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Children of Eden #1
Children of Eden
The electrifying #1 New York Times bestselling debut novel from YouTube sensation Joey Graceffa dares to ask the question: What would you do in order to survive if your very existence were illegal?
Rowan is a second child in a world where population control measures make her an outlaw, marked for death. She can never go to school, make friends, or get the eye implants that will mark her as a true member of Eden.
Outside of Eden, Earth is poisoned and dead. All animals and most plants have been destroyed by a man-made catastrophe. Long ago, the brilliant scientist Aaron Al-Baz saved a pocket of civilization by designing the EcoPanopticon, a massive computer program that hijacked all global technology and put it to use preserving the last vestiges of mankind. Humans will wait for thousands of years in Eden until the EcoPan heals the world.
As an illegal second child, Rowan has been hidden away from the ruthless Center government in her family’s compound for sixteen years. Now, desperate to see the world, she recklessly escapes for what she swears will be only one night of adventure. Though she finds an exotic world, and even a friend, the night leads to tragedy. Soon Rowan becomes a renegade on the run.
An instant #1 New York Times bestseller, Children of Eden is a thrilling and completely absorbing work from one of social media’s brightest young storytellers. Taking the genre of dystopian fiction far beyond where it has traveled before, viral sensation Joey Graceffa’s first novel introduces us to an empowering and endearing young protagonist and a world that contains as many perils as it does illuminating surprises, perfect for fans of the Divergent and Maze Runner series.
Rowan is a second child in a world where population control measures make her an outlaw, marked for death. She can never go to school, make friends, or get the eye implants that will mark her as a true member of Eden.
Outside of Eden, Earth is poisoned and dead. All animals and most plants have been destroyed by a man-made catastrophe. Long ago, the brilliant scientist Aaron Al-Baz saved a pocket of civilization by designing the EcoPanopticon, a massive computer program that hijacked all global technology and put it to use preserving the last vestiges of mankind. Humans will wait for thousands of years in Eden until the EcoPan heals the world.
As an illegal second child, Rowan has been hidden away from the ruthless Center government in her family’s compound for sixteen years. Now, desperate to see the world, she recklessly escapes for what she swears will be only one night of adventure. Though she finds an exotic world, and even a friend, the night leads to tragedy. Soon Rowan becomes a renegade on the run.
An instant #1 New York Times bestseller, Children of Eden is a thrilling and completely absorbing work from one of social media’s brightest young storytellers. Taking the genre of dystopian fiction far beyond where it has traveled before, viral sensation Joey Graceffa’s first novel introduces us to an empowering and endearing young protagonist and a world that contains as many perils as it does illuminating surprises, perfect for fans of the Divergent and Maze Runner series.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2016
1014 people are currently reading
15616 people want to read
About the author
Joey Graceffa
11 books1,139 followersJoey Graceffa is one of the fastest-growing personalities on YouTube. A popular brand ambassador, he has partnered with Topshop, Audible, eBay, and H&R Block. In 2013, between his daily vlogs and gameplay videos, Joey produced and starred in his own Kickstarter–funded supernatural series, “Storytellers,” for which he won a Streamy Award. He also starred in The Amazing Race on CBS and returned in 2014 for the all-star edition. He grew up with his family in Boston before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,405 reviews
July 18, 2017
Warning: this review is going to be very nerdy. Read at your own risk.
I am the shameful second child who never should have come into this world at all. —Rowan
It's an undeniable truth that dystopian novels have lost their popularity nowadays. The age of The Hunger Games has been over for quite a while now. I myself have been consuming a lot of fantasy and contemporary books, which tend to be more refreshing than their dystopian peers. With that in mind, Children of Eden might just rekindle the world's need for dystopian literature.
The moment I saw this book on Tasha Polis's BookTube, I wanted to check it out immediately. I honestly did not know anything about Joey Graceffa, but I was intrigued by the idea/reality of a YouTube celebrity writing a legit, dystopian novel. Of course, like most booknerds, I was also beguiled by the gorgeous cover. Still, my expectations were neither high nor low; I merely hoped that my 19 dollars would not go to waste.
Now, I am happy to say that I did enjoy Children of Eden. Although it featured a typical, post-apocalyptic dystopia (which hid under the guise of a utopia), I loved Joey Graceffa's application of Post-Structuralism, which is a body of knowledge that analyzes the delineation of surveillance in literature. In more nerdy terms, I was impressed by the author's exploration of the Panopticon, a hypothetical, circular prison wherein an all-knowing and omnipresent entity strips people of their privacy. If we still aren't on the same page, just think about the Big Brother reality show.
In Children of Eden, society is governed by an animated form of technology called the EcoPanopticon (EcoPan). This centralized, technological entity is described to be maternal, in that it supposedly provides for the needs of every citizen. Rowan, the protagonist, becomes uncomfortable when she realizes that she can never escape the withering gaze of the EcoPan. This lack of everyday privacy logically prevents her from being herself throughout the novel. It was very easy for me to sympathize with her plight. After all, I myself already find it very difficult to read in libraries which are frustratingly equipped with CCTV cameras.
Besides the EcoPan, Rowan also suffers under the surveillance of countless Greenshirts or policemen. Furthermore, since her existence as a second child is forbidden, she is constrained to stay at home, constantly monitored by her paranoid parents. Overall, Rowan is virtually a prisoner in the aforementioned Panopticon, doomed to a life where she can never embrace her own identity. I'm not sure if Joey Graceffa intended his work to be critiqued in such an erudite manner. Nevertheless, I hope that by utilizing literary theories, I have unveiled its beauty.
The second thing I loved about this book was its subtle similarity to Red Rising, which is one of my favorite books of all time. Children of Eden also had a major plot twist that boggled my mind to bits. That bomb of a cliff hanger made me want to jump in both ecstasy and disdain. I would not be surprised if Joey Graceffa and Pierce Brown were best friends.
I initially intended to give Children of Eden 4 stars because of its academic value, but I suddenly remembered my occasional moments of boredom and drowsiness. Seriously, half of the book is dedicated to world building. Eden is a very complex society, so its history and mechanics are extensively explained to the point that the story becomes uneventful. It's pretty ironic how it took me almost a month to finish such a short novel.
All things considered, I applaud Joey Graceffa for doing a job well done. It's not every day that we get to see YouTube stars publish novels that are actually worth our time and money. If you're a helpless nerd like me, you will definitely enjoy this book. Just try your best not to be annoyed by the slow pacing.
I am the shameful second child who never should have come into this world at all. —Rowan
It's an undeniable truth that dystopian novels have lost their popularity nowadays. The age of The Hunger Games has been over for quite a while now. I myself have been consuming a lot of fantasy and contemporary books, which tend to be more refreshing than their dystopian peers. With that in mind, Children of Eden might just rekindle the world's need for dystopian literature.
The moment I saw this book on Tasha Polis's BookTube, I wanted to check it out immediately. I honestly did not know anything about Joey Graceffa, but I was intrigued by the idea/reality of a YouTube celebrity writing a legit, dystopian novel. Of course, like most booknerds, I was also beguiled by the gorgeous cover. Still, my expectations were neither high nor low; I merely hoped that my 19 dollars would not go to waste.
Now, I am happy to say that I did enjoy Children of Eden. Although it featured a typical, post-apocalyptic dystopia (which hid under the guise of a utopia), I loved Joey Graceffa's application of Post-Structuralism, which is a body of knowledge that analyzes the delineation of surveillance in literature. In more nerdy terms, I was impressed by the author's exploration of the Panopticon, a hypothetical, circular prison wherein an all-knowing and omnipresent entity strips people of their privacy. If we still aren't on the same page, just think about the Big Brother reality show.
In Children of Eden, society is governed by an animated form of technology called the EcoPanopticon (EcoPan). This centralized, technological entity is described to be maternal, in that it supposedly provides for the needs of every citizen. Rowan, the protagonist, becomes uncomfortable when she realizes that she can never escape the withering gaze of the EcoPan. This lack of everyday privacy logically prevents her from being herself throughout the novel. It was very easy for me to sympathize with her plight. After all, I myself already find it very difficult to read in libraries which are frustratingly equipped with CCTV cameras.
Besides the EcoPan, Rowan also suffers under the surveillance of countless Greenshirts or policemen. Furthermore, since her existence as a second child is forbidden, she is constrained to stay at home, constantly monitored by her paranoid parents. Overall, Rowan is virtually a prisoner in the aforementioned Panopticon, doomed to a life where she can never embrace her own identity. I'm not sure if Joey Graceffa intended his work to be critiqued in such an erudite manner. Nevertheless, I hope that by utilizing literary theories, I have unveiled its beauty.
The second thing I loved about this book was its subtle similarity to Red Rising, which is one of my favorite books of all time. Children of Eden also had a major plot twist that boggled my mind to bits. That bomb of a cliff hanger made me want to jump in both ecstasy and disdain. I would not be surprised if Joey Graceffa and Pierce Brown were best friends.
I initially intended to give Children of Eden 4 stars because of its academic value, but I suddenly remembered my occasional moments of boredom and drowsiness. Seriously, half of the book is dedicated to world building. Eden is a very complex society, so its history and mechanics are extensively explained to the point that the story becomes uneventful. It's pretty ironic how it took me almost a month to finish such a short novel.
All things considered, I applaud Joey Graceffa for doing a job well done. It's not every day that we get to see YouTube stars publish novels that are actually worth our time and money. If you're a helpless nerd like me, you will definitely enjoy this book. Just try your best not to be annoyed by the slow pacing.
February 27, 2017
Oh boy. Where do I start?
First, I was bored out of my mind the entire time I read this. It took me well around four hours to get through the 300 page tome. And I swear, there was a point where I closed the book and just sat there staring out into the void. I'm trying to understand my own dislike. What are my grievances? Why am I being so negative?
Well, first, I don't like the writing. I just don't. The fake curse words peppered in throughout were just distracting and took away from the gravity of the plot. It became humorous to read the characters exclaiming "bik" or some shit like that during what were meant to be emotionally devastating situations.
