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Eden
Dark secrets and psychological suspense unfold over a half-century in the lives of a deeply troubled yet tightly woven Louisiana family.
It has been thirty years since Evelyn Yates's sister disappeared mysteriously from their home in tiny rural Eden, Louisiana, and twenty since Evelyn fled Louisiana trying to escape the demons of her childhood. In present-day California she struggles to care for her teenage daughter and manage the considerable stressors of her own complicated life. She is stunned to receive a call from the sheriff in Eden.
Construction crews working on the site of her childhood home have made a hideous discovery. They have unearthed the decades-old remains of a girl, strands of hair and clothing still attached to the bones. Evelyn is devastated by the phone call. The Eden coroner informs her officials there suspect the remains may be those of her sister.
Evelyn, who has mentally reduced her childhood to a series of blotchy Images and fragmented memories, fears something sinister may await her in Eden. Perhaps something she is unable to remember. She has no desire to return. Her fragile internal world is suddenly threatened with collapse by this discovery and the pressure to return home to help identify the remains.
The discovery of the body sets in motion a series of events leading inevitably to the uncovering of secrets dating back multiple generations; terrible events that may involve the entire town of Eden. As Evelyn pursues the answers to the mysteries presented she finds her sanity, her life, and the life of her daughter threatened. She must face truths about her mother, Gwen, and her father as well as the rest of her family. Ultimately she must peel back the layers of her own consciousness, face her memories, and delve deeper into painful questions about her sister, and finally herself.
Eden is a complex novel. Set against a background thick and sensuous with Southern beauty and imagery-the the live oak and Spanish moss and cypress swamps play roles nearly as big as the characters themselves-the book explores the devastating nature of secrets When played as a silent conspiracy between generations and yet the ultimate power of love to overcome.
It has been thirty years since Evelyn Yates's sister disappeared mysteriously from their home in tiny rural Eden, Louisiana, and twenty since Evelyn fled Louisiana trying to escape the demons of her childhood. In present-day California she struggles to care for her teenage daughter and manage the considerable stressors of her own complicated life. She is stunned to receive a call from the sheriff in Eden.
Construction crews working on the site of her childhood home have made a hideous discovery. They have unearthed the decades-old remains of a girl, strands of hair and clothing still attached to the bones. Evelyn is devastated by the phone call. The Eden coroner informs her officials there suspect the remains may be those of her sister.
Evelyn, who has mentally reduced her childhood to a series of blotchy Images and fragmented memories, fears something sinister may await her in Eden. Perhaps something she is unable to remember. She has no desire to return. Her fragile internal world is suddenly threatened with collapse by this discovery and the pressure to return home to help identify the remains.
The discovery of the body sets in motion a series of events leading inevitably to the uncovering of secrets dating back multiple generations; terrible events that may involve the entire town of Eden. As Evelyn pursues the answers to the mysteries presented she finds her sanity, her life, and the life of her daughter threatened. She must face truths about her mother, Gwen, and her father as well as the rest of her family. Ultimately she must peel back the layers of her own consciousness, face her memories, and delve deeper into painful questions about her sister, and finally herself.
Eden is a complex novel. Set against a background thick and sensuous with Southern beauty and imagery-the the live oak and Spanish moss and cypress swamps play roles nearly as big as the characters themselves-the book explores the devastating nature of secrets When played as a silent conspiracy between generations and yet the ultimate power of love to overcome.
455 pages, ebook
First published April 23, 2020
506 people are currently reading
2773 people want to read
About the author
W.A. Schwartz
4 books75 followersW.A. Schwartz is a psychiatrist and author of poetry, short stories and novels. Her work has been given special mention by the literary journal Glimmer Train (2018) and been long-listed for the Alexander Chee Short Fiction Prize (2020). She was born in Berkeley and raised in California. She spent many years working and living in New Orleans with her husband, a native of Louisiana. She holds a BS in biochemistry and an MD from the University of California. She studied literature at UC Davis and novel writing at Stanford. Currently, she lives in Northern California with her husband and children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
September 2, 2020
This story started out very, very slow. Nothing really happened until the ~40% mark, which is frustrating considering this is almost 500 pages. I had a difficult time getting into this book at first because there are SO MANY different viewpoints, characters, story lines, timeline-hopping, etc. I think I would have preferred some of the content to be trimmed. There were many side stories that I assumed would come together in the end (which they mostly did), but I think the book would have been stronger by just leaving some of the side plots out to strengthen the main story instead. Overall though, the story was pretty good and had a lot of potential. I was on the edge of my seat during some bits. Multiple trigger warnings that I didn't initially expect that potentially could disturb readers: murder, rape, self harm, child abuse, child sex abuse, suicide, etc.
