem tohletoto četla.
Jen abyste věděli..
Hlavní hrdinka, co má za rodiče asi rajčata, protože jinak si nedokážu vysvětlit její stálé rudnutí..?
Hlavní hrdina, co své šestnáctileté spřízněné duši dá auto?
Sázení stromku lásky?
Souboj s časem, aby nebyla objevena planeta, která zničí lidstvo?
Ráda bych řekla, že vám se to určitě bude líbit.
Ale..
Ale..
Ne. :D
Nebudu klamat okolí.
October 7, 2015
5 Words: Flat, scientific, artsy, teens, true-love.
So, I'm not a fan of time travel. And I really didn't understand it in this one (they majorly changed the past, surely that'd change the fact that timetravel was even discovered?!) and it annoyed me.
But this story was sweet in a way, and a quick read.
I was disappointed by the two dimensional characters, they were very flat. Eden was perhaps the worst of the lot, and she was the main character. I meant that I couldn't get invested in the story.
I found the plot extremely predictable, especially the "twist".
I did like the setting. I LOVE to read teen stories set in the UK - the market is completely saturated by US teens (even written by British authors! I'm looking at you Beth Reekles) and even after reading it for so long I still don't understand the US education system. I also loved the beach setting although tomb-stoning? Seriously? Disgusting that it was wrote about as being such fun and totally irresponsible.
I just wish that the ending hadn't been so happily-ever-after. An unhappy ending would have suited this story so well and would have made it much more enjoyable and refreshing to read.
And oh god, I just realised there's another one. I will read it, because it was pleasant enough and good for a rainy day (which today was) but it won't be top of my TBR on its release.
So, any suggestions for a story with an unhappy ending?
I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.
So, I'm not a fan of time travel. And I really didn't understand it in this one (they majorly changed the past, surely that'd change the fact that timetravel was even discovered?!) and it annoyed me.
But this story was sweet in a way, and a quick read.
I was disappointed by the two dimensional characters, they were very flat. Eden was perhaps the worst of the lot, and she was the main character. I meant that I couldn't get invested in the story.
I found the plot extremely predictable, especially the "twist".
I did like the setting. I LOVE to read teen stories set in the UK - the market is completely saturated by US teens (even written by British authors! I'm looking at you Beth Reekles) and even after reading it for so long I still don't understand the US education system. I also loved the beach setting although tomb-stoning? Seriously? Disgusting that it was wrote about as being such fun and totally irresponsible.
I just wish that the ending hadn't been so happily-ever-after. An unhappy ending would have suited this story so well and would have made it much more enjoyable and refreshing to read.
And oh god, I just realised there's another one. I will read it, because it was pleasant enough and good for a rainy day (which today was) but it won't be top of my TBR on its release.
So, any suggestions for a story with an unhappy ending?
I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.
September 30, 2013
Eh, what a mess this book turned out to be. I'm really disappointed. There were so many things I didn't like. I can't think of any redeeming quality. Nothing. I often get trapped by the cover when requesting books on NG. I must seek help if I play to move from this state.
Eden's life changes when a new guy shows up at their school. Ryan's a bit weird. He doesn't remember basic historical facts and acts weird, in a way. Eden's best friend Connor hates Ryan because he's been in love with Eden since forever. I was in a similar situation so it's not hard for me to connect with him but here's the thing. Connor was annoying as hell. He was mean to Ryan and even to Eden. I couldn't picture Connor and Eden ever being BFFs, not even in the beginning, before Ryan showed up. Not even my genetically installed always-root-for-the-underdog mind couldn't help me out to feel for Connor.
Romance was... *sigh* Now I have to explain this too? Oh, why? Well, there's nothing much to say but that the levels of instalove were getting to out of hand. Nothing could save it from disaster. Both Eden and Ryan were bland.
This is the perfect example of adult writing a book about how to correct a teenager whenever s/he is acting like a brat and that was pretty much the whole time. It's as if Douglas set out to write as many annoying and childish things she could come up with so she could put a line in there of someone telling them it's wrong to talk to people in that way. I'm not sure how many times I came across with lines like- Connor! or Eden!
Last month I read another time travel novel, All Our Yesterdays and I can't even begin compare them. AOY was more engaging than After Eden.
Eden's life changes when a new guy shows up at their school. Ryan's a bit weird. He doesn't remember basic historical facts and acts weird, in a way. Eden's best friend Connor hates Ryan because he's been in love with Eden since forever. I was in a similar situation so it's not hard for me to connect with him but here's the thing. Connor was annoying as hell. He was mean to Ryan and even to Eden. I couldn't picture Connor and Eden ever being BFFs, not even in the beginning, before Ryan showed up. Not even my genetically installed always-root-for-the-underdog mind couldn't help me out to feel for Connor.
Romance was... *sigh* Now I have to explain this too? Oh, why? Well, there's nothing much to say but that the levels of instalove were getting to out of hand. Nothing could save it from disaster. Both Eden and Ryan were bland.
This is the perfect example of adult writing a book about how to correct a teenager whenever s/he is acting like a brat and that was pretty much the whole time. It's as if Douglas set out to write as many annoying and childish things she could come up with so she could put a line in there of someone telling them it's wrong to talk to people in that way. I'm not sure how many times I came across with lines like- Connor! or Eden!
Last month I read another time travel novel, All Our Yesterdays and I can't even begin compare them. AOY was more engaging than After Eden.
February 21, 2016
When new boy Ryan Westland starts at her school, Eden knows there's something different about him, and it's not that he's American. He seems like a normal teenager, except for the fact that he doesn't seem to be able to recognise basic things, like pizza. And he's never heard of Hitler. Who hasn't heard of Hitler? Little things like that create the one big mystery that is Ryan. But these are things that can be explained away, however unlikely. Eden and Ryan gradually spend more and more time together, soon becoming fast friends and then something more. But at Ryan's house, Eden discovers an autobiography of her best friend...and it's from the future. Piecing things together, she discovers who Ryan really is and why he is there. The truth is more shocking than she could have realised, and she herself plays an integral part.
After Eden made for a quick, entertaining read. It had a simple writing style which flowed easily, although I noticed that it mainly comprised of dialogue. It was not a particularly deep read, and the time travel side of it was not difficult to understand. I appreciated the astrological references to help boost the sci-fi theme, and it generally made for interesting reading. One thing this book really was good at was pointing out how one small thing can affect everything else. When I read the prologue, I didn't understand the significance of it; I didn't understand what it was supposed to tell me or do for me as a reader. Later, however, when I had more information, I understood what that scene meant, and it really makes you think about how much impact one simple choice, or one simple moment, can have. I wouldn't say this is a particularly plot-driven novel, however. The pace was, for the most part, easy-going, only really building up towards the end.
The characters were decent enough, but forgettable. I really did think the romance between Ryan and Eden sweet, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. Having said that, there was nothing to make them stand out. With Eden's character, my feelings for her actually bordered on dislike at times. I didn't care for the way she was behaving simply because she was around a good-looking guy, and she was in denial over a fact that was painfully obvious; I wish she'd just step up and acknowledge the truth. This brings me to her relationship with her best friend, Connor - really, it was a trio of close friends: Eden, Connor and Megan. The bonds between them here were inconsistent, made little sense and seemed to change for no apparent reason. Aside from the fact that Eden and Connor had known each other since they were young children, I didn't understand why they were friends. And then, finally, there was the cleaner - someone related to Ryan's time travel mission, whose job it is to make sure things are as they should be and there is no trouble in any shape or form. I worked out who it was before anyone else - although no-one seemed to actually try and work it out - and again here was a change in character - one I really didn't see as necessary. It was like the author was trying to create an obvious villain and make us root for Eden, yet it just came across as messy. I can't really be clearer than that without giving anything away.
Douglas has made a decent effort here with her novel, and it was easy enough to read it in one sitting. The romance was sweet, the plot undemanding. If what you're looking for is something quick or simple, then this is one to consider. But there is no substance, nothing that will really make you connect with anyone, no real reason for you to remember this after reading it. I would recommend this only as a filler book, something to pass the time; somehow it makes for quite a readable book, but it certainly isn't one of the better sci-fi novels out there.
This review is also posted on my blog.
After Eden made for a quick, entertaining read. It had a simple writing style which flowed easily, although I noticed that it mainly comprised of dialogue. It was not a particularly deep read, and the time travel side of it was not difficult to understand. I appreciated the astrological references to help boost the sci-fi theme, and it generally made for interesting reading. One thing this book really was good at was pointing out how one small thing can affect everything else. When I read the prologue, I didn't understand the significance of it; I didn't understand what it was supposed to tell me or do for me as a reader. Later, however, when I had more information, I understood what that scene meant, and it really makes you think about how much impact one simple choice, or one simple moment, can have. I wouldn't say this is a particularly plot-driven novel, however. The pace was, for the most part, easy-going, only really building up towards the end.
The characters were decent enough, but forgettable. I really did think the romance between Ryan and Eden sweet, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. Having said that, there was nothing to make them stand out. With Eden's character, my feelings for her actually bordered on dislike at times. I didn't care for the way she was behaving simply because she was around a good-looking guy, and she was in denial over a fact that was painfully obvious; I wish she'd just step up and acknowledge the truth. This brings me to her relationship with her best friend, Connor - really, it was a trio of close friends: Eden, Connor and Megan. The bonds between them here were inconsistent, made little sense and seemed to change for no apparent reason. Aside from the fact that Eden and Connor had known each other since they were young children, I didn't understand why they were friends. And then, finally, there was the cleaner - someone related to Ryan's time travel mission, whose job it is to make sure things are as they should be and there is no trouble in any shape or form. I worked out who it was before anyone else - although no-one seemed to actually try and work it out - and again here was a change in character - one I really didn't see as necessary. It was like the author was trying to create an obvious villain and make us root for Eden, yet it just came across as messy. I can't really be clearer than that without giving anything away.
