The Dark Planet

Atherton #3

by Patrick Carman

In the dazzling conclusion to the epic story of Atherton, Patrick Carman takes readers on the most rewarding journey of all, to the perilous realm of The Dark Earth.

When Edgar discovers a way to leave the mysterious satellite world of Atherton, he couldn't have imagined the gloom that awaited him on the dark planet, where the oceans are toxic, the forests are full of mutant monsters, and children toil in darkness, controlled by ruthless maniacs. Max Harding, an orphan of the Silo, the maker of Atherton, and the last hope of a dying world, left this place behind, and now Edgar is determined to complete the mad scientist's spectacular plan, revealing Atherton's true purpose.

Edgar's quest to discover Earth's dark secret leads to an out of this world adventure in the final book of the Atherton trilogy.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Dystopia, Fiction, Adventure, Childrens

350 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2009

About the author

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

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

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

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

Reviews

[Carl Koch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read “The Dark Planet” by Patrick Carman. I thought that the book was extremely good. The story always kept me wanting to read more and not stopping until I was done. The book was about a young boy, Edgar, who lived on a planet called Atherton. Atherton was created by a scientist to see if it was possible to save life on a polluted Earth. Edgar was also created by the same man that created Atherton. Edgar was sent on a journey to the bottom of Atherton to try and regain contact with the Dark Planet. When Edgar reached the docking station however, the ship became automated and sent Edgar to the Dark Planet. On his way to the Dark Planet Edgar received instructions from his father to seek out the Silo where he grew up. When Edgar stumbled into the Silo, he quickly made new friends with the young children who were forced to work there. Everything seemed to be going according to plan until Commander Judix, the dictator of the Dark Planet, realized that Edgar was the boy created by Dr. Harding. When she realized this she did everything in her power to stop Edgar and his friends. By Dr Harding’s ingenious plans and quite a bit of luck, Edgar and his friends narrowly escaped the Dark Planet and returned to Atherton. Once the group reached Atherton, a chain reaction was started that sent cleaners to the Dark Planet to rid it of pollution.

The main character in the book is Edgar. He is a young boy who was created by a scientist. He is an extremely good climber and uses his skills to climb underneath Atherton. Throughout the book he goes through significant changes. In the beginning he is searching for something that will show him where he really came from. In the end of the book Edgar finally receives the sense of fulfilment he has long been searching for.

The setting of the story switches between Atherton and the Dark Planet. Atherton was a planet that orbits the Dark Planet. It was created to save the lives of people on the Dark Planet. The Dark Planet was Earth after it had run out of resources. The Dark Planet had little life left on it and was covered in a thick layer of poisonous smog. Everyone on the Dark Planet was required to wear goggles when they went outside, and almost all of the children are shipped out to work because of their tolerance to the smog. The time period of the book was never clearly stated, but I believe that it took place in the close future. This is because the Earth has finally been exhausted of its resources and the main characters were trying to save the dying planet.

I believe that the lesson the author was trying to teach in the book is that there is always hope. This is because even though most people had given up on the Dark Planet, Dr. Harding never gave up on his plan to save it. I can apply this to my life in many ways. I can apply this to my education by knowing that the end goal is good and that I should do my best to get there. I can also apply this at home. Even when I feel like I can’t do anything, I will remember that there will always be better days.

I would give “The Dark Planet” five out of five stars. The book was very well written and flowed nicely. The author did a great job of keeping my interest throughout the whole story. The author also did a great job of always adding elements to make me think about what was going to happen next. The book had a simple vocabulary and was very easy to read. I would recommend this book to high schoolers or anyone who loves books with lot of action and suspense.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why I listed this as to-read. I read this book years ago. I found this and the first book the best. I can't even describe how amazing the series is. This is the real dystopian before the dystopian craze. I love the world building and the characters. Edgar is just too amazing. The monsters created are creeeeppy! I really just remember how amazing the book is. Yeah...you know my memories are fading...you know years since I read the book. But I really recommend it.

I really wish there were more to this series. :( POOP!

[Miss Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seriously, how does crap like this get published? This was mostly boring with some spurts of interestingness. This time Edgar is crawling along the BOTTOM of Atherton (see, in the first book he crawled around the top, in the second book he crawled along the middle level and now he's cavorting on the bottom! It's genius because Atherton is a three level planet! Whoa!). Samuel and Isabelle get worried and go after him and hang around the interior of Atherton and they meet a dragon with a horn on his nose. The dragon is supposed to be endearing because he dislikes adults and luvs young'uns. Hrmph. I think that Carman may be trying to subvert gender roles or something because Samuel is bookish and timid and Isabelle is a kiddie bad ass because she knows how to use dried figs and a sling. Ooooo!!!!! Dark Planet turns out to be less crappy than Rivers of Fire because this book has Commander Judix who may the only almost-intriguing person in the book, perhaps even the whole series. But then she dies because a Creature of the Scary Woods eats her head (or at least that's what's implied). There are some evil villains who are so evil that they're eevill (like the froo-its of the de-vill). They torment some kids with a taser/whip thing but then Eeeevill Villains get whats coming to 'em because the endearing dragon ends up almost setting them on fire. It plays like a really bad episode of Land of the Lost. Ugh.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting concept, though it gets very sci-fi in this book compared to the rest of the series.