I did dock a star because the editing could have used some help. I barely noticed any issues throughout the first half of the book, but by the end of the book there were errors on almost every page.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I did dock a star because the editing could have used some help. I barely noticed any issues throughout the first half of the book, but by the end of the book there were errors on almost every page.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
June 13, 2020
What an excellent book. I loved everything about it. It was brilliantly written with such strong characters that you could totally believe in. The way the author used such descriptive language when depicting the scenery, the weather, the people, everything was so detailed it was as though you were there. The storyline gently built up to an excellent ending. This book is fairly long but you really don’t realise as it is made up of lots of short chapters that jumped between the past and the present and also between the different characters’ viewpoints and experiences. This creates a totally gripping storyline that you have to completely immerse yourself in and that I found very difficult to put down. I received this free copy from Voracious Readers Only and I am so glad that I did. I totally recommend that you also lose yourself within this sad, disturbing, gripping story.
June 11, 2021
I do everything I can to support other independent writers, and I have read so many good books by not yet famous authors that I don't think I'm ever going to go back to the "bestseller list." This was another winner by an author who deserves a lot more recognition. Eden was a great book from beginning to end. It didn't follow the typical pattern and the characters were not the same old, same old. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
June 15, 2020
This novel had me on a roller coaster of emotions. I felt sad, worried, happy, scared at all times. Set in a small county in Louisiana, Eden, we learn that it has a host of secrets that span decades. Evelyn is forced to return home to Eden to help identify remains found behind her former home. As Evelyn comes to terms with what happened all those years ago. Through flashbacks and journal entries, we learn the story. I would highly recommend it. i received this book for free and I am voluntarily leaving this review.
May 15, 2020
La Louisiane
Mesmerizing tale...gripping throughout! As a native of Louisiana, I found this author described the commonplace, unexceptional view of my world as a magical, mysterious place. Treasure trove of characters, some too familiar.
Mesmerizing tale...gripping throughout! As a native of Louisiana, I found this author described the commonplace, unexceptional view of my world as a magical, mysterious place. Treasure trove of characters, some too familiar.
June 9, 2020
Eden by W.A. Schwartz starts out slow and jumps around from past to present quite a bit, so it keeps you on your toes with fragments of Evelyn’s memory or imagination, leaving you trying to separate the lies and the truths. I can usually figure out the plot and come to some type of conclusion before the last chapter, however, Eden has unending twists that will have your head spinning with shocking discoveries right up to the end and leaving me baffled. I found myself wondering about a few of the characters, so maybe the Author has plans to write another book making it into a series. I received this book from the Author via Voracious Readers and am leaving my honest review. JKSlovestoread/JudyKU/LuvsKU/Judy Samson
May 17, 2020
Intersection between small town, mental health & family relationships in a psychological thriller
Note: I was provided a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Eden had a bit of everything that came together to form a long, but quick-moving read with short chapters that bounced between character voices and historical perspectives in journal entries. It was a complex read with a lot of information to absorb and kept me engaged throughout.
The flaws of the characters made them feel real although at times the extremes of their personalities and behaviors made them hard to relate to. Overall, I was invested in the characters and needed the satisfaction of the conclusion, which had some genuine, unexpected moments that I enjoyed.
Potential trigger warnings: the book tackles mental health from a variety of angles, describes self-inflicted wounds, mentions rape and details crime scenes.
Note: I was provided a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Eden had a bit of everything that came together to form a long, but quick-moving read with short chapters that bounced between character voices and historical perspectives in journal entries. It was a complex read with a lot of information to absorb and kept me engaged throughout.
The flaws of the characters made them feel real although at times the extremes of their personalities and behaviors made them hard to relate to. Overall, I was invested in the characters and needed the satisfaction of the conclusion, which had some genuine, unexpected moments that I enjoyed.
Potential trigger warnings: the book tackles mental health from a variety of angles, describes self-inflicted wounds, mentions rape and details crime scenes.