Douglas has made a decent effort here with her novel, and it was easy enough to read it in one sitting. The romance was sweet, the plot undemanding. If what you're looking for is something quick or simple, then this is one to consider. But there is no substance, nothing that will really make you connect with anyone, no real reason for you to remember this after reading it. I would recommend this only as a filler book, something to pass the time; somehow it makes for quite a readable book, but it certainly isn't one of the better sci-fi novels out there.
This review is also posted on my blog.
July 11, 2013
4.5 Stars
After Eden is an interesting sci-fi novel that I loved endlessly and could not put down until I was finished.
After Eden is set in the modern day following a girl named Eden who is just... ordinary. Until Ryan Westland rolls into school and sits next to her in art class; everything changes. He might look like a normal schoolboy on the outside, but why does he lack the general knowledge that a teenager, living in this century, should know? For instance, how could someone not recognise pizza, or heard of one of the most famous historical figures? But Ryan has taken an interest in her and she's not about to complain since she just might slowly be falling for him. Everything is perfect. Then Eden finds a book in Ryan's house; a biography written by her best friend, Connor. And she discovers that Ryan is from the future and he has a mission to complete. A mission that Eden just might be able to help him with...
I haven't read many sci-fi books and the bar was set pretty high by Jennifer L. Armentrout's Obsidian, but After Eden manages to hold up with it's own unique and engaging plot. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the gripping story. You might think, ah, the cliche: boring girl with a boring life until a mysterious boy turns up at school and then they fall in love because of some weird reason. But it's not! I promise. There is so much more to it than that.
Ryan is no typical boy. He is a boy from fifty years in the future with a mission to complete. A tough one that may affect everything that happens in the future. When Ryan shares his task with Eden, she is prepared to help him, no matter what. Not only that, but the two grow closer in an unimaginable way and a question is raised: When - and if - Ryan completes his task, will he be strong enough to leave Eden and go back to his usual life?
I adored Ryan! He was entertaining and really kept the story fresh and exciting. He was likable and absolutely adorable when we first meet him. Come on, who doesn't know what pizza is? And Eden! She was determined and prepared for anything. I loved her character, but most of all, I loved the romance! Their relationship was super cute and they tried to spend the time they had together as well as possible. Ryan was just...
After Eden is a very enjoyable sci-fi book that is perfect for those in need of a YA sci-fi with plenty of mystery and romance. There is a sequel being released next year titled Chasing Stars, and I am nothing but excited for it!
After Eden is an interesting sci-fi novel that I loved endlessly and could not put down until I was finished.
After Eden is set in the modern day following a girl named Eden who is just... ordinary. Until Ryan Westland rolls into school and sits next to her in art class; everything changes. He might look like a normal schoolboy on the outside, but why does he lack the general knowledge that a teenager, living in this century, should know? For instance, how could someone not recognise pizza, or heard of one of the most famous historical figures? But Ryan has taken an interest in her and she's not about to complain since she just might slowly be falling for him. Everything is perfect. Then Eden finds a book in Ryan's house; a biography written by her best friend, Connor. And she discovers that Ryan is from the future and he has a mission to complete. A mission that Eden just might be able to help him with...
I haven't read many sci-fi books and the bar was set pretty high by Jennifer L. Armentrout's Obsidian, but After Eden manages to hold up with it's own unique and engaging plot. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the gripping story. You might think, ah, the cliche: boring girl with a boring life until a mysterious boy turns up at school and then they fall in love because of some weird reason. But it's not! I promise. There is so much more to it than that.
Ryan is no typical boy. He is a boy from fifty years in the future with a mission to complete. A tough one that may affect everything that happens in the future. When Ryan shares his task with Eden, she is prepared to help him, no matter what. Not only that, but the two grow closer in an unimaginable way and a question is raised: When - and if - Ryan completes his task, will he be strong enough to leave Eden and go back to his usual life?
I adored Ryan! He was entertaining and really kept the story fresh and exciting. He was likable and absolutely adorable when we first meet him. Come on, who doesn't know what pizza is? And Eden! She was determined and prepared for anything. I loved her character, but most of all, I loved the romance! Their relationship was super cute and they tried to spend the time they had together as well as possible. Ryan was just...
After Eden is a very enjoyable sci-fi book that is perfect for those in need of a YA sci-fi with plenty of mystery and romance. There is a sequel being released next year titled Chasing Stars, and I am nothing but excited for it!
November 4, 2013
This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!
When I heard that this book had time travel and sci fi elements in it, I was immediately intrigued, but overall it was a disappointing. Not because it was badly written by any stretch, but because it felt like it was written for a middle grade audience.
Eden is instantly attracted to the new, mysterious boy Ryan who shows up at her school and is intrigued when he seems interested in her. Ryan seems confused as he doesn’t know what pizza and who Hitler is, but he knows everything about astronomy and the environment. She confronts him and discovers the mystery behind Ryan, who is from another time and place.
The time travel was done quite simply; used as an explanation about why Ryan was there from the future and simply that the Law of Temporal Integrity prevents him from telling anyone about time travel and what happens in the future. Of course that doesn’t stop him, because he’s so in love with Eden he tells her absolutely everything, risking her life from the cleaners who are responsible in covering the time traveler’s tracks.
This book contains all your stereotypical YA romance conventions that I can’t seem to avoid, insta-love, a seemingly perfect main character and a love triangle. From the moment they lay eyes on each other, Eden and Ryan are instantly attracted and want to get to know each other. Eden’s best friend Connor seems to get the short end of the stick, as she just “thinks of him as a brother” but it’s so incredibly obvious that he has feelings for her. I disliked how Eden just thought of him as an “underachieving beach bum” which is a mean thing to say about your best friend. This is exasperated by Ryan below:
He’s so ordinary. He’s just Connor. He’s good academically, but he’s not exceptional. I know at least a dozen people in Year Eleven who are cleverer than him. - Eden
…He just bummed around for a few years being spectacularly unexceptional. - Ryan
Aside from that, Eden is actually a decent heroine, she makes sensible and mature decisions within the book and her actions actually made sense. I can’t say the same for Ryan, who decides to spill his life story to Eden and is obsessed by “beautiful women”.
After Eden never really seemed to take off for me. Everything was incredibly predictable, the characters were bland and the ending was tied up nicely with a bow. It would be a good introductory paranormal to get into for the middle grade audience but I need something that packs a bit more punch.
Thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I heard that this book had time travel and sci fi elements in it, I was immediately intrigued, but overall it was a disappointing. Not because it was badly written by any stretch, but because it felt like it was written for a middle grade audience.
Eden is instantly attracted to the new, mysterious boy Ryan who shows up at her school and is intrigued when he seems interested in her. Ryan seems confused as he doesn’t know what pizza and who Hitler is, but he knows everything about astronomy and the environment. She confronts him and discovers the mystery behind Ryan, who is from another time and place.
The time travel was done quite simply; used as an explanation about why Ryan was there from the future and simply that the Law of Temporal Integrity prevents him from telling anyone about time travel and what happens in the future. Of course that doesn’t stop him, because he’s so in love with Eden he tells her absolutely everything, risking her life from the cleaners who are responsible in covering the time traveler’s tracks.
This book contains all your stereotypical YA romance conventions that I can’t seem to avoid, insta-love, a seemingly perfect main character and a love triangle. From the moment they lay eyes on each other, Eden and Ryan are instantly attracted and want to get to know each other. Eden’s best friend Connor seems to get the short end of the stick, as she just “thinks of him as a brother” but it’s so incredibly obvious that he has feelings for her. I disliked how Eden just thought of him as an “underachieving beach bum” which is a mean thing to say about your best friend. This is exasperated by Ryan below:
He’s so ordinary. He’s just Connor. He’s good academically, but he’s not exceptional. I know at least a dozen people in Year Eleven who are cleverer than him. - Eden
…He just bummed around for a few years being spectacularly unexceptional. - Ryan
Aside from that, Eden is actually a decent heroine, she makes sensible and mature decisions within the book and her actions actually made sense. I can’t say the same for Ryan, who decides to spill his life story to Eden and is obsessed by “beautiful women”.
After Eden never really seemed to take off for me. Everything was incredibly predictable, the characters were bland and the ending was tied up nicely with a bow. It would be a good introductory paranormal to get into for the middle grade audience but I need something that packs a bit more punch.
Thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2013
Know of those slide arts? Or whatever they are?
The paintings that are collections of differently ambient layers of drawing that, individually, are distinct but bring them together they either create a breathtaking piece of art or just a randomly put together piece of crap.
After Eden's made up of many levels of layers and falls in between, leaning towards the side of crap.
Level 1:The lowest, the one that only provides a slight background to the whole scene since so many have been stacked on top of it, is the characterization.
It's so faded out and commonplace to be almost not there.
The MC, whats-her-face-oops-its-Eden, is blank as an unused slate, impressionable as a cheap slate, as well as being unique and dumb as one, too. Because slates are dumb, considering they are inanimate and all. And their rarity validates no argument. But she did keep me entertained with her crackpot comments.