Second, the plot is generic and formulaic. It seemed as if, instead of letting the characters and plot develop organically through the writing process, the writer(s) decided upon certain elements and wrote around them. For instance, as in many, many, many, many, many YA novels, there is a preoccupation with eyes. In this story, it is a major plot point in which people of Eden get fitted with lenses that make them look "flat," or in other words, generic, normal human eyes. But our unique snowflakes, the second-born, have "kaleidoscope" eyes. Then there is, of course, the government that is lying to everyone. Classic. Then there are the pubescent children who somehow, through great adversity, are able to break into government buildings and take down armed guards. Of course, what's a story without love (or, at the very least, affection) that is immediate and unwarranted. But as a cherry atop this very bland sundae, there's a bisexual love triangle.
What really gnaws on me most is that all of this would be fine, if there was some subtlety in the writing. No characters announcing exactly how they feel. No rambling musings of the main character that are so devoid of...ugh, I don't even know what they're devoid of. It's just very amateurish. As much as I wanted to like it, I just couldn't.
I understand why stories like this are so popular. It mirrors our fears, our own mistrusts. And, I think, all of us, adults or not, feel powerless against the larger scheme of things. Personally, I feel helpless against injustices, against politicians and corporations who seem to disregard the greater good in exchange for money and power. I mean, if the 4.6 billion year existence of Earth was scaled down to 4 years, humans have only been here for 4 hours. And in 4 hours we've managed to pretty much destroy the planet. So we read stories about teens who live in dystopias and fight for justice to get away from our own dystopia. I get it. I like dystopian fiction for that reason. But I also love literature and language. I like good writing. In the 4 hours humanity has been here, language may be the best thing we've come up with. Language is what helps us persevere against all odds. So, when I read fiction, especially YA books, I become critical. I think we deserve much more than just formulaic stories that are clumsily written, devoid of real-ness and humanity just meant to rake in the big bucks from readers and, yeah, fans.
Big picture, the story is intriguing. Yes. I'll give you that. But if the devil's in the details, then this story is the Pope's diary. Yep. I said it. And if that metaphor seems clumsy to you, because it is, then you know what you have waiting for you between the pages of The Children of Eden. Good luck.
First, I was bored out of my mind the entire time I read this. It took me well around four hours to get through the 300 page tome. And I swear, there was a point where I closed the book and just sat there staring out into the void. I'm trying to understand my own dislike. What are my grievances? Why am I being so negative?
Well, first, I don't like the writing. I just don't. The fake curse words peppered in throughout were just distracting and took away from the gravity of the plot. It became humorous to read the characters exclaiming "bik" or some shit like that during what were meant to be emotionally devastating situations.
Second, the plot is generic and formulaic. It seemed as if, instead of letting the characters and plot develop organically through the writing process, the writer(s) decided upon certain elements and wrote around them. For instance, as in many, many, many, many, many YA novels, there is a preoccupation with eyes. In this story, it is a major plot point in which people of Eden get fitted with lenses that make them look "flat," or in other words, generic, normal human eyes. But our unique snowflakes, the second-born, have "kaleidoscope" eyes. Then there is, of course, the government that is lying to everyone. Classic. Then there are the pubescent children who somehow, through great adversity, are able to break into government buildings and take down armed guards. Of course, what's a story without love (or, at the very least, affection) that is immediate and unwarranted. But as a cherry atop this very bland sundae, there's a bisexual love triangle.
What really gnaws on me most is that all of this would be fine, if there was some subtlety in the writing. No characters announcing exactly how they feel. No rambling musings of the main character that are so devoid of...ugh, I don't even know what they're devoid of. It's just very amateurish. As much as I wanted to like it, I just couldn't.
I understand why stories like this are so popular. It mirrors our fears, our own mistrusts. And, I think, all of us, adults or not, feel powerless against the larger scheme of things. Personally, I feel helpless against injustices, against politicians and corporations who seem to disregard the greater good in exchange for money and power. I mean, if the 4.6 billion year existence of Earth was scaled down to 4 years, humans have only been here for 4 hours. And in 4 hours we've managed to pretty much destroy the planet. So we read stories about teens who live in dystopias and fight for justice to get away from our own dystopia. I get it. I like dystopian fiction for that reason. But I also love literature and language. I like good writing. In the 4 hours humanity has been here, language may be the best thing we've come up with. Language is what helps us persevere against all odds. So, when I read fiction, especially YA books, I become critical. I think we deserve much more than just formulaic stories that are clumsily written, devoid of real-ness and humanity just meant to rake in the big bucks from readers and, yeah, fans.
Big picture, the story is intriguing. Yes. I'll give you that. But if the devil's in the details, then this story is the Pope's diary. Yep. I said it. And if that metaphor seems clumsy to you, because it is, then you know what you have waiting for you between the pages of The Children of Eden. Good luck.
October 4, 2016
3.5 Stars!
I wasn't familiar with the author in any capacity, either as an author of his biography last year or a “YouTube sensation” instead, I picked this up based on the intriguing synopsis and the allure of the cover.
And while I wouldn't say this was a completely original story line, it did have some originality and it was a very entertaining one that had small twists and turns throughout the story that kept me on my toes and turning the pages.
Set in a dystopian world that was every bit as believable as it was easy to imagine, it didn't take me long to get pulled into the story and become curious about the new world and Eden itself.
Filled with what if's and questions, this story was intriguing and kept me interested until the very end. And while not all my questions were answered and not everything explained, I am hoping that they will be in the next books to come.
Overall this was a fun story that was too far fetched or imagined and one that I think fans of the genre and Joey himself, will enjoy.
*ARC copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
I wasn't familiar with the author in any capacity, either as an author of his biography last year or a “YouTube sensation” instead, I picked this up based on the intriguing synopsis and the allure of the cover.
And while I wouldn't say this was a completely original story line, it did have some originality and it was a very entertaining one that had small twists and turns throughout the story that kept me on my toes and turning the pages.
Set in a dystopian world that was every bit as believable as it was easy to imagine, it didn't take me long to get pulled into the story and become curious about the new world and Eden itself.
Filled with what if's and questions, this story was intriguing and kept me interested until the very end. And while not all my questions were answered and not everything explained, I am hoping that they will be in the next books to come.
Overall this was a fun story that was too far fetched or imagined and one that I think fans of the genre and Joey himself, will enjoy.
*ARC copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Want to read
January 18, 2018Has anyone read this??
The author is an amazing YouTuber so yah, definitely interested XD
The author is an amazing YouTuber so yah, definitely interested XD
February 7, 2017
*3.5*
I enjoyed the characters, but the world and plot were a little strange, especially toward the end.
I enjoyed the characters, but the world and plot were a little strange, especially toward the end.
October 26, 2018
Full Review on my blog!
I used to watch Joey, from when he had 100k subscribers, but now I hardly even watch YouTube. I had seen Children of Eden the video he posted, and the synopsis sounded interesting enough that I eventually picked it up. There are two things that should be noted about this book before picking it up. The first being that it isn’t written solely by Joey. I know there is no indication on the cover, it clearly states on the title page that it was written with Laura L. Sullivan. And the second thing, while this book is ostensibly a standalone, it really is not. The story does not end with any kind of resolution and actually leaves more questions than have been answered. I know there is a second book that was released a few months ago, whether I read it, is the question..
“But alone is good. Alone is safe.”
Children of Eden is a dystopian novel, set in a post-apocalyptic world where the sole survivors of Earth now live in Eden, where everything is regulated, including the human population. Each family is only allowed to have one child, in order to preserve the little amounts of food that exists in Eden. Second Children are illegal and are usually killed before they are even born. Those who have been hidden away in secret by their families, usually live a life of imprisonment and are not able to live a normal life, unless they are able to obtain black market lenses that are used for identification, and assume a new identity. Rowan is a Second Child and comes from a well-respected family who have the means to buy her a pair of lenses and a new identity. However, having this new identity and freedom means that she can never see her family again. When Rowan learns about this, she has her first act of rebellion and escapes from her house for a night. There she meets a friend but this taste of freedom leads to dangerous and tragic consequences. Soon, she finds herself on the run from the Greenshirts and meets other Second Children along the way.
“For a second I marvel at the technology humans can create. How did we get to be so powerful, but so destructive? With so much intelligence, couldn’t we see the point past which one begets the other?
I have mixed feelings on the writing. While most of the writing was good and much better than I had expected going into the book. I liked the world in this book a lot. It was well conceptualized and nicely described. But there was too much focus on World-Building, I felt like the there was hardly any character building… In my opinion it seemed as if, instead of letting the characters and plot develop organically through the writing process, the writers decided upon certain elements and wrote around them.
Like in many, many, many other YA novels, there is a preoccupation with eyes. A major plot point in this story is the people of Eden get fitted with “kaleidoscope” lenses that make them look “flat”. Then, of course, the government that is lying to everyone. Classic. And before I forget to mention the pubescent children who somehow are able to break into government buildings and take down armed guards. Another Classic! AND Of course, what’s a story without love/affection? Love that is immediate and unwarranted. Also, a love triangle…but not any love triangle; a bisexual love triangle. Which was cute and all, BUT DEVELOPED WAYY TOOO FAST… like unbelievably fast, and it felt extremely forced… I felt like there wasn’t much leading up to the ‘love’ part…. it was basically, from the moment of actually meeting Lark … ‘Lark, Lark, Lark, Lark, Lark, Lark,” I thought, “I wonder what Lark is doing, etc” (not a quote from the book, just my way of looking at the insant love)… Mehh…
“Lark rolls toward me, propping herself up on her elbow. She looks into my eyes and says solemnly, “I chose you.”
Then, slowly, she bends until her lips touch mine. Her lilac hair tumbles over us, and though it I can see the stars shining. Oh Earth, they’re spinning! They’re dancing…”
I wouldn’t say this was a completely original story line, it did have some originality and it was entertaining at times. I thought it included some interesting elements, small twists and turns throughout the story that kind of kept me on my toes and turning the pages. But it’s definitely similar to other worlds that I’ve read about before. Having said that, I do think that too much of the book was dedicated to the world building and there wasn’t a lot of anything else in the novel.