July 8, 2024
A well written mystery novel that is set both in the past and present. Written from multiple perspectives, which made the book extremely interesting to read. It was gripping from beginning to end and I was impressed with how descriptive the writing was. Although I wasn’t fond of Evelyn at the beginning, as the story moved along I began to like her resilience and resolve. Loved how it all tied together in the end - it had me guessing until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I read this novel.
May 14, 2020
Complete concentration needed
This was an extremely detail oriented book with so many moving parts one needed to stay focused for the long run. There were so many times I wanted to give up. Just forget about finishing, but something about the story kept pulling me back. I had to know the truth, had to know the who and the why. Needed to understand the secrets. Glad I stuck with it because the ending came out of left field. If your looking for quick and easy read this is definitely not it, but it's a worthy read.
This was an extremely detail oriented book with so many moving parts one needed to stay focused for the long run. There were so many times I wanted to give up. Just forget about finishing, but something about the story kept pulling me back. I had to know the truth, had to know the who and the why. Needed to understand the secrets. Glad I stuck with it because the ending came out of left field. If your looking for quick and easy read this is definitely not it, but it's a worthy read.
July 2, 2020
Captivating story, so many cliffhangers and twists! It's like a puzzle that comes together slowly. I found it a little hard to follow sometimes because there's so many perspectives. Should come with a trigger warnings for mental health and related issues though.
I received a copy for review through voraciousreaders
I received a copy for review through voraciousreaders
May 13, 2020
An intelligent, fast-based thriller with well-drawn sympathetic, flawed characters and authentic southern Louisiana atmosphere. A great read-into-late night novel.
July 4, 2020
I enjoyed reading this book. It pulls you in to see what happens next.
May 29, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the author's use of the different view points from the different characters and the diary entries scattered in.
This definitely isn't light reading but I highly recommend if you enjoy twists, turns and dark, family drama.
This definitely isn't light reading but I highly recommend if you enjoy twists, turns and dark, family drama.
May 23, 2022
Very gripping.
Paces up so very well and works on elements of the story precisely.
Good for the readers finding a fast read and an immersive story.
Paces up so very well and works on elements of the story precisely.
Good for the readers finding a fast read and an immersive story.
July 19, 2020
This book.......
Was very good. Kept you guessing up to the end. I was a bit distracted by the poor proof-reading and editing, as there were numerous grammatical errors.
Was very good. Kept you guessing up to the end. I was a bit distracted by the poor proof-reading and editing, as there were numerous grammatical errors.
September 9, 2022
The author has a great voice and the story was captivating but some plot points were confusing/didn't make sense.
December 19, 2020
I knew from the first chapter that this was not going to be for me. But I felt obliged to read it. I received a copy from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.
It is a story populated exclusively with unlikable, staggeringly messed up people. I feel like I should find some compassion for many of them (because of how they were victimized) but I can't. I don't have the patience. And the redemption arc between the protagonist and her daughter just wasn't quite enough to change my mind.
There was a highly improbable insta-romance that felt both out of place and like "of COURSE there is..." because it's that sort of book. Of course the investigating officer has sex with the severely alcoholic next-of-kin/suspect?/victim?/protagonist the day after they met after a single half-drunk conversation. And before he's known her a week (with few interactions) he thinks "He couldn’t let his rapidly evolving feelings for her cloud his judgement. She was intelligent, funny, mysterious, beautiful, complex, sensitive, passionate and weirdly kind but he had stop focusing on all that."
Ugh. It was just too much for me. Things happened quickly and out of nowhere, not just the superfluous love story.
The story had the potential to be really interesting, but I think it could have used a few more edits and maybe another 30 pages, because there was a lot that could have used expanding upon in order to make sense. And then there was the completely out of nowhere twist near the end. I don't mean that in a good way. There was absolutely no indication at all that one character was going to be a villain. Like, a twist like that only works if when you read it you go "ooooh! I should have known!" because there were subtle, easily missed clues. This just kind of happened.
It just felt underdeveloped and incomplete to me, both in terms of character and plot development. Also, there was a surprising amount of incorrect comma usage.
Three stars because the concept was solid and it had potential.
It is a story populated exclusively with unlikable, staggeringly messed up people. I feel like I should find some compassion for many of them (because of how they were victimized) but I can't. I don't have the patience. And the redemption arc between the protagonist and her daughter just wasn't quite enough to change my mind.