That's 'cause all the books were well thumbed. Hmmmm.... I'm so pretentious and I bet most of you readers out there are as well.
Such an astute observation.
This girl supposedly saves the future of earth. Luck be a lady tonight.
Shame on you if you haven't been impressed by her hilariousness already!
The love interest is the future boy, Ryan, whose name I only remember b/c his real one is the name of the only constellation of stars I can spot in the night sky. He and his condescension. Boyeeeeee...
It wasn't like he specifically came out and said something offensive. And it's the way with 'em all. Wolf boys, vamp boys, spy boys, grrr... And their families, as well. Continually complementing the protagonist on her levelheadedness in such out-of-the-norm situations.
Dude, we live in the era of art, where people eat each other on TV, set up vampirical socities and dammit, we survive Lady Gaga one day at a time.
I don't think your sparkly and porcupiny skin and nails that emit snot impress anyone in this century anymore. WE HAVE SEEN IT ALL!
Besides, their romance has no chemistry. One second they are playing three questions- blink three weeks pass- and they're exchanging love declarations. I actually wish the author had made it into an insta-love. This seemingly months-long and developed romance is just boring and unrealistic. And yes I do now how that sounds.
Level 2: Le writing. It's simplistic. Not the kind that makes you adore and love it because it's just so complex and exotic in its minimalism and mundaneness, a la Sara Zarr. It's plain and unexciting, 'nuff said.
Tthere are words and phrases of chapters. It's like the author wrote one chapter on a particular day/week and prior to that decided on a phrase or a word that is reiterated throughout the chapter.
Then, the repeated conversations. I think the words explain it all.
Level 3: The most bothersome aspect of this novel, the sci-fi part.
Remember those classic sci-fi shows and movies? The ones with crappy visual and special effects that we love all the same?
That's what this book employs.
The imagery inter-dimensional spaceship literally reads like that. Like, an oval, glowing something-or-the-other.
But...
the original plot. Is it just me or there are more and more books coming out, following in the footsteps of Steins Gate? There's this another one, All Our Yesterdays.
Discounting that, I liked it. It was fine and it will definitely be your cup of tea if you're new to the SF genre.
Level 4: The cover. *runs away screaming* It would have been pretty enough but the humans ruined it. They always do.
Besides all that, the ending had me weeping. Honestly. Not in the good sense. It was a breezy read, nothing especial, and didn't offend me in any way. There's that.
A copy was provided by the publishers for reviewing purposes.
Crossposted on Books behind Dam{n}s
The paintings that are collections of differently ambient layers of drawing that, individually, are distinct but bring them together they either create a breathtaking piece of art or just a randomly put together piece of crap.
After Eden's made up of many levels of layers and falls in between, leaning towards the side of crap.
Level 1:The lowest, the one that only provides a slight background to the whole scene since so many have been stacked on top of it, is the characterization.
It's so faded out and commonplace to be almost not there.
The MC, whats-her-face-oops-its-Eden, is blank as an unused slate, impressionable as a cheap slate, as well as being unique and dumb as one, too. Because slates are dumb, considering they are inanimate and all. And their rarity validates no argument. But she did keep me entertained with her crackpot comments.
Nothing pretentious or phony about his book collection.
That's 'cause all the books were well thumbed. Hmmmm.... I'm so pretentious and I bet most of you readers out there are as well.
Einstein was supposed to be pretty smart.
Such an astute observation.
I didn’t think there were any planets outside of our solar system.
This girl supposedly saves the future of earth. Luck be a lady tonight.
"It’s been said that I’m hard to impress." She says.
"Along with beautiful, smart and completely unshockable." He says.
Shame on you if you haven't been impressed by her hilariousness already!
The love interest is the future boy, Ryan, whose name I only remember b/c his real one is the name of the only constellation of stars I can spot in the night sky. He and his condescension. Boyeeeeee...
It wasn't like he specifically came out and said something offensive. And it's the way with 'em all. Wolf boys, vamp boys, spy boys, grrr... And their families, as well. Continually complementing the protagonist on her levelheadedness in such out-of-the-norm situations.
Dude, we live in the era of art, where people eat each other on TV, set up vampirical socities and dammit, we survive Lady Gaga one day at a time.
I don't think your sparkly and porcupiny skin and nails that emit snot impress anyone in this century anymore. WE HAVE SEEN IT ALL!
Besides, their romance has no chemistry. One second they are playing three questions- blink three weeks pass- and they're exchanging love declarations. I actually wish the author had made it into an insta-love. This seemingly months-long and developed romance is just boring and unrealistic. And yes I do now how that sounds.
Level 2: Le writing. It's simplistic. Not the kind that makes you adore and love it because it's just so complex and exotic in its minimalism and mundaneness, a la Sara Zarr. It's plain and unexciting, 'nuff said.
Tthere are words and phrases of chapters. It's like the author wrote one chapter on a particular day/week and prior to that decided on a phrase or a word that is reiterated throughout the chapter.
Then, the repeated conversations. I think the words explain it all.
Level 3: The most bothersome aspect of this novel, the sci-fi part.
Remember those classic sci-fi shows and movies? The ones with crappy visual and special effects that we love all the same?
That's what this book employs.
The imagery inter-dimensional spaceship literally reads like that. Like, an oval, glowing something-or-the-other.
But...
the original plot. Is it just me or there are more and more books coming out, following in the footsteps of Steins Gate? There's this another one, All Our Yesterdays.
Discounting that, I liked it. It was fine and it will definitely be your cup of tea if you're new to the SF genre.
Level 4: The cover. *runs away screaming* It would have been pretty enough but the humans ruined it. They always do.
Besides all that, the ending had me weeping. Honestly. Not in the good sense. It was a breezy read, nothing especial, and didn't offend me in any way. There's that.
A copy was provided by the publishers for reviewing purposes.
Crossposted on Books behind Dam{n}s
April 17, 2021
2 stars
Oh dear. After Eden, what can I say? Perhaps I can start with that I should have known better. I was tempted by the time traveling, the starry cover, which all hint to the kind of sci-fi I easily fall for. But I should have paid more attention to the obvious instalove inherent in the synopsis. I should have listened to my gut. While to a certain extent I really liked the sci-fi part of this, it was wrapped up in this sadly irritating instalove coating with a stupid main character.
I guess I might as well start with the main character, Eden, who fills me with feelings of meh. She doesn't have much of a personality to start off with, but quickly forms an obsession with the new boy in school, which really makes me roll my eyes. She's the jealous type, so when one of the other girls starts flirting with him she becomes a whiny, insecure little girl. Time after time, Ryan (the new boy) tries to convince her that her best friend, Connor is in love with her. Even when the evidence is pushed in her face (he hates any time Ryan is around, because he knows they like each other, and gets super snarky then; and the sheer fact that he names the planet he discovers after her - seriously, that's not strong enough evidence), she's just totally naive about it. So most of her narrations result in eye rolls and sighs.
And let's talk about Connor for a second too, because I have so much hate for him. He's supposedly Eden's best friend, but not once in this entire book does he act like it. Instead he's a whiny sore loser the whole time because of Ryan showing up. At a certain point, Eden says about him, "He's hard not to like." Really? I had no fucking problem at all not liking him. It came quite naturally in fact. And later she actually says, "Every time Connor spoke to me, I worried that it would turn into an argument." That's how their dynamic was throughout the entire book. So why in the world were they best friends at all? I mean, if you're going to label them best friends, you have to make it believable. At least at the beginning, show how strong their friendship was before Ryan showed up or something. Or throughout, show that although Connor is jealous he still cares for Eden. But no, he had to be a whiny little asshole to her all throughout the book. UGH.
As far as Ryan and the romance go... I don't have much to say. It was instalove. Ryan is just the smoldering, hot type. Mysterious because of the lack of knowledge of standard 21st century things. But that's about it. Can't say I picked up on more personality than that. He was a man on a mission, and that's about as interesting as he got. If the romance would have held off on the more obvious insta-attraction, can't ever stop thinking about him/her, stuff, I may have liked it. In fact, I kind of liked it at the end, though it's still a little too co-dependent than I would have wanted. (The ending... GRRRR MASSIVE GRRR.)
But seriously, dump this instalove, love triangle romance crap, and the sci-fi is so cool. So mild spoilers ahead, if you care about that kind of thing: but Connor is destined to discover an Earth-like planet in the future. In fact, it's the only planet that could be habitable for humans. But, it is inhabited by a parasite. During the first journeys to that planet, the passengers carry that parasite back with them to Earth, and it slowly starts killing the planet until the population in 2122 is less than one billion. So Ryan is sent back in time to stop Connor from discovering it. I mean. I mean. This is the kind of thing that has me jumping for joy. Love it, love the concept. Whyyyy must it be wrapped in this coating of annoying?
Summing Up:
Disappointment is the word, although my hopes weren't that high in the first place. I need a connection with a main character, and Eden just made me shake my head at her all the time. If anything, I've learned now which warning bells to listen to when it comes to reading synopses. A pity though about the instalove, because the sci-fi part of this was actually really cool. Oh, and Connor, GDIAF.
GIF it to me straight!
Recommended To:
Sci-fi-lite fans who aren't turned off by instalove.
Oh dear. After Eden, what can I say? Perhaps I can start with that I should have known better. I was tempted by the time traveling, the starry cover, which all hint to the kind of sci-fi I easily fall for. But I should have paid more attention to the obvious instalove inherent in the synopsis. I should have listened to my gut. While to a certain extent I really liked the sci-fi part of this, it was wrapped up in this sadly irritating instalove coating with a stupid main character.