One thing that was distracting and took away from the gravity of the plot was the fake curse words that peppered in throughout the book… I felt like the fake curse words were a bit stupid and very unrealistic. Though it became humorous to read the characters exclaiming “bik” or whatever like that during what were meant to be emotionally devastating situations… Yeah very unrealistic… This was one of the reasons why I’m rating this a 3.5 …
All problems aside, the story is intriguing, and I really did enjoy this book. It was an easy, quick read that was kinda fun. I think this is the first and last book of Joey’s I’ll ever review. Also, I’m not sure if I’ll read the next book in the series. I recommend it to those of you that like typical YA dystioian books.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Facebook | Store
I used to watch Joey, from when he had 100k subscribers, but now I hardly even watch YouTube. I had seen Children of Eden the video he posted, and the synopsis sounded interesting enough that I eventually picked it up. There are two things that should be noted about this book before picking it up. The first being that it isn’t written solely by Joey. I know there is no indication on the cover, it clearly states on the title page that it was written with Laura L. Sullivan. And the second thing, while this book is ostensibly a standalone, it really is not. The story does not end with any kind of resolution and actually leaves more questions than have been answered. I know there is a second book that was released a few months ago, whether I read it, is the question..
“But alone is good. Alone is safe.”
Children of Eden is a dystopian novel, set in a post-apocalyptic world where the sole survivors of Earth now live in Eden, where everything is regulated, including the human population. Each family is only allowed to have one child, in order to preserve the little amounts of food that exists in Eden. Second Children are illegal and are usually killed before they are even born. Those who have been hidden away in secret by their families, usually live a life of imprisonment and are not able to live a normal life, unless they are able to obtain black market lenses that are used for identification, and assume a new identity. Rowan is a Second Child and comes from a well-respected family who have the means to buy her a pair of lenses and a new identity. However, having this new identity and freedom means that she can never see her family again. When Rowan learns about this, she has her first act of rebellion and escapes from her house for a night. There she meets a friend but this taste of freedom leads to dangerous and tragic consequences. Soon, she finds herself on the run from the Greenshirts and meets other Second Children along the way.
“For a second I marvel at the technology humans can create. How did we get to be so powerful, but so destructive? With so much intelligence, couldn’t we see the point past which one begets the other?
I have mixed feelings on the writing. While most of the writing was good and much better than I had expected going into the book. I liked the world in this book a lot. It was well conceptualized and nicely described. But there was too much focus on World-Building, I felt like the there was hardly any character building… In my opinion it seemed as if, instead of letting the characters and plot develop organically through the writing process, the writers decided upon certain elements and wrote around them.
Like in many, many, many other YA novels, there is a preoccupation with eyes. A major plot point in this story is the people of Eden get fitted with “kaleidoscope” lenses that make them look “flat”. Then, of course, the government that is lying to everyone. Classic. And before I forget to mention the pubescent children who somehow are able to break into government buildings and take down armed guards. Another Classic! AND Of course, what’s a story without love/affection? Love that is immediate and unwarranted. Also, a love triangle…but not any love triangle; a bisexual love triangle. Which was cute and all, BUT DEVELOPED WAYY TOOO FAST… like unbelievably fast, and it felt extremely forced… I felt like there wasn’t much leading up to the ‘love’ part…. it was basically, from the moment of actually meeting Lark … ‘Lark, Lark, Lark, Lark, Lark, Lark,” I thought, “I wonder what Lark is doing, etc” (not a quote from the book, just my way of looking at the insant love)… Mehh…
“Lark rolls toward me, propping herself up on her elbow. She looks into my eyes and says solemnly, “I chose you.”
Then, slowly, she bends until her lips touch mine. Her lilac hair tumbles over us, and though it I can see the stars shining. Oh Earth, they’re spinning! They’re dancing…”
I wouldn’t say this was a completely original story line, it did have some originality and it was entertaining at times. I thought it included some interesting elements, small twists and turns throughout the story that kind of kept me on my toes and turning the pages. But it’s definitely similar to other worlds that I’ve read about before. Having said that, I do think that too much of the book was dedicated to the world building and there wasn’t a lot of anything else in the novel.
One thing that was distracting and took away from the gravity of the plot was the fake curse words that peppered in throughout the book… I felt like the fake curse words were a bit stupid and very unrealistic. Though it became humorous to read the characters exclaiming “bik” or whatever like that during what were meant to be emotionally devastating situations… Yeah very unrealistic… This was one of the reasons why I’m rating this a 3.5 …
All problems aside, the story is intriguing, and I really did enjoy this book. It was an easy, quick read that was kinda fun. I think this is the first and last book of Joey’s I’ll ever review. Also, I’m not sure if I’ll read the next book in the series. I recommend it to those of you that like typical YA dystioian books.
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June 29, 2017
This was a fascinating story. The idea of second children being illegal to have made for an interesting story. I know China had a one-child policy (with some exceptions) for a couple decades for population planning, but the idea still seems dystopia like so Graceffa adding the plot of the living things on Earth having been destroyed a couple hundred years ago really made for an fascinating reading experience. I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected.
November 17, 2016
I received an unsolicited copy of this book from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way.
I'm not very familiar with Joey Graceffa other than I know he's a Youtuber. I haven't found a fictional book written a Youtuber, celebrity, or athlete that I was impressed by so I didn't have very high hopes for Children of Eden.
This book isn't bad by any means but it was exactly what I was expecting. It was okay. It was a nice book but not all that remarkable, in my opinion. I liked the concept of the book, I thought that was original and creative, but everything else was pretty basic. The writing style seemed inexperienced and the characters were a bit plain.
Overall, if you're a big fan of Joey, I think this book is worth buying. It's not bad and if you're not a very critical reader, I think you might like this book. But if you're looking for an amazing read, I don't think book is it.
I'm not very familiar with Joey Graceffa other than I know he's a Youtuber. I haven't found a fictional book written a Youtuber, celebrity, or athlete that I was impressed by so I didn't have very high hopes for Children of Eden.
This book isn't bad by any means but it was exactly what I was expecting. It was okay. It was a nice book but not all that remarkable, in my opinion. I liked the concept of the book, I thought that was original and creative, but everything else was pretty basic. The writing style seemed inexperienced and the characters were a bit plain.
Overall, if you're a big fan of Joey, I think this book is worth buying. It's not bad and if you're not a very critical reader, I think you might like this book. But if you're looking for an amazing read, I don't think book is it.
November 10, 2016
I f*cking get it!! Eyes are special! Why the hell does every book feel the need to tell me that?!
(for the actual book review skip the next 2 paragraphs)
I heard that this Youtuber wrote a dystopian YA novel and that's my favorite genre, so guess what! I decided to check him out before picking up the book. From the first ten minutes of looking at his social media accounts and especially his Youtube channel I concluded that he is obsessed with 3 things: iridescent things, crystals and eyes.
After that I went on goodreads to check out the reviews and that's when I first got really frustrated with everything. Thousands of young teenage girls gave the book a 5 star review even though they didn't even read the book! As far as I can tell (from the Twitter handles in the reviews) he told his viewers to leave a review and he would go on a following spree and I HATE THAT SH*T!! Go do that somewhere else and not where people trying to legit decide if they're gonna pick up a book or not!
After quite some consideration, I decided to pick up the book nonetheless an you see... it's not that good.
Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to like the book, I read genuine reviews that told me I would love it, even the not so good reviews that that the book is still decent, but I just don't think so.
It's simply not well written, the story has few nice twists but is unoriginal in itself.
What I like about it: The world he created is believable and plausible, at least to some extent. It has a corrupt society and when you look at recent events (I'm writing that on 11.10) we have that, too. There's an underground that wants to rebel and all that jazz that I like in a good dystopian novel. It was really promising at first. I also liked the characters (again, to some extent), and the themes in the book are interesting.
But here's the thing, if you keep every aspect of the modern-day English language, why do you feel the desperate need to give this society different swear words? Were you that concerened about your young audience reading the story and that it could be inappropriate for them to read f*ck? Why wouldn't you just let them sewar normally? And YES! This really bothered me, because he didn't change anything else in the language and that makes it unbelievable and flat out stupid.
Also you can't recognize the swear words as such, they just sound like any other word that they say, only that you don't recognize it.
The other thing is that my thought while reading this was mostly "why?", and not because I wanted to know how the story goes on, but I rather wanted to know why the characters acted as stupid as they did.
Next on my list is: if you tease me with the gay and instead I get a bisexual love triangle, I will get very upset. I seriously hate love triangles, that sh*t is done man, it's overused and boring.
I'm so over love triangles, so when this one started I was audibly groaning in frustration.
Oh, you're still asking yourself why I brought up that I looked him up and what I saw when I did so? Let me explain:
Everything I mentioned that he's obsessed with (if you skipped that: iridescent stuff, crystals and eyes) plays a big role in the book. All I could think was "seriously? I know the 'author' for ten minutes and he brings up everything I know about him. How original! "
Seriously, every story has something from the author in it, you can think that it doesn't, but I talked to enough authors to know that it really does, but this is too much! And this annoyed the sh*t out of me. Especially since I'm so annoyed that eyes always have to have this special meaning, in every freaking book and this just takes the cake! I don't think they make a good plot point in the story. Sure they give you more suspense and apparently make things more interesting, but it just didn't do that for me. I thought it was exasperatedly unnecessary. Can we make like a petition to stop romanticising eyes? I love my girlfriend's eyes, too, but I don't have to put them on a pedestal.
Don't even get me started on the ending. I hated it, I honestly hated it so much, I couldn't stand it. It was unsatisfactory for the plot and dude, did you come up with that while you were high or something?
I'm so over this book. I really liked the beginning, and I was curious where he was going with it, but it got boring so fast and by the end I was exasperated and annoyed and I was glad that it ended.
I can understand how people like it, I just didn't.
(for the actual book review skip the next 2 paragraphs)
I heard that this Youtuber wrote a dystopian YA novel and that's my favorite genre, so guess what! I decided to check him out before picking up the book. From the first ten minutes of looking at his social media accounts and especially his Youtube channel I concluded that he is obsessed with 3 things: iridescent things, crystals and eyes.
After that I went on goodreads to check out the reviews and that's when I first got really frustrated with everything. Thousands of young teenage girls gave the book a 5 star review even though they didn't even read the book! As far as I can tell (from the Twitter handles in the reviews) he told his viewers to leave a review and he would go on a following spree and I HATE THAT SH*T!! Go do that somewhere else and not where people trying to legit decide if they're gonna pick up a book or not!
After quite some consideration, I decided to pick up the book nonetheless an you see... it's not that good.
Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to like the book, I read genuine reviews that told me I would love it, even the not so good reviews that that the book is still decent, but I just don't think so.