There was a highly improbable insta-romance that felt both out of place and like "of COURSE there is..." because it's that sort of book. Of course the investigating officer has sex with the severely alcoholic next-of-kin/suspect?/victim?/protagonist the day after they met after a single half-drunk conversation. And before he's known her a week (with few interactions) he thinks "He couldn’t let his rapidly evolving feelings for her cloud his judgement. She was intelligent, funny, mysterious, beautiful, complex, sensitive, passionate and weirdly kind but he had stop focusing on all that."
Ugh. It was just too much for me. Things happened quickly and out of nowhere, not just the superfluous love story.
The story had the potential to be really interesting, but I think it could have used a few more edits and maybe another 30 pages, because there was a lot that could have used expanding upon in order to make sense. And then there was the completely out of nowhere twist near the end. I don't mean that in a good way. There was absolutely no indication at all that one character was going to be a villain. Like, a twist like that only works if when you read it you go "ooooh! I should have known!" because there were subtle, easily missed clues. This just kind of happened.
It just felt underdeveloped and incomplete to me, both in terms of character and plot development. Also, there was a surprising amount of incorrect comma usage.
Three stars because the concept was solid and it had potential.
August 18, 2020
3.8/5.
I received Eden through the Voracious Reader's Program.
First, Eden has some intensely tense writing, which is great in a psychological thriller. The way WA Schwartz unwound the unstable mental state atmosphere was convincing and absorbing. I think that alone made Eden one of the better books I've received through VR. The story itself was twisty, and I couldn't figure out the whodunnit until it was revealed. I also appreciated that the author approached dark subjects without being unnecessarily graphic.
I almost didn't get into the book, though. The beginning 10% could probably be shortened to a single chapter to great effect. All that 10% did was establish how terrible Evelyn is as a mother, which was accomplished throughout the rest of the story.
I agree with another reviewer that the typos/grammatical mistakes are regular and somewhat distracting. A runthrough edit would do the novel a lot of good. I think the biggest complaint should be with the ending, though. It wraps up much too quickly. That big finale moment was relatively short for the length of the book. Lastly, the quickie romance seemed unnecessary for either character development or the plot.
I received Eden through the Voracious Reader's Program.
First, Eden has some intensely tense writing, which is great in a psychological thriller. The way WA Schwartz unwound the unstable mental state atmosphere was convincing and absorbing. I think that alone made Eden one of the better books I've received through VR. The story itself was twisty, and I couldn't figure out the whodunnit until it was revealed. I also appreciated that the author approached dark subjects without being unnecessarily graphic.
I almost didn't get into the book, though. The beginning 10% could probably be shortened to a single chapter to great effect. All that 10% did was establish how terrible Evelyn is as a mother, which was accomplished throughout the rest of the story.
I agree with another reviewer that the typos/grammatical mistakes are regular and somewhat distracting. A runthrough edit would do the novel a lot of good. I think the biggest complaint should be with the ending, though. It wraps up much too quickly. That big finale moment was relatively short for the length of the book. Lastly, the quickie romance seemed unnecessary for either character development or the plot.
January 29, 2021
The fact that it took me over a month to finish this one, not out of lack of time, etc, but because of lack of interest, speaks volumes. I found ‘Eden’ to be too long and the story dragged. I also didn’t find the characters to be all that interesting and I found one of the main characters, Evelyn, to be a frustrating voice. She’s suffering from alcoholism based on a traumatic event related to her older sister Carolyn’s death decades before. I could feel for Evelyn based on that sad event alone but nothing really happens to her character (and the story) until about halfway though the story. A majority of the story up until that halfway point is just Evelyn being defiant against facts and going on and on which made the story drag.
Overall, I unfortunately didn’t enjoy this one and I had to force myself to go ahead finish it. The writing was decent which was a plus, however, the lukewarm characters didn’t aid a slow and, ultimately unsatisfying, story.
Rating/ 2/5 stars.
*thanks for Voracious Readers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Overall, I unfortunately didn’t enjoy this one and I had to force myself to go ahead finish it. The writing was decent which was a plus, however, the lukewarm characters didn’t aid a slow and, ultimately unsatisfying, story.
Rating/ 2/5 stars.
*thanks for Voracious Readers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
August 9, 2020
I received a free Kindle copy of this book via the Goodreads Giveaways program and would like to thank anyone involved in making that happen.
My rating on this is 3.5 stars, rounded up.