I guess I might as well start with the main character, Eden, who fills me with feelings of meh. She doesn't have much of a personality to start off with, but quickly forms an obsession with the new boy in school, which really makes me roll my eyes. She's the jealous type, so when one of the other girls starts flirting with him she becomes a whiny, insecure little girl. Time after time, Ryan (the new boy) tries to convince her that her best friend, Connor is in love with her. Even when the evidence is pushed in her face (he hates any time Ryan is around, because he knows they like each other, and gets super snarky then; and the sheer fact that he names the planet he discovers after her - seriously, that's not strong enough evidence), she's just totally naive about it. So most of her narrations result in eye rolls and sighs.
And let's talk about Connor for a second too, because I have so much hate for him. He's supposedly Eden's best friend, but not once in this entire book does he act like it. Instead he's a whiny sore loser the whole time because of Ryan showing up. At a certain point, Eden says about him, "He's hard not to like." Really? I had no fucking problem at all not liking him. It came quite naturally in fact. And later she actually says, "Every time Connor spoke to me, I worried that it would turn into an argument." That's how their dynamic was throughout the entire book. So why in the world were they best friends at all? I mean, if you're going to label them best friends, you have to make it believable. At least at the beginning, show how strong their friendship was before Ryan showed up or something. Or throughout, show that although Connor is jealous he still cares for Eden. But no, he had to be a whiny little asshole to her all throughout the book. UGH.
As far as Ryan and the romance go... I don't have much to say. It was instalove. Ryan is just the smoldering, hot type. Mysterious because of the lack of knowledge of standard 21st century things. But that's about it. Can't say I picked up on more personality than that. He was a man on a mission, and that's about as interesting as he got. If the romance would have held off on the more obvious insta-attraction, can't ever stop thinking about him/her, stuff, I may have liked it. In fact, I kind of liked it at the end, though it's still a little too co-dependent than I would have wanted. (The ending... GRRRR MASSIVE GRRR.)
But seriously, dump this instalove, love triangle romance crap, and the sci-fi is so cool. So mild spoilers ahead, if you care about that kind of thing: but Connor is destined to discover an Earth-like planet in the future. In fact, it's the only planet that could be habitable for humans. But, it is inhabited by a parasite. During the first journeys to that planet, the passengers carry that parasite back with them to Earth, and it slowly starts killing the planet until the population in 2122 is less than one billion. So Ryan is sent back in time to stop Connor from discovering it. I mean. I mean. This is the kind of thing that has me jumping for joy. Love it, love the concept. Whyyyy must it be wrapped in this coating of annoying?
Summing Up:
Disappointment is the word, although my hopes weren't that high in the first place. I need a connection with a main character, and Eden just made me shake my head at her all the time. If anything, I've learned now which warning bells to listen to when it comes to reading synopses. A pity though about the instalove, because the sci-fi part of this was actually really cool. Oh, and Connor, GDIAF.
GIF it to me straight!
Recommended To:
Sci-fi-lite fans who aren't turned off by instalove.
April 17, 2017
Eden and Connor have been best friends forever. Nothing has ever come between them, that is until new boy, Ryan, enters their school. Ryan is different from the get-go, not just hotter, but just straight out different. He had never seen pizza before. He had never heard of Hitler. He drove a brand new car, yet he was too young to have his license. Eden and Ryan hit it off right away, but she just couldn't put these things out of her head. And why was Conner jealous, while Ryan kept asking about Conner. There is something weird about the new guy and Eden is going to find out what it is!
This book was a super fast read. The characters were all likable and even the jealousy bit wasn't very agsty or annoying. It was fast paced enough to keep you interested, but the characters were a bit two dimensional. I think the reason everyone was likable was because no one was really fleshed out.
This took place in England, which was cool, but it sounded just like the states. It actually surprised me that the author lives in England and it wasn't an American writing a book set in England.
Overall, I enjoyed the book though. A nice light read, without having too many feels!
This book was a super fast read. The characters were all likable and even the jealousy bit wasn't very agsty or annoying. It was fast paced enough to keep you interested, but the characters were a bit two dimensional. I think the reason everyone was likable was because no one was really fleshed out.
This took place in England, which was cool, but it sounded just like the states. It actually surprised me that the author lives in England and it wasn't an American writing a book set in England.
Overall, I enjoyed the book though. A nice light read, without having too many feels!
May 14, 2013
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Can we just take a moment to stare at that gorgeous cover? It's so vibrant.
I enjoyed this. No, I really enjoyed this. After Eden is a beautifully crafted, enthralling and exciting read. I fell in love with all of the characters, and couldn't get enough of the unique premise and plot. This was so good.
From the moment I opened this book, I fell in love with the setting - Perran. The descriptions were detailed, and I could picture all of the settings so vividly in my mind. I was able to slip into this world, and quite frankly, didn't want to leave. The writing is also beautiful, I completely adored it. I couldn't seem to get enough, and unlike most Science Fiction books, I learnt a lot from it. The constellations were really focused on, and the plot was perfectly paced.
The part of the novel that is about time-travel is so well understood, although it leaves you asking questions and wanting to know more. After Eden is completely unique. It packs Science Fiction, Romance and even a bit of Contemporary into one. Of course, there is the small subject of the romance between Ryan and Eden. Their romance builds up throughout the chapters, and you find yourself endlessly waiting for them to kiss. I found it so much fun, exciting and very much cute. I mean, it was also hilarious, as they are really a pair of average teenagers. Every page that went by you discovered more about him, and really, the plot become more daring.
Sixteen year-old Eden quickly became one of my personal favourite female protagonists. She was an unsuspecting heroine, and so relatable. One minute she is a normal teenager, studying for exams in a small countryside town - and the next she's thrown into world where Earth's existence in the future is something she is risking.
Not only is Eden smart, and holds her wit, she's funny, entertaining and realistic. There was also a very determined side to her, where you will find yourself rooting her on. Other times, she will have you laughing at some sarcastic comment. The way she accepted things I was in awe off. Ryan Westland is gorgeous, outgoing and mysterious. You get to know him a bit more and he is still just that.
This book is effortlessly gripping. I mean, this was just so good. As for shocks, and unexpected twists, it certainly had a few of those. On one occasion towards the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat. I can't really express why I liked it so much, but for some reason I couldn't put it down! The build up to the ending was shocking, and I can't wait to read the sequel.
The word I am really looking for is refreshing. It's completely new, exciting, unique. It has an interesting set of characters including a deadly villain and what about that cover? My only downside is the romance is a bit too sickly sweet - although cute.
Can we just take a moment to stare at that gorgeous cover? It's so vibrant.
I enjoyed this. No, I really enjoyed this. After Eden is a beautifully crafted, enthralling and exciting read. I fell in love with all of the characters, and couldn't get enough of the unique premise and plot. This was so good.
From the moment I opened this book, I fell in love with the setting - Perran. The descriptions were detailed, and I could picture all of the settings so vividly in my mind. I was able to slip into this world, and quite frankly, didn't want to leave. The writing is also beautiful, I completely adored it. I couldn't seem to get enough, and unlike most Science Fiction books, I learnt a lot from it. The constellations were really focused on, and the plot was perfectly paced.
The part of the novel that is about time-travel is so well understood, although it leaves you asking questions and wanting to know more. After Eden is completely unique. It packs Science Fiction, Romance and even a bit of Contemporary into one. Of course, there is the small subject of the romance between Ryan and Eden. Their romance builds up throughout the chapters, and you find yourself endlessly waiting for them to kiss. I found it so much fun, exciting and very much cute. I mean, it was also hilarious, as they are really a pair of average teenagers. Every page that went by you discovered more about him, and really, the plot become more daring.
Sixteen year-old Eden quickly became one of my personal favourite female protagonists. She was an unsuspecting heroine, and so relatable. One minute she is a normal teenager, studying for exams in a small countryside town - and the next she's thrown into world where Earth's existence in the future is something she is risking.
Not only is Eden smart, and holds her wit, she's funny, entertaining and realistic. There was also a very determined side to her, where you will find yourself rooting her on. Other times, she will have you laughing at some sarcastic comment. The way she accepted things I was in awe off. Ryan Westland is gorgeous, outgoing and mysterious. You get to know him a bit more and he is still just that.
This book is effortlessly gripping. I mean, this was just so good. As for shocks, and unexpected twists, it certainly had a few of those. On one occasion towards the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat. I can't really express why I liked it so much, but for some reason I couldn't put it down! The build up to the ending was shocking, and I can't wait to read the sequel.
The word I am really looking for is refreshing. It's completely new, exciting, unique. It has an interesting set of characters including a deadly villain and what about that cover? My only downside is the romance is a bit too sickly sweet - although cute.
December 17, 2013
2.5 stars.
I liked the sf part of the story fine, and could have enjoyed this one (though it was never going to be When You Reach Me level good), except for Eden herself, who struck me as vapid with a hefty helping of irritating.