It's simply not well written, the story has few nice twists but is unoriginal in itself.
What I like about it: The world he created is believable and plausible, at least to some extent. It has a corrupt society and when you look at recent events (I'm writing that on 11.10) we have that, too. There's an underground that wants to rebel and all that jazz that I like in a good dystopian novel. It was really promising at first. I also liked the characters (again, to some extent), and the themes in the book are interesting.
But here's the thing, if you keep every aspect of the modern-day English language, why do you feel the desperate need to give this society different swear words? Were you that concerened about your young audience reading the story and that it could be inappropriate for them to read f*ck? Why wouldn't you just let them sewar normally? And YES! This really bothered me, because he didn't change anything else in the language and that makes it unbelievable and flat out stupid.
Also you can't recognize the swear words as such, they just sound like any other word that they say, only that you don't recognize it.
The other thing is that my thought while reading this was mostly "why?", and not because I wanted to know how the story goes on, but I rather wanted to know why the characters acted as stupid as they did.
Next on my list is: if you tease me with the gay and instead I get a bisexual love triangle, I will get very upset. I seriously hate love triangles, that sh*t is done man, it's overused and boring.
I'm so over love triangles, so when this one started I was audibly groaning in frustration.
Oh, you're still asking yourself why I brought up that I looked him up and what I saw when I did so? Let me explain:
Everything I mentioned that he's obsessed with (if you skipped that: iridescent stuff, crystals and eyes) plays a big role in the book. All I could think was "seriously? I know the 'author' for ten minutes and he brings up everything I know about him. How original! "
Seriously, every story has something from the author in it, you can think that it doesn't, but I talked to enough authors to know that it really does, but this is too much! And this annoyed the sh*t out of me. Especially since I'm so annoyed that eyes always have to have this special meaning, in every freaking book and this just takes the cake! I don't think they make a good plot point in the story. Sure they give you more suspense and apparently make things more interesting, but it just didn't do that for me. I thought it was exasperatedly unnecessary. Can we make like a petition to stop romanticising eyes? I love my girlfriend's eyes, too, but I don't have to put them on a pedestal.
Don't even get me started on the ending. I hated it, I honestly hated it so much, I couldn't stand it. It was unsatisfactory for the plot and dude, did you come up with that while you were high or something?
I'm so over this book. I really liked the beginning, and I was curious where he was going with it, but it got boring so fast and by the end I was exasperated and annoyed and I was glad that it ended.
I can understand how people like it, I just didn't.
August 8, 2016
GET EXCITED FOR THIS!! Joey’s expansive imagination is put to full use in this novel, which is full of such interesting ideas, important themes, and compelling characters that I can’t wait for the rest of the world to fall in love with.
December 6, 2019
Su dideliu malonumu perskaičiau šitą young adult distopiją. Žinia, tas žanras man laaaabai prie širdies ir pajutusi, kad niekaip nesiskaito rimtesni dalykai iškart griebiau Edeno vaikus. Knyga parašyta pagal pastarąjį dešimtmetį susigulėjusį YA fantastikos modelį. Tokio pobūdžio distopijos žiauriai grįžo į madą su „Hunger games“ serija (skaičiau – patiko!) ir tada jau ėmė eit ištisi klodai ant to paties kurpaliaus parašytų knygų (Divergent ir t.t...). Edeno vaikai nedaug kuo skiriasi nuo jų visų, bet imdamas tokią knygą, skaitytojas žino, ko tikėtis. Panašiai kaip su meilės romanais – juk juos imat ne tam, kad būtumėt stačiai nustebintos ir sukrėstos.
Knygoje galime sutikti visus kultinius YA dystopian tropus: pagrindinė veikėja 16 metų mergina, blaškymasis tarp dviejų meilių, kova už pasaulio būvį, artimųjų mirtys, na ir žinoma visa ko centre paaugliai, jų dramos ir sproginėjantys jausmai.
Edenas – ypatingas miestas, vienintelis išlikęs po siaiubingos žemę ištikusios ekologinės katastrofos. Išnykus gyvūnams ir augalams, likusioji saujelė žemės gyventojų vadovaujasi griežtomis taisyklėmis, kad išvengtų visiško išnykimo. Viena baisiųjų taisyklių – šeima gali turėti tik vieną vaiką. Antrieji vaikai, jei tokių pasitaiko, yra persekiojami ir paslaptingai dingsta. Tik niekas nežino, kur. Na ir žinoma, mūsų veikėja – antroji duktė. Jai tenka slapstytis nuo valdžios, kovoti su ją persekiojančiaisiais ir... išsiaiškinti tikrąją žemės žlugimo paslaptį. Galbūt Edenas visai ne utopija?
Man pirmoji „Edeno“ serijos knyga labai patiko, skaičiau lengvai, nieko per daug nesitikėdama, bet kai kurie momentai maloniai nustebino – ekologijos, lgbt temos ir šiaip pats kuriamas pasaulis. Iškart ėmiausi antrosios dalies! Jei ieškot kalėdinių dovanų paaugliams – šitą rekomenduoju. Ir suaugusiems, tokiems kaip aš, kurie nori pabėgt nuo realybės:)
Knygoje galime sutikti visus kultinius YA dystopian tropus: pagrindinė veikėja 16 metų mergina, blaškymasis tarp dviejų meilių, kova už pasaulio būvį, artimųjų mirtys, na ir žinoma visa ko centre paaugliai, jų dramos ir sproginėjantys jausmai.
Edenas – ypatingas miestas, vienintelis išlikęs po siaiubingos žemę ištikusios ekologinės katastrofos. Išnykus gyvūnams ir augalams, likusioji saujelė žemės gyventojų vadovaujasi griežtomis taisyklėmis, kad išvengtų visiško išnykimo. Viena baisiųjų taisyklių – šeima gali turėti tik vieną vaiką. Antrieji vaikai, jei tokių pasitaiko, yra persekiojami ir paslaptingai dingsta. Tik niekas nežino, kur. Na ir žinoma, mūsų veikėja – antroji duktė. Jai tenka slapstytis nuo valdžios, kovoti su ją persekiojančiaisiais ir... išsiaiškinti tikrąją žemės žlugimo paslaptį. Galbūt Edenas visai ne utopija?
Man pirmoji „Edeno“ serijos knyga labai patiko, skaičiau lengvai, nieko per daug nesitikėdama, bet kai kurie momentai maloniai nustebino – ekologijos, lgbt temos ir šiaip pats kuriamas pasaulis. Iškart ėmiausi antrosios dalies! Jei ieškot kalėdinių dovanų paaugliams – šitą rekomenduoju. Ir suaugusiems, tokiems kaip aš, kurie nori pabėgt nuo realybės:)
July 1, 2020
Okay, so first let me get one thing straight. I was asked to review this book for a publisher house back in my home country. Beforehand, I had no bloody idea who Joey Graceffa was. And to be honest, I couldn't care less whether he wrote it himself or not. Even if he only supplied his ideas and someone else corrected it - I don't care. Because this book is BLOODY BRILLIANT.
Sure, it might be using some common ideas from books like Declaration, Divergent, or the Hunger Games. But there's much more to "Children of Eden". The dystopian world presented here where the humans destroyed the environment to the extent that only a small group remained is so real, so plausible, that I would like to tell other dystopian authors: "See? That's how a realistic dystopian society should be built" *cough* Veronica Roth *cough* Sure, there are some things that left me going "wait whaaat that doesn't make sense" but they were either explained shortly afterwards or I hope they'll be explained in the following books (because there will be more books, right? RIGHT? this ended in such a cliffhanger that it simply cannot be a standalone novel!!!!! I need the sequel, like, NOW).
I am amazed at the way the world was constructed in this book, I adored the characters, and I simply couldn't tear myself away until the very end! The book starts off slowly, but even then it's interesting - the slow introduction lets us get to know Eden better. Somewhere halfway through, the plot speeds up, and speeds up, and speeds up... AND THEN IT STOPS. Please it can't end like this. It just can't.
PS: I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book so much. I really wasn't. It's just so fun to read.
Sure, it might be using some common ideas from books like Declaration, Divergent, or the Hunger Games. But there's much more to "Children of Eden". The dystopian world presented here where the humans destroyed the environment to the extent that only a small group remained is so real, so plausible, that I would like to tell other dystopian authors: "See? That's how a realistic dystopian society should be built" *cough* Veronica Roth *cough* Sure, there are some things that left me going "wait whaaat that doesn't make sense" but they were either explained shortly afterwards or I hope they'll be explained in the following books (because there will be more books, right? RIGHT? this ended in such a cliffhanger that it simply cannot be a standalone novel!!!!! I need the sequel, like, NOW).
I am amazed at the way the world was constructed in this book, I adored the characters, and I simply couldn't tear myself away until the very end! The book starts off slowly, but even then it's interesting - the slow introduction lets us get to know Eden better. Somewhere halfway through, the plot speeds up, and speeds up, and speeds up... AND THEN IT STOPS. Please it can't end like this. It just can't.
PS: I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book so much. I really wasn't. It's just so fun to read.
own-not-read
September 12, 2016I don't understand why people think Youtubers can't write books.
Being a fan of Joey's since I first started watching youtube, I can honestly say I'm excited for this book! It seems really interesting! Most youtubers write about themselves, only a few haven't and I really enjoyed those ones so far.
Being a fan of Joey's since I first started watching youtube, I can honestly say I'm excited for this book! It seems really interesting! Most youtubers write about themselves, only a few haven't and I really enjoyed those ones so far.
February 24, 2024
2 stars
Now, now, let me be clear and upfront. I know who Joey Graceffa is. HOWEVER, I did not let that influence me either positively or negatively as I read this book. I tried to remain as neutral as possible. Are my keyword warriors appeased? Ok, moving on!
This book is set in the dystopian world of Eden where people live in different circles based on their social standing while they wait for the world to heal itself after the ecosystem failed. The protagonist of this story is Rowan a second child marked by her peculiar eyes, that has only lived in hiding surrounded by walls because it is illegal for couples to have more than one child. We follow her as she discovers the world for the first time along with the beauty, danger, and lies that encompasses their existence.