The town of Eden has some seriously dark and disturbing secrets and I enjoyed the journey to uncover them. The mystery captivated me and kept me turning the pages, hungry to find out more. My biggest complaint is that this book really needs some proofreading. There are quite a few errors, mostly missing or inappropriately used punctuation or missing or wrong words. At first, it didn't seem that bad but the frequency of errors increased towards the end of the book to the point that it was really irritating me and pulling me out of the story.
My rating on this is 3.5 stars, rounded up.
The town of Eden has some seriously dark and disturbing secrets and I enjoyed the journey to uncover them. The mystery captivated me and kept me turning the pages, hungry to find out more. My biggest complaint is that this book really needs some proofreading. There are quite a few errors, mostly missing or inappropriately used punctuation or missing or wrong words. At first, it didn't seem that bad but the frequency of errors increased towards the end of the book to the point that it was really irritating me and pulling me out of the story.
April 13, 2021
I sought this book out after reading 'the weight of water' also by this author and thought it was amazing from start to finish. You fall in love with the characters and race from chapter to chapter to find out the story of their lives. This story follows the life of Evelyn as she is trying to find out the truth about what happened to her mother and sister and the style of writing the author uses really brings the story alive, I cannot recommended this enough definitely one for everyones reading list
June 9, 2020
Excellent book with very well-drawn characters. A page turner. Though from a woman's point of view it is not a "woman's book." Very good Southern noir without all of the cliches of the too many poorly-done examples in that genre. A very promising writer from whom I want to read more.
February 7, 2024
🌟 4.5 rounded up to 5 🌟
This is a wonderfully written novel. The descriptions of Eden and the other areas in Louisiana are remarkable. The small town of Eden plays such a large part in the book that it comes across as the main character! And so, never having set foot in the southern states (I'm from England), the level of descriptive detail Schwartz goes into was so needed (and welcomed!) to set the scenes.
There are A LOT of timelines, locations, diary entries, memories etc. And on top of this they are all written from multiple POVs. This can get a bit confusing as so many characters are mentioned via so many different POVs. Stick with it - it'll all come right in the end!
One thing that did jump out to me is that this book really should come with trigger warnings. I don't have any triggers myself but as Eden covers so many potentially triggering topics, I am surprised there is no authors note. TWs that should be included are for alcoholism/addiction, self-harm, suicide, rape, trafficking, child abuse and probably more.
These topics, however, are relevant to the storylines. They're not just added in for "shock value" or to make the novel "edgy". They are difficult topics handled in a way that isn't graphic or overly descriptive, but apt avenues for the plot(s) to develop.
I'm usually one for a short (<300 page) fast-paced thriller, so Eden is a bit out of my comfort zone. Thankfully, the chapters are short (there's over 110 chapters!) and so it's comfortable and not overwhelming to read. There's nothing like seeing "time left in chapter: 45 minutes" to make you want to give up!
Eden can be a little slow at times as there are quite a few subplots. I did find myself skim reading some of the parts that didn't seem pertinent to the main storyline.
The characters are very well fleshed out - particularly Evelyn and Libby - but even the smaller characters are engaging and have some background. Evelyn is a difficult character to empathise with in the beginning which I found off putting as she is so central to the story. But as time went on, it became clear why Evelyn is the way she is and it is easier to root for her.
Overall Eden was a refreshing change to my usual read - beautiful imagery, wonderfully deep storylines, and characters and plenty of plot to sink your teeth into. It's certainly not fast-paced. I usually zip through a 300-page novel in a day. I took me three days to get through Eden's 450+ pages. It is much deeper and a more "literary" read than your run-of-the-mill mystery/thriller. So, if you want a novel you can really settle down and get into, Eden is for you!
This is a wonderfully written novel. The descriptions of Eden and the other areas in Louisiana are remarkable. The small town of Eden plays such a large part in the book that it comes across as the main character! And so, never having set foot in the southern states (I'm from England), the level of descriptive detail Schwartz goes into was so needed (and welcomed!) to set the scenes.
There are A LOT of timelines, locations, diary entries, memories etc. And on top of this they are all written from multiple POVs. This can get a bit confusing as so many characters are mentioned via so many different POVs. Stick with it - it'll all come right in the end!
One thing that did jump out to me is that this book really should come with trigger warnings. I don't have any triggers myself but as Eden covers so many potentially triggering topics, I am surprised there is no authors note. TWs that should be included are for alcoholism/addiction, self-harm, suicide, rape, trafficking, child abuse and probably more.