Major irritation highlighted in the scene in which Eden, going to study* with her "best friend" Connor, but knowing she'll see Ryan after, puts on her "shortest skirt" and sprays herself head to toe with perfume. 1) She'll suffocate poor Connor when they're trying to study in his room; 2) Ryan has repeatedly warned her that Connor fancies Eden (who feels nothing but best-friendly affection towards him) and she's starting to believe him. Yet the way she dresses here is all about trying to attract Ryan and she doesn't seem to give a damn that Connor gets a pretty clear message, if not one intended for him; and finally, 3) When she does go to the pub after leaving Connor and the wildly impressive study-session, she's super bitchy about the girl who is trying to attract Ryan by -- oh, wait, she's wearing a short skirt and leaning over the snooker table - what a sluuuut. It's an unpleasant combination, to my mind.
I never really bought Eden herself, nor felt much of anything in the way of emotional depth from her (she's orphaned, and living with her aunt, who gave up -- something - law school maybe? to take care of her), so the whole ending, which should have been moving and tense, fell very flat.
*And btw, they're studying for A-level exams, which are like our Leaving Cert, state exams at the end of school which determine to a great degree whether you'll get into the university programme you want (or into any). These kids want to go to uni and yet the amount of study they did in the last few study weeks before the exams start was ridiculously small.
I liked the sf part of the story fine, and could have enjoyed this one (though it was never going to be When You Reach Me level good), except for Eden herself, who struck me as vapid with a hefty helping of irritating.
Major irritation highlighted in the scene in which Eden, going to study* with her "best friend" Connor, but knowing she'll see Ryan after, puts on her "shortest skirt" and sprays herself head to toe with perfume. 1) She'll suffocate poor Connor when they're trying to study in his room; 2) Ryan has repeatedly warned her that Connor fancies Eden (who feels nothing but best-friendly affection towards him) and she's starting to believe him. Yet the way she dresses here is all about trying to attract Ryan and she doesn't seem to give a damn that Connor gets a pretty clear message, if not one intended for him; and finally, 3) When she does go to the pub after leaving Connor and the wildly impressive study-session, she's super bitchy about the girl who is trying to attract Ryan by -- oh, wait, she's wearing a short skirt and leaning over the snooker table - what a sluuuut. It's an unpleasant combination, to my mind.
I never really bought Eden herself, nor felt much of anything in the way of emotional depth from her (she's orphaned, and living with her aunt, who gave up -- something - law school maybe? to take care of her), so the whole ending, which should have been moving and tense, fell very flat.
*And btw, they're studying for A-level exams, which are like our Leaving Cert, state exams at the end of school which determine to a great degree whether you'll get into the university programme you want (or into any). These kids want to go to uni and yet the amount of study they did in the last few study weeks before the exams start was ridiculously small.
January 10, 2014
I'll make this short and sweet.
So get this: Ryan's a 17 y/o alien (kind of) and a time traveler from the future. He was sent from the future to save the world! (The world, as in, our world: Earth.) But then things go awry when he unexpectedly "falls in love" with Eden... Then things get further complicated when Eden discovers the truth, which not only compromises the entire mission, but could possibly cause serious consequences, and ultimate bodily harm: death.
Sound fun?
It wasn't.
Interesting concept, but I just couldn't get behind the bland, flat characters, the instalove, the whiny, juvenile nature of the execution of it all, the ZERO chemistry b/w ALL the characters, the unbelievable "perfect date" Eden mentioned. Ew. Just ew. So cheesy and LAME. Blah and blah. It didn't help that I felt like this the whole time either:
So yeah...
I could have went with a more in depth review of the whys and hows of why you shouldn't give this book the time of day, but decided that I didn't want to waste any more time on this book. Good riddance! Blegh.
So get this: Ryan's a 17 y/o alien (kind of) and a time traveler from the future. He was sent from the future to save the world! (The world, as in, our world: Earth.) But then things go awry when he unexpectedly "falls in love" with Eden... Then things get further complicated when Eden discovers the truth, which not only compromises the entire mission, but could possibly cause serious consequences, and ultimate bodily harm: death.
Sound fun?
It wasn't.
Interesting concept, but I just couldn't get behind the bland, flat characters, the instalove, the whiny, juvenile nature of the execution of it all, the ZERO chemistry b/w ALL the characters, the unbelievable "perfect date" Eden mentioned. Ew. Just ew. So cheesy and LAME. Blah and blah. It didn't help that I felt like this the whole time either:
So yeah...
I could have went with a more in depth review of the whys and hows of why you shouldn't give this book the time of day, but decided that I didn't want to waste any more time on this book. Good riddance! Blegh.
December 20, 2013
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Sometimes book blurbs reveal way too little to the reader and the reader really has no idea what to expect from the book. Then there are books like After Eden, where you read the description and you have the entire plot mapped out clearly for the reader. I really feel as if the blurb for After Eden revealed way too much and that it should have been more ambiguous and enigmatic. There's really no fun in reading a book where the reader knows almost every plot element and there is little to be revealed.
After Eden is a quick, light read that I was immediately drawn into because of it's easy, accessible plot. Though it's about time travel, After Eden isn't overly scientific, complicated, and difficult to comprehend. After Eden is fun and fluffy, but I really don't think it's for science fiction aficionados because everything is extremely simplistic and pretty basic. There's truly nothing new in After Eden and it basically follows the basic plot outlines of most YA books.
We have the mysterious bad boy who comes to town and of course rumors circulate in this small town. Everyone wants to know who he is, why is he here, and if he'll go out with them. Obviously, this guy is drop dead handsome and insanely attractive because what YA male character isn't. Since this is a YA book, there are clearly more popular and attractive characters than our protagonist who are all vying for the attention of Ryan.
I really don't understand the significance of the love triangle in After Eden at all, it clearly doesn't work and it feels forced. The only legitimate reason that the love triangle was there was to challenge Eden because the girl who breaks Connor's heart will help usher in the destruction of Earth. Having a love triangle could have been ingenious if it had actually created some tension between Ryan and Eden. It seems like Eden has zero remorse that she could destroy Earth by having a crush on Ryan because the lives of 7 billion people isn't more important than some ridiculous infatuation! I would have expected that Eden to be slightly conflicted that she could cause an apocalypse.
After Eden lacks a bit of believability and I found it hard to put credence in Eden and Ryan's story. One of the clues that leads Eden to come to the conclusion that Ryan is not from modern times is that he has never heard of pizza and Adolf Hitler. What. I found it hard to believe that someone around a 100 or so years in the future will have never heard of Hitler, especially when the aforementioned person is supposed to be some genius. Adolf Hitler killed over 6 million people and yet, in the future, our protagonist knows nothing of the most evil man in history. Consider that in school, I have studied ancient history that's 1000s of years old, I find it hard to believe that Ryan has never heard of Hitler. There were plenty of other clues that made it evident that Ryan wasn't from modern times and so including the whole name dropping of Hitler felt extraneous.
After Eden has one of the most predictable story lines I've read recently and I figured out the plot without even reading the spoilery blurb. I hoped that the ending would be mindblowing or something worth while to interest me in the sequel, but the ending is just as bland as the rest of the book. Despite my ambivalent feelings toward this book, it was refreshing to read something that was light and extremely easy to read.
Sometimes book blurbs reveal way too little to the reader and the reader really has no idea what to expect from the book. Then there are books like After Eden, where you read the description and you have the entire plot mapped out clearly for the reader. I really feel as if the blurb for After Eden revealed way too much and that it should have been more ambiguous and enigmatic. There's really no fun in reading a book where the reader knows almost every plot element and there is little to be revealed.
After Eden is a quick, light read that I was immediately drawn into because of it's easy, accessible plot. Though it's about time travel, After Eden isn't overly scientific, complicated, and difficult to comprehend. After Eden is fun and fluffy, but I really don't think it's for science fiction aficionados because everything is extremely simplistic and pretty basic. There's truly nothing new in After Eden and it basically follows the basic plot outlines of most YA books.
We have the mysterious bad boy who comes to town and of course rumors circulate in this small town. Everyone wants to know who he is, why is he here, and if he'll go out with them. Obviously, this guy is drop dead handsome and insanely attractive because what YA male character isn't. Since this is a YA book, there are clearly more popular and attractive characters than our protagonist who are all vying for the attention of Ryan.
I really don't understand the significance of the love triangle in After Eden at all, it clearly doesn't work and it feels forced. The only legitimate reason that the love triangle was there was to challenge Eden because the girl who breaks Connor's heart will help usher in the destruction of Earth. Having a love triangle could have been ingenious if it had actually created some tension between Ryan and Eden. It seems like Eden has zero remorse that she could destroy Earth by having a crush on Ryan because the lives of 7 billion people isn't more important than some ridiculous infatuation! I would have expected that Eden to be slightly conflicted that she could cause an apocalypse.
After Eden lacks a bit of believability and I found it hard to put credence in Eden and Ryan's story. One of the clues that leads Eden to come to the conclusion that Ryan is not from modern times is that he has never heard of pizza and Adolf Hitler. What. I found it hard to believe that someone around a 100 or so years in the future will have never heard of Hitler, especially when the aforementioned person is supposed to be some genius. Adolf Hitler killed over 6 million people and yet, in the future, our protagonist knows nothing of the most evil man in history. Consider that in school, I have studied ancient history that's 1000s of years old, I find it hard to believe that Ryan has never heard of Hitler. There were plenty of other clues that made it evident that Ryan wasn't from modern times and so including the whole name dropping of Hitler felt extraneous.
After Eden has one of the most predictable story lines I've read recently and I figured out the plot without even reading the spoilery blurb. I hoped that the ending would be mindblowing or something worth while to interest me in the sequel, but the ending is just as bland as the rest of the book. Despite my ambivalent feelings toward this book, it was refreshing to read something that was light and extremely easy to read.