Ok, so basically ANOTHER dystopian novel….great. Well, yes, me who typed that first sentence, you look good today by the way. However, the world itself, had some very interesting aspects like Bestial people….IS NOT THAT. STOP IT! Plus, the concept of the eyes humans are originally born with seems unique and a great addition to the story. Lastly, it does communicate a great message which is the importance to take care of our planet and the real serious threat of global warming.
So…why the 2 stars? Well…there were some things that could have been improved upon. For example, the writing was fast paced and not verbose WHICH IS SOMETHING I APPRECIATED AND ENJOYED. However, I feel like he just kept telling us stuff instead of showing us. Let the readers make assumptions. That’s what “reading in between the lines” came from….you know books. Additionally, while I enjoyed the main protagonist, Rowan…kinda had a girl crush on her in a weird way. Some of the other characters just fell flat. They really weren’t fleshed out and were there simply to move the plot along, if we could really consider it much of a plot.
Now, that that’s out of the way, I still did enjoy the book it was entertaining. Now, TRIGGER WARNING, for those who DO NOT enjoy love triangles…this book has a love triangle. Ok? It’s out there, you have been warned. I for one, do not enjoy love triangles but for some reason, I am interested in this one. Maybe because the two love interest are NOTHING like I have seen before in a love triangle. I can’t say why because this is a spoiler free review, but just know it’s not your typical love triangle.
All in all, it was an entertaining read. I think Joey will keep growing as a writer and will learn to flesh out character and become more versed in writing for storytelling purposes. I think you should give this book a shot and simply forget he is a youtuber because it was surprisingly good.
Now, now, let me be clear and upfront. I know who Joey Graceffa is. HOWEVER, I did not let that influence me either positively or negatively as I read this book. I tried to remain as neutral as possible. Are my keyword warriors appeased? Ok, moving on!
This book is set in the dystopian world of Eden where people live in different circles based on their social standing while they wait for the world to heal itself after the ecosystem failed. The protagonist of this story is Rowan a second child marked by her peculiar eyes, that has only lived in hiding surrounded by walls because it is illegal for couples to have more than one child. We follow her as she discovers the world for the first time along with the beauty, danger, and lies that encompasses their existence.
Ok, so basically ANOTHER dystopian novel….great. Well, yes, me who typed that first sentence, you look good today by the way. However, the world itself, had some very interesting aspects like Bestial people….IS NOT THAT. STOP IT! Plus, the concept of the eyes humans are originally born with seems unique and a great addition to the story. Lastly, it does communicate a great message which is the importance to take care of our planet and the real serious threat of global warming.
So…why the 2 stars? Well…there were some things that could have been improved upon. For example, the writing was fast paced and not verbose WHICH IS SOMETHING I APPRECIATED AND ENJOYED. However, I feel like he just kept telling us stuff instead of showing us. Let the readers make assumptions. That’s what “reading in between the lines” came from….you know books. Additionally, while I enjoyed the main protagonist, Rowan…kinda had a girl crush on her in a weird way. Some of the other characters just fell flat. They really weren’t fleshed out and were there simply to move the plot along, if we could really consider it much of a plot.
Now, that that’s out of the way, I still did enjoy the book it was entertaining. Now, TRIGGER WARNING, for those who DO NOT enjoy love triangles…this book has a love triangle. Ok? It’s out there, you have been warned. I for one, do not enjoy love triangles but for some reason, I am interested in this one. Maybe because the two love interest are NOTHING like I have seen before in a love triangle. I can’t say why because this is a spoiler free review, but just know it’s not your typical love triangle.
All in all, it was an entertaining read. I think Joey will keep growing as a writer and will learn to flesh out character and become more versed in writing for storytelling purposes. I think you should give this book a shot and simply forget he is a youtuber because it was surprisingly good.
December 5, 2017
I think it was a good ya book, a dystopian novel
Although I don't like those kind I wanted to see what this book was about since it was making waves
Rtc
Although I don't like those kind I wanted to see what this book was about since it was making waves
Rtc
June 12, 2017
First, I read this because my niece asked me to. She wanted to get my feeling about the book. Okay. Luckily, she wasn't ecstatic about the book, herself. And I'll admit that I'm not a big fan of a lot of things that are standard, in YA writing. So take my comments as you will.
Second, the only (minor) spoiler is hidden in a "spoiler" link. And it only spoils something from the first bit of the book.
Graceffa has potential. I say that because I didn't just give up on the book, even though it was continually annoying. There's a... likability to his writing style. I can't quite identify what it is, but it wasn't enough to make me want to follow his career.
In a nutshell, this story is about Rowan, a teen girl and second child, in a post-apocalyptic society that terminates second children. She "shouldn't exist". She is illegal, kept hidden. Of course, the society is secretly dystopian and she somehow ends up in the middle of the whole rebellion thing.
Wait... did I say "middle"? No, she's on the coattails/head of it all. As in, she does stupid things which thrust her into the limelight, storywise, then just gets dragged through most of it... or runs through (she really likes to run) most of it. And she really doesn't understand what's going on, pretty much ever.
Some issues I had:
Characters have no set personality/skillset.They're just whatever the story needs them to be, at that moment. Rowan has spent her entire life with only her father, mother, and brother, yet she has major social skills... when the story needs her to. And she has an amazing ability to parse social cues, without any experience in social settings. Like noticing slight pauses and precisely identifying what they mean.
Rowan's understanding of things seems impossible without a greater knowledge of prefail (contemporary) Earth than she has.
She gets injured, at one point. A sprain bad enough to cause noticeable swelling around the ankle. And it hurts and slows her down, as it should. Except when the story needs her to start running again and the sprain isn't mentioned, until later. Suddenly it's such a bad sprain that she has to hold back a scream. Then it's no big deal, again. In all such instances, it was only mentioned when the author needed to slow her down or rig up some tension/suspense.
Manufactured Suspense:
The Backpack. Just before Rowan goes on the run, for her life, her mother packs her backpack, so Rowan has no idea what's been packed. And her mother tells her that she's packed a secret, too. Anyway... Rowan runs, hides, has this experience and that, has a nap or two... basically, she spends a lot of downtime and otherwise kicks around without looking into the backpack. She thinks about it.(suspense) The author mentions it.(oooh, suspense) And the reader is left to wonder what important thing is in the backpack. I won't tell you, but it makes no frigging sense. That it exists makes sense, but that her mother gave it as a surprise doesn't. And this whole rigamarole is used to manufacture suspense when there isn't any, mainly because the story has no real goal.
EcoPan and Eyeballs. The EcoPan (an all-seeing AI computer system that runs everything) has data based on implanted retinas that all citizens have. Yet there's a whole bunch of nonsense suspense built around a pass card that shouldn't exist. When your eyeballs contain everything from your physical description to your banking details, you don't need no stinking pass cards.
It probably comes as no surprise that my final comment is that the world, itself, makes no sense. It's just various bit and pieces, stuck together and given Frankenstein life. Yick.
Sorry, Joey.You need a serious mentor or editor. Maybe a bunch of Alpha Readers. And, hopefully, the humility to take their advice. I gave it 2 stars, instead of 1, because there's something likeable about it. Like a fugly kid sister, or something.
Second, the only (minor) spoiler is hidden in a "spoiler" link. And it only spoils something from the first bit of the book.
Graceffa has potential. I say that because I didn't just give up on the book, even though it was continually annoying. There's a... likability to his writing style. I can't quite identify what it is, but it wasn't enough to make me want to follow his career.
In a nutshell, this story is about Rowan, a teen girl and second child, in a post-apocalyptic society that terminates second children. She "shouldn't exist". She is illegal, kept hidden. Of course, the society is secretly dystopian and she somehow ends up in the middle of the whole rebellion thing.
Wait... did I say "middle"? No, she's on the coattails/head of it all. As in, she does stupid things which thrust her into the limelight, storywise, then just gets dragged through most of it... or runs through (she really likes to run) most of it. And she really doesn't understand what's going on, pretty much ever.
Some issues I had:
Characters have no set personality/skillset.They're just whatever the story needs them to be, at that moment. Rowan has spent her entire life with only her father, mother, and brother, yet she has major social skills... when the story needs her to. And she has an amazing ability to parse social cues, without any experience in social settings. Like noticing slight pauses and precisely identifying what they mean.
Rowan's understanding of things seems impossible without a greater knowledge of prefail (contemporary) Earth than she has.
She gets injured, at one point. A sprain bad enough to cause noticeable swelling around the ankle. And it hurts and slows her down, as it should. Except when the story needs her to start running again and the sprain isn't mentioned, until later. Suddenly it's such a bad sprain that she has to hold back a scream. Then it's no big deal, again. In all such instances, it was only mentioned when the author needed to slow her down or rig up some tension/suspense.
Manufactured Suspense:
The Backpack. Just before Rowan goes on the run, for her life, her mother packs her backpack, so Rowan has no idea what's been packed. And her mother tells her that she's packed a secret, too. Anyway... Rowan runs, hides, has this experience and that, has a nap or two... basically, she spends a lot of downtime and otherwise kicks around without looking into the backpack. She thinks about it.(suspense) The author mentions it.(oooh, suspense) And the reader is left to wonder what important thing is in the backpack. I won't tell you, but it makes no frigging sense. That it exists makes sense, but that her mother gave it as a surprise doesn't. And this whole rigamarole is used to manufacture suspense when there isn't any, mainly because the story has no real goal.
EcoPan and Eyeballs. The EcoPan (an all-seeing AI computer system that runs everything) has data based on implanted retinas that all citizens have. Yet there's a whole bunch of nonsense suspense built around a pass card that shouldn't exist. When your eyeballs contain everything from your physical description to your banking details, you don't need no stinking pass cards.
It probably comes as no surprise that my final comment is that the world, itself, makes no sense. It's just various bit and pieces, stuck together and given Frankenstein life. Yick.
Sorry, Joey.You need a serious mentor or editor. Maybe a bunch of Alpha Readers. And, hopefully, the humility to take their advice. I gave it 2 stars, instead of 1, because there's something likeable about it. Like a fugly kid sister, or something.
August 8, 2018
Distopines knygas labai mėgstu, esu ne vieną tokią skaičiusi. Žinoma, kartais tas siužetas šiek tiek kartojasi, galima rasti panašumų, tačiau vis tiek kiekviena knyga turi pasakyti ir šį tą naujo.