These topics, however, are relevant to the storylines. They're not just added in for "shock value" or to make the novel "edgy". They are difficult topics handled in a way that isn't graphic or overly descriptive, but apt avenues for the plot(s) to develop.
I'm usually one for a short (<300 page) fast-paced thriller, so Eden is a bit out of my comfort zone. Thankfully, the chapters are short (there's over 110 chapters!) and so it's comfortable and not overwhelming to read. There's nothing like seeing "time left in chapter: 45 minutes" to make you want to give up!
Eden can be a little slow at times as there are quite a few subplots. I did find myself skim reading some of the parts that didn't seem pertinent to the main storyline.
The characters are very well fleshed out - particularly Evelyn and Libby - but even the smaller characters are engaging and have some background. Evelyn is a difficult character to empathise with in the beginning which I found off putting as she is so central to the story. But as time went on, it became clear why Evelyn is the way she is and it is easier to root for her.
Overall Eden was a refreshing change to my usual read - beautiful imagery, wonderfully deep storylines, and characters and plenty of plot to sink your teeth into. It's certainly not fast-paced. I usually zip through a 300-page novel in a day. I took me three days to get through Eden's 450+ pages. It is much deeper and a more "literary" read than your run-of-the-mill mystery/thriller. So, if you want a novel you can really settle down and get into, Eden is for you!
November 12, 2020
Full Disclosure: I was provided a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
This novel really surprised me and had me hooked by the first few chapters, I was finding myself staying up later than I should have been each night reading due not wanting to put the book down.
A well written psychological thriller set in a small community in native Louisiana that will give the reader a view of a dark and sinister side of life that can exist in a way that many of us would find hard to imagine. Evalyn, a character deeply affected by her past experiences of a complicated family life that was intwined with tragedy and horror, is forced to not only face her own past but while doing so uncovers a sinister and disturbing history involving the community of Eden.
WA Schwartz has managed to bring together a group of characters who in one way or another are dealing with their own torments and sadness, which in many ways is the result of being associated with a major crime and this mystery will keep you guessing right until the end with many twists and turns along the way. My only suggestion would be to remove the story line of the daughter as I found that with the explosive and intriguing story of Evalyn and the other characters associated with Eden, the daughters character at times seems to be an afterthought. While I understand the significance her character plays in highlighting that experiences that have affected past generations of a family can also have a deep impact on the next, I found myself to be frustrated every time the storyline would leave Eden to focus on the daughter. However in saying that I would highly recommend this book to my friends.
This novel really surprised me and had me hooked by the first few chapters, I was finding myself staying up later than I should have been each night reading due not wanting to put the book down.
A well written psychological thriller set in a small community in native Louisiana that will give the reader a view of a dark and sinister side of life that can exist in a way that many of us would find hard to imagine. Evalyn, a character deeply affected by her past experiences of a complicated family life that was intwined with tragedy and horror, is forced to not only face her own past but while doing so uncovers a sinister and disturbing history involving the community of Eden.
WA Schwartz has managed to bring together a group of characters who in one way or another are dealing with their own torments and sadness, which in many ways is the result of being associated with a major crime and this mystery will keep you guessing right until the end with many twists and turns along the way. My only suggestion would be to remove the story line of the daughter as I found that with the explosive and intriguing story of Evalyn and the other characters associated with Eden, the daughters character at times seems to be an afterthought. While I understand the significance her character plays in highlighting that experiences that have affected past generations of a family can also have a deep impact on the next, I found myself to be frustrated every time the storyline would leave Eden to focus on the daughter. However in saying that I would highly recommend this book to my friends.
July 13, 2021
(Disclaimer: I got a free ebook of this title for review from Voracious Readers Only)
Intriguing.
Evelyn is called back to her home town of Eden when bones believed to be her sister Carolyn are discovered. But her sister died in a hospital for "difficult children" when Evelyn was only 10 years old.
Secrets from the past are revealed in this book as Evelyn's memories of what happened when she was a child start to re-emerge. An alcoholic father and mentally unstable mother are just the beginning. The small town has many secrets. As Evelyn discovers what really happened all those years ago in Eden, she struggles with her own relationship with alcohol, while her teenage daughter is back home with her own problems - an errant father, teenage angst and a rebellious streak.
I don't know why but I wasn't expecting this to be as good as it was. It was my first book from Voracious Readers Only so I didn't really know what to expect. But this was well written, with some good characters and a good story. Some surprises and twists.