February 8, 2014
3.5 stars
(Source: I own a copy of this book.)
16-year-old Eden doesn’t fall all over herself when new boy Ryan starts at her school, but she can’t help but develop feelings when he seems to like her.
There’s something odd about Ryan though, and Eden can’t help but notice that he doesn’t know who Hitler is, and doesn’t know other everyday stuff either.
Why is Ryan different? And how long will it take Eden to figure it out?
This was an interesting YA story about love and duty.
Eden was an interesting character, although she did come across as slightly stupid at times. I mean who doesn’t realise that there are planets out there outside of our own solar system? Who finds a suspicious book and only reads the first chapter? Who gets drunk and lets important information slip out? (okay, I’ll give her that one.)
The storyline in this was okay, although it did move quite slowly. This book seemed to take a ridiculous amount of time to get through considering how short it was!
There was some romance, although I wasn’t exactly bowled over by it, but the mystery aspect was good.
The ending was okay, although it did leave some questions unanswered. I did like that we finally got a bit of action towards the end, but again I thought Eden was a little slow on guessing who ‘the cleaner’ was, and what would happen to her.
Overall; an enjoyable story,
7 out of 10.
(Source: I own a copy of this book.)
16-year-old Eden doesn’t fall all over herself when new boy Ryan starts at her school, but she can’t help but develop feelings when he seems to like her.
There’s something odd about Ryan though, and Eden can’t help but notice that he doesn’t know who Hitler is, and doesn’t know other everyday stuff either.
Why is Ryan different? And how long will it take Eden to figure it out?
This was an interesting YA story about love and duty.
Eden was an interesting character, although she did come across as slightly stupid at times. I mean who doesn’t realise that there are planets out there outside of our own solar system? Who finds a suspicious book and only reads the first chapter? Who gets drunk and lets important information slip out? (okay, I’ll give her that one.)
The storyline in this was okay, although it did move quite slowly. This book seemed to take a ridiculous amount of time to get through considering how short it was!
There was some romance, although I wasn’t exactly bowled over by it, but the mystery aspect was good.
The ending was okay, although it did leave some questions unanswered. I did like that we finally got a bit of action towards the end, but again I thought Eden was a little slow on guessing who ‘the cleaner’ was, and what would happen to her.
Overall; an enjoyable story,
7 out of 10.
September 17, 2016
Podľa anotácie je to romantické sci-fi. Vo skutočnosti je to len romantické :D
Autorka tam pridala sci-fi zápletku, aby kniha bola zaujímavejšia, ale nakoniec jej nevenovala toľko pozornosti, koľko mala. (Párkrát sa dobre poplietla v paradoxoch, v pravidlách cestovania časom a podobne - čiže veľké znalosti o tom nemala.) Mám pocit, že celé to cestovanie časom a misia z budúcnosti vôbec neboli dôležité a nezdalo sa, ako by Ryana (hlavného hrdinu) to nejak extra zaujímalo. On len zabíjal čas s Eden.
Kniha obsahovala toľko zbytočných opisov (fotky, šaty, ľudia, jazda autom...), pričom sci-fi veci (ktoré zaujímajú ľudí a kvôli ktorým čítajú túto knihu) neboli vôbec opísané. To ma teda poriadne naštvalo. A aj to, že kniha bez sci-fi je len obrovské klišé. Hlavná hrdinka má nového záhadného spolužiaka, ktorý všetku pozornosť venuje len jej (pričom je tam kopa dievča, ktoré oňho majú záujem). Na jednej hodine sú donútení spolupracovať. Lepšie sa spoznajú. Zamilujú sa do seba. A hlavná hrdina zistí o ňom "šokujúce" tajomstvo.
Nemáte deja vú pocit? Nie je o tomto náhodou každá druhá fantasy kniha?
Takže aj Eden zaraďujem medzi knihy, kde sa autorky snažili byť originálne, ale napokon sa kniha aj tak podoba na sto ďalších. :D
Autorka tam pridala sci-fi zápletku, aby kniha bola zaujímavejšia, ale nakoniec jej nevenovala toľko pozornosti, koľko mala. (Párkrát sa dobre poplietla v paradoxoch, v pravidlách cestovania časom a podobne - čiže veľké znalosti o tom nemala.) Mám pocit, že celé to cestovanie časom a misia z budúcnosti vôbec neboli dôležité a nezdalo sa, ako by Ryana (hlavného hrdinu) to nejak extra zaujímalo. On len zabíjal čas s Eden.
Kniha obsahovala toľko zbytočných opisov (fotky, šaty, ľudia, jazda autom...), pričom sci-fi veci (ktoré zaujímajú ľudí a kvôli ktorým čítajú túto knihu) neboli vôbec opísané. To ma teda poriadne naštvalo. A aj to, že kniha bez sci-fi je len obrovské klišé. Hlavná hrdinka má nového záhadného spolužiaka, ktorý všetku pozornosť venuje len jej (pričom je tam kopa dievča, ktoré oňho majú záujem). Na jednej hodine sú donútení spolupracovať. Lepšie sa spoznajú. Zamilujú sa do seba. A hlavná hrdina zistí o ňom "šokujúce" tajomstvo.
Nemáte deja vú pocit? Nie je o tomto náhodou každá druhá fantasy kniha?
Takže aj Eden zaraďujem medzi knihy, kde sa autorky snažili byť originálne, ale napokon sa kniha aj tak podoba na sto ďalších. :D
August 9, 2016
Skvělé čtení přečetla jsem ji dohromady za šest a půl hodiny včera tři a dnes tři a půl, ale vůbec jsem se od knihy nemohla odtrhnout. Čtyři hvězdičky dávám kvůli tomu, že na konci to bylo trošku přeslazený, ale jinak skvělé oddechové čtení na letní večery. Doporučuji. :)
March 25, 2015
I just had this lying around, and ugh... The voice of the protagonist was just so unrealistic to me. I just couldn't get into it. The sci-if aspect of it was the only decent factor for me. 2 stars.
November 3, 2013
*Received in exchange for an honest review*
*Thanks you Bloomsbury*
“I tried to imagine myself as an old lady, grey and wrinkled, with my life behind me. And suddenly I knew what I wanted. Not in the details, but the broad sweep of things. I wanted my life to be like one of my favourite books: a big, fat novel, each page filled with smallwritten words as though the only way to cram so much life in was to make the writing really small. I wanted to be brave, take risks, make a difference, fall in love. The characters would be colourful, the landscapes exotic. I wanted my life to be a page-turner.”
This was such a beautiful little book. A simple, time-travelling novel which had me fully immersed from the first page. This is one of those rare exceptions of YA literature which portrayed a romance which felt so comfortable to me. Most of the book is predictable (though I was surprised by one aspect) but that's part of what I loved. I was reading something familiar but with time travel involved. Time travel is still a fairly new area of literature to me, but I am really enjoying it so far. First All Our Yesterdays now After Eden, can't have gotten off to a better start really!
Helen Douglas' writing is really lovely. Her narrative is very poetical and it has some absolutely wonderful lines. As a debut this book is brilliant. It's fresh, fast-paced and captivating. I was held by her world building and loved that it was set somewhere that was relatively familiar; Cornwall. The story is very simple: Ryan has come back from the future in order to prevent an even occurring which has incredibly damaging consequences in the future. I really loved his character. He was fairly honest, not too goodie-goodie and someone I really enjoyed finding out about. I loved the relationship that developed between him and Eden as well and all of the symbolism behind certain aspects of the book.
I loved the character of Eden as well. She was so fresh and real. The friendship that she and another male character, Connor, was truly great. A friendship (without the feelings) that I once had in my childhood. I found myself pitying Connor as the story went on, but I also found him incredibly frustrating. He seemed so pushy and ridiculous. I have to give the author her props though, she definitely knows how to write teenage characters! I think that's why I didn't mind the fast pace of Ryan and Eden's relationship - when you're a teen everything happens so quickly and your first real relationship feels absolutely perfect. I thought it definitely added to the novel.
After Eden is a cute and wonderful little time travelling, YA book. It explores so many emotions: the characters are soon to be completing their GCSE's and leaving school as well as dealing with all of their teen emotions. It's a lovely read and I'll definitely be picking up the next one and am so glad that I got the chance to read this.
*Thanks you Bloomsbury*
“I tried to imagine myself as an old lady, grey and wrinkled, with my life behind me. And suddenly I knew what I wanted. Not in the details, but the broad sweep of things. I wanted my life to be like one of my favourite books: a big, fat novel, each page filled with smallwritten words as though the only way to cram so much life in was to make the writing really small. I wanted to be brave, take risks, make a difference, fall in love. The characters would be colourful, the landscapes exotic. I wanted my life to be a page-turner.”
This was such a beautiful little book. A simple, time-travelling novel which had me fully immersed from the first page. This is one of those rare exceptions of YA literature which portrayed a romance which felt so comfortable to me. Most of the book is predictable (though I was surprised by one aspect) but that's part of what I loved. I was reading something familiar but with time travel involved. Time travel is still a fairly new area of literature to me, but I am really enjoying it so far. First All Our Yesterdays now After Eden, can't have gotten off to a better start really!
Helen Douglas' writing is really lovely. Her narrative is very poetical and it has some absolutely wonderful lines. As a debut this book is brilliant. It's fresh, fast-paced and captivating. I was held by her world building and loved that it was set somewhere that was relatively familiar; Cornwall. The story is very simple: Ryan has come back from the future in order to prevent an even occurring which has incredibly damaging consequences in the future. I really loved his character. He was fairly honest, not too goodie-goodie and someone I really enjoyed finding out about. I loved the relationship that developed between him and Eden as well and all of the symbolism behind certain aspects of the book.