Galiu pasakyti, kad man patiko 80% knygos. Likusieji 20% buvo gana nuspėjami ir šiek tiek erzino. Kiekvieną kartą juokiausi perskaičiusi vertėjo pasirinktą vertimo variantą, žodį ‘‘manding‘‘, pirmą kartą tokį mačiau ir girdėjau, jis kartojosi labai dažnai, todėl pradėjo šiek tiek įkyrėti. Žinoma labai laukiau romantiškosios dalies, ar bus meilės linija, ji buvo, bet gana keista. Negaliu teigti, kad man ji patiko ir teko šiek tiek nusivilti.Tačiau veiksmo knygoje tikrai netrūksta, čia kiekviename skyriuje jo labai daug, todėl beskaitant nėra kada nuobodžiauti, o ta veiksmų seka man nei kiek neprailgo. Knygos pabaiga gerokai nustebino, ją perskaičiusi nežinojau ką ir galvoti, ji paliko dar daugiau klausimų nei buvo prieš tai atsakyta, todėl labai laukiu atrosios knygos dalies, manau, kad ji turėtų būti dar geresnė! Man, kaip neišrankiai skaitytojai, knyga tikrai labai patiko, o tie keli išvardyti munusai nenumušė noro mėgautis knyga.
Knygai duočiau 3,5, bet pagal goodreads vertinimo skalę duodu 4.
Galiu pasakyti, kad man patiko 80% knygos. Likusieji 20% buvo gana nuspėjami ir šiek tiek erzino. Kiekvieną kartą juokiausi perskaičiusi vertėjo pasirinktą vertimo variantą, žodį ‘‘manding‘‘, pirmą kartą tokį mačiau ir girdėjau, jis kartojosi labai dažnai, todėl pradėjo šiek tiek įkyrėti. Žinoma labai laukiau romantiškosios dalies, ar bus meilės linija, ji buvo, bet gana keista. Negaliu teigti, kad man ji patiko ir teko šiek tiek nusivilti.Tačiau veiksmo knygoje tikrai netrūksta, čia kiekviename skyriuje jo labai daug, todėl beskaitant nėra kada nuobodžiauti, o ta veiksmų seka man nei kiek neprailgo. Knygos pabaiga gerokai nustebino, ją perskaičiusi nežinojau ką ir galvoti, ji paliko dar daugiau klausimų nei buvo prieš tai atsakyta, todėl labai laukiu atrosios knygos dalies, manau, kad ji turėtų būti dar geresnė! Man, kaip neišrankiai skaitytojai, knyga tikrai labai patiko, o tie keli išvardyti munusai nenumušė noro mėgautis knyga.
Knygai duočiau 3,5, bet pagal goodreads vertinimo skalę duodu 4.
Read
February 26, 2017*Disclaimer!!!* This will not be a popular review/rant, so keep scrolling if you loved it
I was really looking forward to this book when it first came out. So I finally got my hands on a copy of it this month hoping it would be as good as it sounded. But ya know what?? You just can't listen to hype, or trust synopses anymore. You just CAN'T. I was just SO friggin' disappointed with this book!!! I had to actually make a DNF shelf for the first DNF book I've had in like forever! I persisted through a boringly popular 690+ page book last year, but this 270+ defeated me. It was THAT boring. Like SO boring. I stubbornly kept trying to pick it up and continue and I just bloody hell couldn't!!!!!!!
The plot starts out sooooooo damn slowly, and never really picked up at all, at least as far as I got with it (which was sadly only a measly 73 pages. It was ALL I could do!!! D: And that seriously pisses me off). The characters are COMPLETELY flat, with no personality or nothing. Just plain nothing! Rowan describes her brother as "sensitive" and something else. I never got a single vibe of anything from him. He was just a body saying words as far as I could tell. It was like the character had gone through a friggin' lobotomy! Seriously, the average androids have more personality and humanity than this kid. And his telling Rowan she's tough & brave. Ehhhhh. I didn't see it. I felt ever so slightly sorry for her, but that's as much as I could muster. You just couldn't FEEL for these characters they were so under-cooked!!! And like I said, that plot...And the writing was just ehhhh...Publicists do a friggin' amazing job is all I can say. 'Cause they made this sound like an almost promising dystopian read, which you and I both know is kinda hard to find amongst all the Hunger Games and Divergent knockoffs.
And now for this last point, and I'll get off my soap box. Promise.
I'm probably the only one who took it this way, but I DO NOT like, nor appreciate books that preach someone's opinion at you. I don't know a damn thing about this author. I've never read anything about him, never watched his vlogs, youtubes, whatever, nor am I going to at this point. Now I may be wrong in my assumptions after what I've read of this book, but the opinions in this book come across as more personal by nature to the author than actually something to move the story along. This book just seemed to me to be more like the author's own soap box to spout their opinions. And I did NOT like it one bit. And like I said, I'm probably the only person who took the book (heh, part of the book) that way, so I won't even go into it any further. Suffice it to say, lots of people seem to like this book. I am not one of those people. Period.
First book I've had to mark DNF in years. Thanks Graceffa. You beat me.
/end rant
I was really looking forward to this book when it first came out. So I finally got my hands on a copy of it this month hoping it would be as good as it sounded. But ya know what?? You just can't listen to hype, or trust synopses anymore. You just CAN'T. I was just SO friggin' disappointed with this book!!! I had to actually make a DNF shelf for the first DNF book I've had in like forever! I persisted through a boringly popular 690+ page book last year, but this 270+ defeated me. It was THAT boring. Like SO boring. I stubbornly kept trying to pick it up and continue and I just bloody hell couldn't!!!!!!!
The plot starts out sooooooo damn slowly, and never really picked up at all, at least as far as I got with it (which was sadly only a measly 73 pages. It was ALL I could do!!! D: And that seriously pisses me off). The characters are COMPLETELY flat, with no personality or nothing. Just plain nothing! Rowan describes her brother as "sensitive" and something else. I never got a single vibe of anything from him. He was just a body saying words as far as I could tell. It was like the character had gone through a friggin' lobotomy! Seriously, the average androids have more personality and humanity than this kid. And his telling Rowan she's tough & brave. Ehhhhh. I didn't see it. I felt ever so slightly sorry for her, but that's as much as I could muster. You just couldn't FEEL for these characters they were so under-cooked!!! And like I said, that plot...And the writing was just ehhhh...Publicists do a friggin' amazing job is all I can say. 'Cause they made this sound like an almost promising dystopian read, which you and I both know is kinda hard to find amongst all the Hunger Games and Divergent knockoffs.
And now for this last point, and I'll get off my soap box. Promise.
I'm probably the only one who took it this way, but I DO NOT like, nor appreciate books that preach someone's opinion at you. I don't know a damn thing about this author. I've never read anything about him, never watched his vlogs, youtubes, whatever, nor am I going to at this point. Now I may be wrong in my assumptions after what I've read of this book, but the opinions in this book come across as more personal by nature to the author than actually something to move the story along. This book just seemed to me to be more like the author's own soap box to spout their opinions. And I did NOT like it one bit. And like I said, I'm probably the only person who took the book (heh, part of the book) that way, so I won't even go into it any further. Suffice it to say, lots of people seem to like this book. I am not one of those people. Period.
First book I've had to mark DNF in years. Thanks Graceffa. You beat me.
/end rant
December 13, 2016
Children of Eden by Joey Graceffa is another YA dystopian story. Rowan is a 2nd child and not allowed in Eden. Her parents have hidden her for all of her 16 years. Now they have a plan to insert her into society but someone betrays them. Now Rowan is on the run discovers some of Eden's secrets.
If you saw Aeon Flux, then you know the setup for this book. Humans live behind a wall until the Earth heals. There is little originality in the story. To me it read like a middle school English project. (No offense to any middle schoolers- I'm sure your work is fine) Sometimes I can't tell if the author is trying to tell a story or make some comment about Man's place in the environment. This book did not work for me. If your jam is YA dystopian fiction it may for you if your expectations are low.
If you saw Aeon Flux, then you know the setup for this book. Humans live behind a wall until the Earth heals. There is little originality in the story. To me it read like a middle school English project. (No offense to any middle schoolers- I'm sure your work is fine) Sometimes I can't tell if the author is trying to tell a story or make some comment about Man's place in the environment. This book did not work for me. If your jam is YA dystopian fiction it may for you if your expectations are low.
July 30, 2025
Children of Eden by Joey Graceffa
📚 DNF @ 10%
⭐️⭐️ (2/5 stars)
⸻
Tropes & Themes:
🌍 Dystopian society
💔 Chosen One
👀 Hidden identity
🌱 Rebellion against the system
🧬 Secrets about the world
🚫 Forbidden life
⸻
Okay sooo… this one kind of breaks my heart to write 😩 I grew up watching Joey on YouTube, he was such a comfort creator during my younger years, and I really wanted to love this book. I went into it genuinely rooting for it!! But… I just couldn’t push through.
The premise had promise: Rowan is a second child in a one-child dystopian world (giving Hunger Games / Divergent vibes 🏹), forced into hiding her whole life. When she finally escapes, she learns about the corrupt government and the dark truths of the world. Sounds super intense, right? But sadly, it just didn’t deliver.
⸻
What worked:
✔️ The core idea was cool
✔️ There was some fun action here and there
✔️ I appreciated the queer rep! 🌈
✔️ Some of the worldbuilding was creative
⸻
Why I DNF’d:
⚠️ The pacing was slow and kinda boring
🫠 I couldn’t connect with Rowan or any of the characters
📝 The writing felt really surface level and underdeveloped
📉 The plot hit every dystopian cliché without adding anything new
😬 Some of the dialogue was lowkey cringe (I said what I said)
⸻
I seriously respect Joey for writing a book, it’s a huge accomplishment and I know younger me would’ve been screaming. But this just felt like it needed way more depth, polish, and originality to keep me invested.
⸻
⭐️ 2 stars from what I read
😕 DNF’d because I lost interest
🎥 Joey is still iconic on YouTube, but maybe books just aren’t his best lane
🫣 Would only recommend if you’re a huge fan or just super curious
⸻
Sometimes nostalgia can’t save a book 💔
📚 DNF @ 10%
⭐️⭐️ (2/5 stars)
⸻
Tropes & Themes:
🌍 Dystopian society
💔 Chosen One
👀 Hidden identity
🌱 Rebellion against the system
🧬 Secrets about the world
🚫 Forbidden life
⸻
Okay sooo… this one kind of breaks my heart to write 😩 I grew up watching Joey on YouTube, he was such a comfort creator during my younger years, and I really wanted to love this book. I went into it genuinely rooting for it!! But… I just couldn’t push through.