It took a while for me to get really gripped but as it picked up I really got into it and raced through the last third of the book.
If you like a mystery thriller,I would recommend this.
Intriguing.
Evelyn is called back to her home town of Eden when bones believed to be her sister Carolyn are discovered. But her sister died in a hospital for "difficult children" when Evelyn was only 10 years old.
Secrets from the past are revealed in this book as Evelyn's memories of what happened when she was a child start to re-emerge. An alcoholic father and mentally unstable mother are just the beginning. The small town has many secrets. As Evelyn discovers what really happened all those years ago in Eden, she struggles with her own relationship with alcohol, while her teenage daughter is back home with her own problems - an errant father, teenage angst and a rebellious streak.
I don't know why but I wasn't expecting this to be as good as it was. It was my first book from Voracious Readers Only so I didn't really know what to expect. But this was well written, with some good characters and a good story. Some surprises and twists.
It took a while for me to get really gripped but as it picked up I really got into it and raced through the last third of the book.
If you like a mystery thriller,I would recommend this.
August 15, 2020
What an excellent book! Full disclosure I got a free e-copy of this book from the author (through Voracious Readers) in exchange for an honest review.
A beautifully executed thriller! Kept me guessing right until the end and had so many twists and turns I didn’t know which characters I could trust.
Schwartz cleverly and sensitively covered themes such as alcohol addiction, child trafficking and mental health. They were all a valid part of the storyline - there was no unnecessary filler in this novel.
The characters were well developed and multi dimensional which helped me as the reader to connect with them all individually.
I also particularly loved the description of the Louisiana landscape it really added an extra layer of mystery and bleakness to the novel. I loved how the atmosphere changed along with how the characters were feeling mirroring them throughout the book.
My only criticism is that I felt the book ended too abruptly and I would of liked a little more in conclusion to some of the smaller subplots.
Overall an thoroughly enjoyable read would recommend to anyone who loves to cosy up with a riveting crime thriller. 4.5⭐️
A beautifully executed thriller! Kept me guessing right until the end and had so many twists and turns I didn’t know which characters I could trust.
Schwartz cleverly and sensitively covered themes such as alcohol addiction, child trafficking and mental health. They were all a valid part of the storyline - there was no unnecessary filler in this novel.
The characters were well developed and multi dimensional which helped me as the reader to connect with them all individually.
I also particularly loved the description of the Louisiana landscape it really added an extra layer of mystery and bleakness to the novel. I loved how the atmosphere changed along with how the characters were feeling mirroring them throughout the book.
My only criticism is that I felt the book ended too abruptly and I would of liked a little more in conclusion to some of the smaller subplots.
Overall an thoroughly enjoyable read would recommend to anyone who loves to cosy up with a riveting crime thriller. 4.5⭐️
October 25, 2020
Wow so good. This psychological thriller drew me in right from the very first page! The characters are great, sad in their own ways each dealing with their own torments, and believable, of whom I felt that I quickly came to understand within the first few chapters. This is a well written book with well developed characters and a setting described in a way where you can feel the heat of the sweltering sun and envision the landscape perfectly.
This book is written in multiple character perspectives and jumping timelines, which is something I really enjoy in books because we get to discover the backstory while the current story is playing out, this one jumps around quite a bit though so focus is needed to keep up.
The story drip feeds tantalising bits and pieces as you go along, giving you enough to get your heart pumping as excitement builds toward answers but gives you only enough to have a taste, and then keep your interest so peaked that you must keep reading. The suspense is very well done. I could not put this book down!
I received a complimentary copy of this book via the author in return for an honest review and I’m so glad I did, it was a great read
This book is written in multiple character perspectives and jumping timelines, which is something I really enjoy in books because we get to discover the backstory while the current story is playing out, this one jumps around quite a bit though so focus is needed to keep up.
The story drip feeds tantalising bits and pieces as you go along, giving you enough to get your heart pumping as excitement builds toward answers but gives you only enough to have a taste, and then keep your interest so peaked that you must keep reading. The suspense is very well done. I could not put this book down!