I loved the character of Eden as well. She was so fresh and real. The friendship that she and another male character, Connor, was truly great. A friendship (without the feelings) that I once had in my childhood. I found myself pitying Connor as the story went on, but I also found him incredibly frustrating. He seemed so pushy and ridiculous. I have to give the author her props though, she definitely knows how to write teenage characters! I think that's why I didn't mind the fast pace of Ryan and Eden's relationship - when you're a teen everything happens so quickly and your first real relationship feels absolutely perfect. I thought it definitely added to the novel.
After Eden is a cute and wonderful little time travelling, YA book. It explores so many emotions: the characters are soon to be completing their GCSE's and leaving school as well as dealing with all of their teen emotions. It's a lovely read and I'll definitely be picking up the next one and am so glad that I got the chance to read this.
March 24, 2014
3.5 stars
When the gorgeous new boy Ryan starts at her school Eden is just as attracted to him as the rest of the girls are but she is the only one who notices that there is something just not quite right about his reactions to certain things. How can a normal teenage boy not recognise pizza and surely everyone has heard of Hitler haven't they? The more time Eden spends with Ryan the more questions she has about him and she becomes determined to get to the bottom of his secret. She's in for quite a shock when she finds a book belonging to Ryan that is a biography of her best friend Connor - one that was written 50 years in the future. But if Ryan is a time traveller what interest could he possibly have in Connor and why is Eden the one he's been paying most attention to?
After Eden is a fab novel from British author Helen Douglas and it was a very quick and enjoyable read. I absolutely love stories about time travel and found it really interesting discovering why Ryan and his family had been sent back in time. I don't want to say too much about it because it's better if you can uncover the plot for yourselves but it was a bit different to the other time travel stories I've read so it's nice to read something a little more unique.
I think what I really enjoyed about the story was the interactions between Eden and Ryan, I love the fact that although they're attracted to each other from the beginning there isn't any case of insta love here. They become friends first and their romance is a slow build which makes a nice change compared to a lot of other YA books. They were actually really sweet together and I enjoyed spending time with them. The other thing I liked was Eden's friendship with Connor, they have been best friends for a long time now and apart from a misunderstanding towards the end of the book where I found myself a little annoyed with Connor, they really had each other's backs for most of the story.
I have to admit it took me a little while to get around to reading After Eden but in a way I'm glad I left it so late because now I don't have too long to wait for the sequel, Chasing Stars, which comes out this summer. I'm looking forward to discovering what happens next because there were some very interesting developments at the end of this one.
When the gorgeous new boy Ryan starts at her school Eden is just as attracted to him as the rest of the girls are but she is the only one who notices that there is something just not quite right about his reactions to certain things. How can a normal teenage boy not recognise pizza and surely everyone has heard of Hitler haven't they? The more time Eden spends with Ryan the more questions she has about him and she becomes determined to get to the bottom of his secret. She's in for quite a shock when she finds a book belonging to Ryan that is a biography of her best friend Connor - one that was written 50 years in the future. But if Ryan is a time traveller what interest could he possibly have in Connor and why is Eden the one he's been paying most attention to?
After Eden is a fab novel from British author Helen Douglas and it was a very quick and enjoyable read. I absolutely love stories about time travel and found it really interesting discovering why Ryan and his family had been sent back in time. I don't want to say too much about it because it's better if you can uncover the plot for yourselves but it was a bit different to the other time travel stories I've read so it's nice to read something a little more unique.
I think what I really enjoyed about the story was the interactions between Eden and Ryan, I love the fact that although they're attracted to each other from the beginning there isn't any case of insta love here. They become friends first and their romance is a slow build which makes a nice change compared to a lot of other YA books. They were actually really sweet together and I enjoyed spending time with them. The other thing I liked was Eden's friendship with Connor, they have been best friends for a long time now and apart from a misunderstanding towards the end of the book where I found myself a little annoyed with Connor, they really had each other's backs for most of the story.
I have to admit it took me a little while to get around to reading After Eden but in a way I'm glad I left it so late because now I don't have too long to wait for the sequel, Chasing Stars, which comes out this summer. I'm looking forward to discovering what happens next because there were some very interesting developments at the end of this one.
July 19, 2013
Eden meets new boy Ryan and he is kind of strange. When Eden accidentally brings home a book called My Journey to Eden written by Connor she learns that Ryan is from the future. Ryan knows that Connor gets his heart broken by Eden and then discovers the planet and names it after her. Ryan has to stop that from happening. Most things were well explained. Like I was wondering how that would help since someone else could discover it but Ryan explains that it is only visible about every 800 years.
Ryan honestly didn't seem like the best person to send for this important mission to save the world. He spent his time trying to get to know Eden and flirt with her even though he knows Connor is into her. Connor is the one that gets his heart broken and discovers the planet so shouldn't he be pushing Eden towards him?!?! I don't know it seemed kind of ridiculous that someone on such an important mission would immediately make Connor hate him and want nothing to do with him. In the end he wasn't even there and literally did nothing for the mission! He was nice enough but he didn't leave too big of an impression on me.
Connor was a sweet guy and I felt bad for him. Eden was naive and even when Ryan told her Connor was into her she still didn't believe it. She did care for him a lot. Everything ends up working out a bit too perfect but I do love a happy ending. While the characters didn't leave a long lasting impression I love time travel and space and the plot otherwise had my attention. I read it in one night and did enjoy myself.
---
Connor smiled and leaned toward me. "He's not out of your league. You're beautiful."
I couldn't speak. I thought back to what Ryan had said just a few minutes earlier.
"So what sort of girls do you like?" I asked, embarrassed.
"Are you flirting with me?" he grinned.
"Please! You're young enough to be my great-grandson."
*I borrowed an ARC and this in no way affects my review*
Ryan honestly didn't seem like the best person to send for this important mission to save the world. He spent his time trying to get to know Eden and flirt with her even though he knows Connor is into her. Connor is the one that gets his heart broken and discovers the planet so shouldn't he be pushing Eden towards him?!?! I don't know it seemed kind of ridiculous that someone on such an important mission would immediately make Connor hate him and want nothing to do with him. In the end he wasn't even there and literally did nothing for the mission! He was nice enough but he didn't leave too big of an impression on me.
Connor was a sweet guy and I felt bad for him. Eden was naive and even when Ryan told her Connor was into her she still didn't believe it. She did care for him a lot. Everything ends up working out a bit too perfect but I do love a happy ending. While the characters didn't leave a long lasting impression I love time travel and space and the plot otherwise had my attention. I read it in one night and did enjoy myself.
---
Connor smiled and leaned toward me. "He's not out of your league. You're beautiful."
I couldn't speak. I thought back to what Ryan had said just a few minutes earlier.
"So what sort of girls do you like?" I asked, embarrassed.
"Are you flirting with me?" he grinned.
"Please! You're young enough to be my great-grandson."
*I borrowed an ARC and this in no way affects my review*
November 15, 2013
17 % into the book and what is it about till now?
Ryan is gorgeous. (Every girl wants to date Ryan)
Ryan has beautiful muscles (Does he lift?)
Ryan can draw (Eden can’t).
Ryan knows a lot about astronomy (but not about history).
Ryan is vegetarian (What a coincidence - Eden is too)
Ryan is Mary Sue and the story/plot in this book is like Waldo - you can’t find it. It is about how amazing Ryan is and how normal is Eden. And he seems to like her against all common sense. (How exciting).
I think I will go back to men eating aliens. At least there was some action.
edit: plot holes and cheap romance everywhere
Ryan is gorgeous. (Every girl wants to date Ryan)
Ryan has beautiful muscles (Does he lift?)
Ryan can draw (Eden can’t).
Ryan knows a lot about astronomy (but not about history).
Ryan is vegetarian (What a coincidence - Eden is too)
Ryan is Mary Sue and the story/plot in this book is like Waldo - you can’t find it. It is about how amazing Ryan is and how normal is Eden. And he seems to like her against all common sense. (How exciting).
I think I will go back to men eating aliens. At least there was some action.
edit: plot holes and cheap romance everywhere
June 23, 2013
LOVE,LOVE,LOVE!
I'm an unrepentant romance junkie and a sci-fi lover to boot, so this book was right up my alley. Eden and Ryan were so incredibly sweet together! The mystery behind Ryan's presence kept me turning the pages and guessing (incorrectly) until I wound up finishing the book in a day. And THANK YOU, Helen, for giving me a satisfying ending. No cliffhangers here! (Woot!)
I'm an unrepentant romance junkie and a sci-fi lover to boot, so this book was right up my alley. Eden and Ryan were so incredibly sweet together! The mystery behind Ryan's presence kept me turning the pages and guessing (incorrectly) until I wound up finishing the book in a day. And THANK YOU, Helen, for giving me a satisfying ending. No cliffhangers here! (Woot!)
December 15, 2015
Contemporary parts that reminded me of my own school days but NOT in a bad way, a realistic, authentic setting I could picture clearly, genuine characters, pretty darn cool story, and cute romance. This book has everything.
October 28, 2013
This review and others are posted at Inspiring Insomnia.