The premise had promise: Rowan is a second child in a one-child dystopian world (giving Hunger Games / Divergent vibes 🏹), forced into hiding her whole life. When she finally escapes, she learns about the corrupt government and the dark truths of the world. Sounds super intense, right? But sadly, it just didn’t deliver.
⸻
What worked:
✔️ The core idea was cool
✔️ There was some fun action here and there
✔️ I appreciated the queer rep! 🌈
✔️ Some of the worldbuilding was creative
⸻
Why I DNF’d:
⚠️ The pacing was slow and kinda boring
🫠 I couldn’t connect with Rowan or any of the characters
📝 The writing felt really surface level and underdeveloped
📉 The plot hit every dystopian cliché without adding anything new
😬 Some of the dialogue was lowkey cringe (I said what I said)
⸻
I seriously respect Joey for writing a book, it’s a huge accomplishment and I know younger me would’ve been screaming. But this just felt like it needed way more depth, polish, and originality to keep me invested.
⸻
⭐️ 2 stars from what I read
😕 DNF’d because I lost interest
🎥 Joey is still iconic on YouTube, but maybe books just aren’t his best lane
🫣 Would only recommend if you’re a huge fan or just super curious
⸻
Sometimes nostalgia can’t save a book 💔
July 26, 2017
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The characters develop in interesting ways, and if I'm not mistaken, I think the main character might be bi? I'm not against this storyline, I actually like how it emphasizes that she hasn't been shaped by society since she was kept away from it for so long. But I might be reading too much into that part. Either way, I can't wait to read the next in the series.
February 6, 2017
HOLYYYYYYY. MAN I'VE READ A LOT OF DYSTOPIC NOVELS IN MY LIFETIME (THROWBACK TO MY MIDDLE SCHOOL OBSESSION WITH DYSTOPIA) AND THIS BOOK IS NOTHING LIKE ANY OF THOSE BOOKS I'VE READ BEFORE. SURE, IT HAS THE SAME CONCEPTS OF A TYPICAL DYSTOPIC NOVEL, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING NEW- SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY. IT WAS TRULY OUT OF THIS WORLD. I could not stop thinking about this book, nor could I put it down. I just wanted to keep reading. It was intense, man. Like what even. It was so cool, such a unique idea. Basically, in the future, humans destroyed the earth so this one guy decided to make something to save some part of humanity and it was this Ecopan. Basically, it was an artificial environment that protects humans from the outside atmosphere and it's self sustaining. There's artificial food and stuff and humans can survive. However, in order to continue sustaining themselves, there can only be one child per family. Now, obviously there's some secret second children who spend their lives hiding out. Oh and everything in the Ecopan is connected through your eyes cuz everyone has these special lenses. There's a black market where second children can get fake lenses to fit in and live with a second family. There's also a division. The richer people live in the centre and the poor people live outside. However, the guy who created the Ecopan basically wanted humans to survive and so he wanted everyone within the Ecopan to live equally and happy so the main character Rowan starts to question the righteousness of this Ecopan because there shouldn't be poor people. Plus, there's an uneven distribution of food, wealth, jobs, etc. Also, digging deeper into the centre and food production, you can see there's a lot off and the centre is turning corrupt. There's also this underground where second children live, several rebellion groups, and forests and deserts outside the Ecopan that may or may not exist. The book follows Rowan, her life a second child, and the dark twists and turns in this so-called 'utopia.' I found it especially incredible because it was such a layered novel and I liked the concept of "Humans always have a way of screwing up everything. Even stuff that's supposed to be self-sustaining and perfect. Like, honestly, humans are so dumb." I also really liked how they were talking about Earth and said, "Nature gives life. Nature takes life. And what are humans, besides nature?" I thought a lot of the points they made are really thought-provoking, especially the point how Earth always has a way of reviving itself (i.e dinosaurs, atomic bombs) and that nature is a beautiful but mysterious thing. Just everything fit together perfectly and it really made us think about the modern world because they talk about what humans are currently doing and how it's negatively impacting Earth in the long-run. It helps put everything into persepctive and re evaluate our choices. Overall, I just really liked this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was new. It was fresh. It was interesting. It was perfect. And for my fellow readers who are obsessed with romance, dont worry, there's still some romance in this novel. And it's the best type... love triangles ;). Pick this up, trust me when I say you won't be disappointed.
June 5, 2017
Rowans adventure in the Eden
How would you describe this eden if you'd lived there? Its a bit small, but large enough for Rowan to remain undetected as a second child in a futuristic utopian world. I'd followed her on her escape to meet Lochlan, another second child man who has some pretty cool altruistic and atavistic traits of loyalty and nobleness. The two soon bond and go on some pretty amazing adventures, like rescuing her brother Ash.
Outside of Eden, Earth is poisoned and dead. All animals and most plants have been destroyed by a man-made catastrophe. Long ago, the brilliant scientist Aaron Al-Baz saved a pocket of civilization by designing the EcoPanopticon, a massive computer program that hijacked all global technology and put it to use preserving the last vestiges of mankind. Humans will wait for thousands of years in Eden until the EcoPan heals the world.
The sexuality is rather intriguing in this YA tales as Rowan first kisses her gal pal Lark and likes it quite acutely. However when around Lochlan her girl pheromes go ballistic. I think someone is long over due to experience sexuality. This story is kept quite clean though as this girl on girl action never goes beyond sleeping together and kissing. Being a gay man myself it nice to see gender roles relaxed more in the future, when youth are free to explore their emotions and feelings for one another.
One of the most unexplained aspects of the book I'd asked myself, was why didn't they just have ID cards or badges? The need for eye implants seemed a little like tagging a dog under the ear. Maybe it will come up later how this helps identify one better. Do you all remember a Dan Brown novel where a scientists eye ball was removed in order to get into a high level CERN facility? I rest my case.....hmmmmm....
All in all, this is book one in a series that has only begun. Your truly , Murf
How would you describe this eden if you'd lived there? Its a bit small, but large enough for Rowan to remain undetected as a second child in a futuristic utopian world. I'd followed her on her escape to meet Lochlan, another second child man who has some pretty cool altruistic and atavistic traits of loyalty and nobleness. The two soon bond and go on some pretty amazing adventures, like rescuing her brother Ash.
Outside of Eden, Earth is poisoned and dead. All animals and most plants have been destroyed by a man-made catastrophe. Long ago, the brilliant scientist Aaron Al-Baz saved a pocket of civilization by designing the EcoPanopticon, a massive computer program that hijacked all global technology and put it to use preserving the last vestiges of mankind. Humans will wait for thousands of years in Eden until the EcoPan heals the world.
The sexuality is rather intriguing in this YA tales as Rowan first kisses her gal pal Lark and likes it quite acutely. However when around Lochlan her girl pheromes go ballistic. I think someone is long over due to experience sexuality. This story is kept quite clean though as this girl on girl action never goes beyond sleeping together and kissing. Being a gay man myself it nice to see gender roles relaxed more in the future, when youth are free to explore their emotions and feelings for one another.
One of the most unexplained aspects of the book I'd asked myself, was why didn't they just have ID cards or badges? The need for eye implants seemed a little like tagging a dog under the ear. Maybe it will come up later how this helps identify one better. Do you all remember a Dan Brown novel where a scientists eye ball was removed in order to get into a high level CERN facility? I rest my case.....hmmmmm....
All in all, this is book one in a series that has only begun. Your truly , Murf
January 7, 2017
**3.5
First of all, this book is not particularly well-written. It's pretty informal prose with lots of questions along the lines of "Who is this guy? I think I've seen him before. Could it mean something that we keep running into each other? Can I trust him?" and made up cuss words with no explanation or hints to indicate whether they speak a new language completely in this dystopian society or if cuss words are the only part of vernacular speech that have changed for some reason. Just like every other dystopian society, there is a powerful aristocrat class, a government with secrets, an oppressed lower class, and a rebel group that the protagonist inevitably joins and finds love in.
However, in my opinion, the story-telling outweighs the unimpressive writing. I really enjoyed the multi-layered development of all prominent characters. I also appreciated seeing a bisexual love triangle for once! I liked how no one questions the legitimacy of Rowan's attraction to both genders, not even Rowan herself despite her sheltered upbringing, so at least this regressed society has advanced in normalizing LGBT equality. And though not ideal, I think her sheltered childhood more than justifies the instalove. I also liked how the love triangle isn't as imposing as they usually are. It creates minimal tension, but all of the characters involved actually have pretty straight priorities. The world is interesting, and the story ultimately ends with more new questions opened than old questions answered. This could be interpreted as a more philosophical Shutter-Island-ending or a cliffhanger for a sequel. Either way, the lack of giving and sort of resolve to the biggest plot points, even implicative or speculative resolve, was annoying.
Ultimately, the plot is entertaining, and there is some interesting, though not revolutionary, discussion about relevant issues.
First of all, this book is not particularly well-written. It's pretty informal prose with lots of questions along the lines of "Who is this guy? I think I've seen him before. Could it mean something that we keep running into each other? Can I trust him?" and made up cuss words with no explanation or hints to indicate whether they speak a new language completely in this dystopian society or if cuss words are the only part of vernacular speech that have changed for some reason. Just like every other dystopian society, there is a powerful aristocrat class, a government with secrets, an oppressed lower class, and a rebel group that the protagonist inevitably joins and finds love in.
However, in my opinion, the story-telling outweighs the unimpressive writing. I really enjoyed the multi-layered development of all prominent characters. I also appreciated seeing a bisexual love triangle for once! I liked how no one questions the legitimacy of Rowan's attraction to both genders, not even Rowan herself despite her sheltered upbringing, so at least this regressed society has advanced in normalizing LGBT equality. And though not ideal, I think her sheltered childhood more than justifies the instalove. I also liked how the love triangle isn't as imposing as they usually are. It creates minimal tension, but all of the characters involved actually have pretty straight priorities. The world is interesting, and the story ultimately ends with more new questions opened than old questions answered. This could be interpreted as a more philosophical Shutter-Island-ending or a cliffhanger for a sequel. Either way, the lack of giving and sort of resolve to the biggest plot points, even implicative or speculative resolve, was annoying.