I received a complimentary copy of this book via the author in return for an honest review and I’m so glad I did, it was a great read
October 29, 2021
Evelyn is summoned home to Eden, the small town she had escaped as soon as she was able. She has spent her life trying to drink away the memories of her childhood. A mother who had committed suicide, a sister who died in a mental hospital, and a father who withdrew into the bottle. The call from the sheriff insisting that she return makes no sense, though. A body has been found near the farm where she grew up, and authorities believe it is her sister. Evelyn is confident in her memories of seeing her sister taken away to the mental hospital, though. Threats against her begin to spiral; clearly, there is someone or someones who do not want the truth to come out. Meanwhile, Evelyn's teen daughter Libby is back h0me falling into her own self destructive behaviors.
The book has a good beginning and builds with revelations that memories aren't all they're cracked up to be, and people are great liars when they need to be. Roots of the conspiracies run deep, but all are connected in the end.
I was sent this book free in exchange for a review. i do wonder if I was sent an advance reader copy, as I found quite a few errors in punctuation and word usage...
The book has a good beginning and builds with revelations that memories aren't all they're cracked up to be, and people are great liars when they need to be. Roots of the conspiracies run deep, but all are connected in the end.
I was sent this book free in exchange for a review. i do wonder if I was sent an advance reader copy, as I found quite a few errors in punctuation and word usage...
December 29, 2020
I was hooked from the first page of this book! The story is so interesting and the narrative progresses in such a flush and smooth way. One of my favourite things in a novel is a plot twist and this book definitely delivered! There was such an effective balance between things the reader could connect themselves and things that were so surprising that, at one point, I literally gasped aloud!
Tension and suspense is created in an effective and interesting manner, as well. I really enjoyed how Schwartz picked up the pace of the narrative using shorter chapters and then did the opposite when slowing down the pace again. I've seen this in novels before, but here it was done extremely well.
My one grievance, though, is lack of variation of puncutation. There are plenty of instances where the sentences would be much more rich if, instead of a mere full stop, the author used, for example, a semi-colon or a full colon or even a comma. There is an excessive use of full stops, in my opinion, to try and add tension and slow the pace of the story down, but a lot of the time it feels misplaced. There's also, in my opinion, too many conjunctions used in certain sentences. In one sentence alone I counted four or five uses of "and"!
Despite this, however, I really loved the way Schwartz describes an area / the setting. It's written perfectly: not too much nor too little said. And the imagery is beautiful. For example: Carolyn is described to look like a "garden fairy" at one point and the way she is described to look is so soft and pretty. I found that Schwartz favours similes, which is something I thoroughly enjoyed. I also noted and loved the reoccurring imagery and metaphor of the cicada and how its connotations of rebirth, renewal, and transformation paired perfectly the narrative.
Tension and suspense is created in an effective and interesting manner, as well. I really enjoyed how Schwartz picked up the pace of the narrative using shorter chapters and then did the opposite when slowing down the pace again. I've seen this in novels before, but here it was done extremely well.
My one grievance, though, is lack of variation of puncutation. There are plenty of instances where the sentences would be much more rich if, instead of a mere full stop, the author used, for example, a semi-colon or a full colon or even a comma. There is an excessive use of full stops, in my opinion, to try and add tension and slow the pace of the story down, but a lot of the time it feels misplaced. There's also, in my opinion, too many conjunctions used in certain sentences. In one sentence alone I counted four or five uses of "and"!
Despite this, however, I really loved the way Schwartz describes an area / the setting. It's written perfectly: not too much nor too little said. And the imagery is beautiful. For example: Carolyn is described to look like a "garden fairy" at one point and the way she is described to look is so soft and pretty. I found that Schwartz favours similes, which is something I thoroughly enjoyed. I also noted and loved the reoccurring imagery and metaphor of the cicada and how its connotations of rebirth, renewal, and transformation paired perfectly the narrative.
January 1, 2021
I recently received a complimentary copy of Eden from Voracious Readers Only. I would describe the book as a psychological thriller with a mystery guiding the story. I enjoyed this book very much because of the characters as much as the mystery it contained. The book is entirely written in first person and jumps between two major characters as well as some minor ones, and the character from whose point of view you are reading is always clearly identified. I liked knowing what was happening through the eyes of those involved and did not find the style confusing at all. Be warned, however, that themes many might find disturbing are covered and important to the plot and character development in this book. These disturbing themes include alcoholism, PTSD, cutting, and rape, as well as the expected murders. If you like psychology, and studying the darkness and despair that can be hidden deep in a person's consciouseness, then this book is for you. I read this book with rapt attention in a single sitting one night.
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