I enjoy stories about time travel, but one of my big challenges can be trying to wrap my mind around the science. Often, an author's explanation can be so complex that I eventually give up trying to figure out whether the author has covered all the bases involving the paradoxes of time travel. In After Eden, Helen Douglas keeps the science simple and accessible, but there were some plot points that didn't make sense. For just one example that happened to be mentioned in the synopsis, would someone a mere 100 years in the future not know who Hitler is? Think about what we know today about rulers who existed thousands of years in the past. This might seem like a small point to nitpick, but Ryan is the time traveler whose ignorance of Hitler is referenced numerous times throughout the book, and it's one of the things that makes Eden question the veracity of his background. I'm puzzled by the author's decision to include this in the story; it seems sloppy, and the plot could have easily moved forward without it.
OK, now that I got that off my chest, I did enjoy After Eden. Ryan has traveled back in time to prevent a catastrophe. He must pose as a high school student while disguising his true purpose. Eden and Ryan are both nice, polite, and completely unexceptional. (Well, excluding Ryan's whole time travel thing.) It's no surprise that they quickly become attracted to each other, and their relationship is sweet, if not a tad boring. Eden must also handle her relationship with her best friend, Connor, who seems to want to transition their relationship beyond friendship. Connor is one of the big missteps in this story. I'm not sure what Eden finds appealing enough in him to label him as a best friend. His main characteristic is his jealousy of Ryan, and Eden must continually swat him away like a pesky fly. Maybe he's a great guy, and he had a personality transplant the moment Ryan hit the scene, but this is not made clear. As with the Hitler reference, I'm puzzled why the author portrayed him in this manner.
Problems aside, this is an easy, light read with pleasant characters, except for the Big Bad who every reader will identify long before Eden and Ryan do. The ending was a bit sappy and highly predictable, but still sweet and satisfying.
Note - I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoy stories about time travel, but one of my big challenges can be trying to wrap my mind around the science. Often, an author's explanation can be so complex that I eventually give up trying to figure out whether the author has covered all the bases involving the paradoxes of time travel. In After Eden, Helen Douglas keeps the science simple and accessible, but there were some plot points that didn't make sense. For just one example that happened to be mentioned in the synopsis, would someone a mere 100 years in the future not know who Hitler is? Think about what we know today about rulers who existed thousands of years in the past. This might seem like a small point to nitpick, but Ryan is the time traveler whose ignorance of Hitler is referenced numerous times throughout the book, and it's one of the things that makes Eden question the veracity of his background. I'm puzzled by the author's decision to include this in the story; it seems sloppy, and the plot could have easily moved forward without it.
OK, now that I got that off my chest, I did enjoy After Eden. Ryan has traveled back in time to prevent a catastrophe. He must pose as a high school student while disguising his true purpose. Eden and Ryan are both nice, polite, and completely unexceptional. (Well, excluding Ryan's whole time travel thing.) It's no surprise that they quickly become attracted to each other, and their relationship is sweet, if not a tad boring. Eden must also handle her relationship with her best friend, Connor, who seems to want to transition their relationship beyond friendship. Connor is one of the big missteps in this story. I'm not sure what Eden finds appealing enough in him to label him as a best friend. His main characteristic is his jealousy of Ryan, and Eden must continually swat him away like a pesky fly. Maybe he's a great guy, and he had a personality transplant the moment Ryan hit the scene, but this is not made clear. As with the Hitler reference, I'm puzzled why the author portrayed him in this manner.
Problems aside, this is an easy, light read with pleasant characters, except for the Big Bad who every reader will identify long before Eden and Ryan do. The ending was a bit sappy and highly predictable, but still sweet and satisfying.
Note - I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2013
After Eden is a PHENOMENAL read! I have to say that I am starting to love this sci-fi dystopian genre because it has all the elements in it that make for a great movie or even TV show. In after Eden we get to meet Ryan, Eden, and Connor. These are three main characters of the story and what a story it is. I love time travel and I love a love triangle and in this case it all fits in just right because of the way the story unfolds.
We start the book out where Connor and Eden are at a club partying and Eden is dancing when Connor decides he is going to dance with her. While dancing Connor starts to kiss Eden and she tells him no because he is her best friend and she does not like him in a romantic way. Connor is pissed off to say the least because he is in love with Eden and wants them to be more than friends. I say this not to give to much away but this is the beginning of the story. See Connor is brilliant and he is destined to make a discovery that will ruin the world as they know it. He will discover this new planet right after he leaves the club broken hearted by the only girl he has ever loved Eden.
Soon summer is over and Eden and the gang go back to school where Eden meets the new boy Ryan who is a little weird to say the least but he is drop dead gorgeous. All the girls are in love with him and try to get him to notice them but he is not interested. It seems like he is interested in Eden and she can't figure out why. She is nothing special and she is not gorgeous like some of the other girls but she soon finds out why Ryan is so attached to her. Soon Eden finds out why Ryan acts weird and has a weird accent. When Ryan tells Eden the truth she doesn't believe it at first but soon realizes that it is true. Then Ryan asks her for help and he tells her what she needs to do and she is shocked at first but then agrees to help him out. She knows she may lose her best friend in the process but it is either her best friend or the planet.......
We start the book out where Connor and Eden are at a club partying and Eden is dancing when Connor decides he is going to dance with her. While dancing Connor starts to kiss Eden and she tells him no because he is her best friend and she does not like him in a romantic way. Connor is pissed off to say the least because he is in love with Eden and wants them to be more than friends. I say this not to give to much away but this is the beginning of the story. See Connor is brilliant and he is destined to make a discovery that will ruin the world as they know it. He will discover this new planet right after he leaves the club broken hearted by the only girl he has ever loved Eden.
Soon summer is over and Eden and the gang go back to school where Eden meets the new boy Ryan who is a little weird to say the least but he is drop dead gorgeous. All the girls are in love with him and try to get him to notice them but he is not interested. It seems like he is interested in Eden and she can't figure out why. She is nothing special and she is not gorgeous like some of the other girls but she soon finds out why Ryan is so attached to her. Soon Eden finds out why Ryan acts weird and has a weird accent. When Ryan tells Eden the truth she doesn't believe it at first but soon realizes that it is true. Then Ryan asks her for help and he tells her what she needs to do and she is shocked at first but then agrees to help him out. She knows she may lose her best friend in the process but it is either her best friend or the planet.......
April 29, 2015
Audio Review
Helen Douglas first book is a triumph.
After Eden is a young teen Sci-fi novel set in a modern time frame in Cornwall UK. The main character Eden is a normal run of the mill teenage girl who suffers the same teenage angst as the majority of girls so is easy to relate to.
One day a drop dead gorgeous new boy called Ryan Westland sets hearts a flutter at her school. He seems interested in Eden, and they slowly become friends. However Eden raises suspicion about Ryan, as he seems to have gaps in his knowledge about everyday things such as food and important events in history.
This story has an interesting plot and an element of time travel all set in a teenage setting. I really liked the character Conner, he was besotted with Eden, and although you could tell by the way he was written that he was a good guy, the little bursts of evilness that came from him were a delight to read.
Anna Parker-Naples is my favourite narrator, and her interpretation of the text is simply stunning. She has a vast range of characters voices, and she seems able to pull a new one out a hat in a masterful way.
The story takes you through a range of emotions from excitement to fear and keeps you on the edge of your seat as its s interesting. It is also full of some interesting facts about space and the solar system.
A really satisfying ending and a toughly good listen. I would highly recommend it. Anna performance is pure class and very entertaining.
Helen Douglas first book is a triumph.
After Eden is a young teen Sci-fi novel set in a modern time frame in Cornwall UK. The main character Eden is a normal run of the mill teenage girl who suffers the same teenage angst as the majority of girls so is easy to relate to.
One day a drop dead gorgeous new boy called Ryan Westland sets hearts a flutter at her school. He seems interested in Eden, and they slowly become friends. However Eden raises suspicion about Ryan, as he seems to have gaps in his knowledge about everyday things such as food and important events in history.
This story has an interesting plot and an element of time travel all set in a teenage setting. I really liked the character Conner, he was besotted with Eden, and although you could tell by the way he was written that he was a good guy, the little bursts of evilness that came from him were a delight to read.
Anna Parker-Naples is my favourite narrator, and her interpretation of the text is simply stunning. She has a vast range of characters voices, and she seems able to pull a new one out a hat in a masterful way.
The story takes you through a range of emotions from excitement to fear and keeps you on the edge of your seat as its s interesting. It is also full of some interesting facts about space and the solar system.
A really satisfying ending and a toughly good listen. I would highly recommend it. Anna performance is pure class and very entertaining.
May 14, 2013
Loved it.
Ryan is a brilliant character – even as a male reader the love interest part had me turning the pages – and by the time Eden started working out his true identity and his reason for being at school, I was totally hooked.
This is sci-fi for people who also like their fantasy to have some roots in a real, believable world.
Full of complications – love, saving the world, and not totally messing up your life and alienating all your friends. Tricky stuff - but Helen Douglas has pulled it off and created a story I didn't want to put down.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the next book in this series.
Definitely one to read.
Ryan is a brilliant character – even as a male reader the love interest part had me turning the pages – and by the time Eden started working out his true identity and his reason for being at school, I was totally hooked.
This is sci-fi for people who also like their fantasy to have some roots in a real, believable world.
Full of complications – love, saving the world, and not totally messing up your life and alienating all your friends. Tricky stuff - but Helen Douglas has pulled it off and created a story I didn't want to put down.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the next book in this series.
Definitely one to read.
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