Ultimately, the plot is entertaining, and there is some interesting, though not revolutionary, discussion about relevant issues.
February 6, 2017
Before you attack me, let me disclaim:
All thoughts are honest about the bookish content and they are not direct to the author as a person (I feel like I need to write this because this is a book from a well-loved youtuber)
LET'S REVIEW:
So, Children of Eden is Joey Graceffa's first ever published work that is fiction. I did my research to find he also wrote another work of fiction online, so he does have some experience in writing and you can really tell he loves to share stories.
At first, I was skeptical going into this book because of youtuber book controversy (example: The Zoella ghostwriting situation). I didn't want to feel betrayed and also, before I started reading this, I didn't have a clue that Graceffa was an experienced writer, so just like with any debut novel, I decided to read this critically.
Sadly, my READING experience was not that satisfying, but I really enjoyed watching Joey talk about this story and even showcase some of it on his channel by making short films! I could REALLY tell he is so passionate about this! So I know now that this wouldn't have been ghost-written, however he did have a co-author help him out.
I think the hardest thing about writing with a co-author is that you have to make the story seamless in order for it to truly work. Sadly, I personally didn't find the writing to be seamless.
I will share my PROs and CONs to explain my rating further.
PROs:
- Again, I loved the experience of having a book trailer and short films based on a story like this! It is very fascinating to watch.
- Also, again - I highly appreciate how passionate Joey is for his characters and his story! I gave me more of a drive to read this story!
CONs:
- As it did translate to screen well and the rest of the story would, unfortunately I didn't find that it did too well as a read. The writing did have some inconsistencies with info dumping one time and loads of dialogue another time
- I couldn't connect with the characters. I felt sorry for Rowan but I just thought that she was okay, and I'm not too sure if I'm the only one, but I cannot stand Lark and I do not see why Rowan puts SO MUCH trust in her.
- THE INSTA LOVE! OMG IT'S NEEDS TO STOP! This UNDER 300 page book, doesn't need a romance. It's a series, a slow burn romance would be okay, BUT FALLING FOR SOMEBODY UNDER 100 PAGES?! That's kind of ridiculous.
- POTENTIAL LOVE TRIANGLE ALERT - Lark and Lachlan (names are pretty similar too), though I can't really get on board with a ship, because I don't care about Rowan ending up with someone.
- The dystopian element went from The 100 to Divergent real quick. First of all, the "over-population" theme, secondly, 2nd children "cannot be manipulated or controlled by corrupt government". It's a CON because I kind of saw it coming and it is kind of unoriginal.
So yeah, there may be more PROs and CONs that may rise as I take more time to think about it. I'm very interested in seeing what the rest of the book club thinks about our book of the month.
All thoughts are honest about the bookish content and they are not direct to the author as a person (I feel like I need to write this because this is a book from a well-loved youtuber)
LET'S REVIEW:
So, Children of Eden is Joey Graceffa's first ever published work that is fiction. I did my research to find he also wrote another work of fiction online, so he does have some experience in writing and you can really tell he loves to share stories.
At first, I was skeptical going into this book because of youtuber book controversy (example: The Zoella ghostwriting situation). I didn't want to feel betrayed and also, before I started reading this, I didn't have a clue that Graceffa was an experienced writer, so just like with any debut novel, I decided to read this critically.
Sadly, my READING experience was not that satisfying, but I really enjoyed watching Joey talk about this story and even showcase some of it on his channel by making short films! I could REALLY tell he is so passionate about this! So I know now that this wouldn't have been ghost-written, however he did have a co-author help him out.
I think the hardest thing about writing with a co-author is that you have to make the story seamless in order for it to truly work. Sadly, I personally didn't find the writing to be seamless.
I will share my PROs and CONs to explain my rating further.
PROs:
- Again, I loved the experience of having a book trailer and short films based on a story like this! It is very fascinating to watch.
- Also, again - I highly appreciate how passionate Joey is for his characters and his story! I gave me more of a drive to read this story!
CONs:
- As it did translate to screen well and the rest of the story would, unfortunately I didn't find that it did too well as a read. The writing did have some inconsistencies with info dumping one time and loads of dialogue another time
- I couldn't connect with the characters. I felt sorry for Rowan but I just thought that she was okay, and I'm not too sure if I'm the only one, but I cannot stand Lark and I do not see why Rowan puts SO MUCH trust in her.
- THE INSTA LOVE! OMG IT'S NEEDS TO STOP! This UNDER 300 page book, doesn't need a romance. It's a series, a slow burn romance would be okay, BUT FALLING FOR SOMEBODY UNDER 100 PAGES?! That's kind of ridiculous.
- POTENTIAL LOVE TRIANGLE ALERT - Lark and Lachlan (names are pretty similar too), though I can't really get on board with a ship, because I don't care about Rowan ending up with someone.
- The dystopian element went from The 100 to Divergent real quick. First of all, the "over-population" theme, secondly, 2nd children "cannot be manipulated or controlled by corrupt government". It's a CON because I kind of saw it coming and it is kind of unoriginal.
So yeah, there may be more PROs and CONs that may rise as I take more time to think about it. I'm very interested in seeing what the rest of the book club thinks about our book of the month.
July 15, 2017
Pros: engaging story, feisty protagonist
Cons: fairly predictable, created swear words are more distracting than useful
For Parents: non-graphic gun and knife violence, torture scenes, some kissing, fake swearing
Eden is a closed world created when humanity was on the brink of destruction to save at least a few people until the ruined world was again fit for habitation. Rowan is a second child, illegal in Eden. Hidden by her family, she’s finally going to get a new identity and eye implants that will let her become a part of society. But she’ll also have to leave her family - and never return or see them again. In a fit of anger, she climbs the walls of her family home and escapes to the outside world, for a few hours of freedom. What happens during those hours creates rippling consequences that haunt the days that follow.
If you’ve read a lot of dystopian YA none of this will be particularly new to you. The story runs in fairly predictable ways. The characters are generally what makes these books different and Rowan is a wonderful protagonist. She’s willful and determined, scared when out of her depth but able to push past her fear. She causes a few of her own problems, so it’s a good thing she’s resilient. Making her bi, or at least uncertain about her sexuality (without making a big deal out of it) was wonderfully refreshing. I liked both Lark and Lachlan as supporting characters, though Lark’s got my vote if the story develops more of a romance in later books.
The story is quick and engaging. The world is well constructed. I thought it clever that there’s a fair amount of pre-Eden history but no Eden history. It gives the author options for the following books and I’m curious what he’ll do.
I found the created swear words rather distracting and unnecessary. Instead of coming off as expletives, they confused me and bumped me out of the narrative.
There’s a fair bit of violence including two torture scenes. Nothing is particularly graphic, and most of the violence has either a detached sense to it or is accompanied by the protagonist questioning the need for it and how the world should be better than this. There are a few kisses, but no other sexual content.
While this isn’t highly original, it is a fun, quick read that will have you turning pages. It’s set-up for a series, and leaves you interested in the world and what’s going to happen next to the characters.
Cons: fairly predictable, created swear words are more distracting than useful
For Parents: non-graphic gun and knife violence, torture scenes, some kissing, fake swearing
Eden is a closed world created when humanity was on the brink of destruction to save at least a few people until the ruined world was again fit for habitation. Rowan is a second child, illegal in Eden. Hidden by her family, she’s finally going to get a new identity and eye implants that will let her become a part of society. But she’ll also have to leave her family - and never return or see them again. In a fit of anger, she climbs the walls of her family home and escapes to the outside world, for a few hours of freedom. What happens during those hours creates rippling consequences that haunt the days that follow.
If you’ve read a lot of dystopian YA none of this will be particularly new to you. The story runs in fairly predictable ways. The characters are generally what makes these books different and Rowan is a wonderful protagonist. She’s willful and determined, scared when out of her depth but able to push past her fear. She causes a few of her own problems, so it’s a good thing she’s resilient. Making her bi, or at least uncertain about her sexuality (without making a big deal out of it) was wonderfully refreshing. I liked both Lark and Lachlan as supporting characters, though Lark’s got my vote if the story develops more of a romance in later books.
The story is quick and engaging. The world is well constructed. I thought it clever that there’s a fair amount of pre-Eden history but no Eden history. It gives the author options for the following books and I’m curious what he’ll do.
I found the created swear words rather distracting and unnecessary. Instead of coming off as expletives, they confused me and bumped me out of the narrative.
There’s a fair bit of violence including two torture scenes. Nothing is particularly graphic, and most of the violence has either a detached sense to it or is accompanied by the protagonist questioning the need for it and how the world should be better than this. There are a few kisses, but no other sexual content.
While this isn’t highly original, it is a fun, quick read that will have you turning pages. It’s set-up for a series, and leaves you interested in the world and what’s going to happen next to the characters.
February 6, 2018
Children of Eden was fast paced, had beautiful character development in not only major characters, but minor characters as well, and it was so beautifully written in a manner that I have never seen in teen fiction before. Overall, I hate most of the themes Graceffa tried to convey (very anti-government and anti-Christian) but I’m very pleased with the plot and the character development in the novel, which is ultimately what I look for in a good novel. Definitely would recommend, but would caution the reader regarding the untruthful themes.
Corbyn, is that better😅
Corbyn, is that better😅
February 28, 2018
This was better than I thought it would be, though still a good deal predictable. BUT because all of the ideas meshed together, the characters were interesting and surprisingly well-developed, I really liked this. Not precisely something that stands out from the large pit of dystopian YA, but it was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
September 8, 2017
This book had a lot of inherent problems. Most YA dystopians do, to be honest. But some of the things in this one were avoidable. Like how Rowan attaches to every person she meets like a leech. Add to that the most unrealistic love triangle I've ever seen. Problems aside, the story still kept my interest and was fairly enjoyable.
November 11, 2018
4.5/5 stars.
The ending has me second guessing everything but oh my god I loved my experience reading this. All the characters are kind of unreliable at times and I'm very excited to carry on with this series and figure out what is going on.
The ending has me second guessing everything but oh my god I loved my experience reading this. All the characters are kind of unreliable at times and I'm very excited to carry on with this series and figure out what is going on.
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