[Isaac]

Personal Response
I enjoyed The Dark Planet by Patrick Carman, because the author would change what was going on. I really enjoyed how the author lead the reader to believe one thing and then did something else. I also loved how everybody had a happy ending, for all of their troubles.

Plot
The main events of this story were about Edgar going to the dark planet to find what Dr. Harding had left him. When Edgar went to the dark planet, he was captured by the people of the silo. At the silo, Edgar was put to work with the red team. Edgar learned that Dr. Harding left a message for Edgar before he left for Atherton. Edgar then had to go get the objects Dr. Harding had wanted him to find. After Edgar gathered the objects and put them into the ship, it sent him back to Atherton. On Atherton, the space ship dropped off the kids and then went to find the other ships. This started a set of chain reactions that Dr. Harding had planned a long time ago. Once this happened, all the cleaners and spikers were killed on earth. Also the Earth's atmosphere was repaired and so was the dark polluted water of earth. Dr. Harding had given earth a second chance to rebuild and try again.

Characterization
Edgar was the main character of the book. In the beginning, he was an eleven year old boy who was living in the Flatlands of Atherton and he had a missing finger. Near the end of the book, Edgar came back from the dark planet and saved everyone on earth.

Dr. Kincaid at the beginning of the book, was an old man who had a caretaker named Vincent. Dr. Kincaid was one of the creators of Atherton and Dr. Harding was the other. Dr. Kincaid also kidnapped Edgar from his maker, Dr. Harding, but Edgar forgave Dr. Kincaid. In the end, Dr. Kincaid takes over for a father figure for Edgar and mentors him like he's his son.

Setting
The setting of the book was in the year 2105 on an artificial landmass called Atherton. This was important because it’s where everybody was living. Most of the people on Atherton lived on Tabletop but all the levels are equal, and everyone lives on the flatland with a giant lake in the middle. This was important because everybody knew everybody, so it was hard for Edgar to sneak away.

Thematic Connection
There were a lot of themes in The Dark Planet, but a main one was showing courage when times got tough. This was proven when Edgar went and climbed into Atherton to find out what Dr. Harding hid for him. It was also shown when Isabell went into Atherton to find what they needed to do, with the cryptic message left by Dr. Harding.

Recommendation
I recommend this book to mature high schoolers and young adult males, because there are some graphic scenes. The lexile score of the book is high also, so the book can be a little more challenging to follow. Teenage males would like this book because there is fighting in this book.

[Braden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ending to the trilogy! I can officially confirm that these books hold up and are just as magical as they were in my childhood. I don’t remember what all I said in my last reviews, but reading this series makes me want to write a book. It just has so much heart, it’s clearly written from a place of love for the kids who would end up reading it, and out of a desire to give them heroes their own age and an expansive imagination and a love for our world. Such a great story.

This book was actually a 4.5 rounded up. My only complaint is that I think he bit off more than he could do well in the number of pages this book could handle. I wanted a little more development/backstory on some of the new characters. Maybe just a paragraph for each of them spread out over a few chapters.

Age range: 9-15
This one is a bit more intense than the first 2. Specifically, the supervisors at the “orphanage” are not afraid to punish the kids violently.

[Charlie Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal response
I liked The Dark Planet because it was book about a adventure and saving the world. I also liked how it had many fantasy creatures in it. Lastly, I enjoyed the way it was from the view of many people and how they all had very different personalities.

Plot
At the beginning of the book Edgar was climbing the edge of Atherton. Dr. Kincaid talked to Edgar Samuel and Isabel about how Edgar should go down to find the docking station. Dr. Kincaid had Edgar climb down to the docking station in the inside of Atherton in secret so that Isabel and Samuel wouldn't object. Edgar found the Raven in the docking station. In the Raven was a wooden tablet with the black disk that starts the Raven and a firebug pen to carve into the tablet inside it. Edgar went back to the surface of Atherton and handed Maude the tablet to give to Samuel and Isabel and told her to tell them not to tell Dr. Kincaid then he left for the Dark Planet. When Samuel and Isabel got the tablet from Maude Samuel read it and found the combination to the door to the inside of Atherton, so they went inside and met Gossamer, the Black Dragon, that protected children. Samuel and Isabel went to “the chill of winter” with Gossamer. When Edgar landed on the Dark Planet he landed in the Forsaken Wood and had to escape a giant Cleaner. He saw a Spiker kill the Cleaner before he fell into one of the traps to catch children. When the transport arrived he didn't get in until they said something about the Silo. Edgar got to the Silo and said he didn't know where he was from to Socket and Red Eye. He then was assigned to the green team. The green team was made up of Aggie, Teagan, Vasher and Landon. He told the green team who he was. Edgar was beaten by Red Eye until he told him his name so he said his name was Peter and Vasher told Red Eye Edgar’s real name. Edgar was about to be beaten more for lying until Hope came in and made him stop. Landon helped Edgar look under Vasher’s bed for clues left by Dr.Harding and they found a piece of paper that told them what to do. Landon took Edgar to the Vine Rooms were Teagan and Aggie were waiting to play a game on the vines. After they finished playing the games Edgar took out the piece of paper and they all read it then they went back to their barracks. Edgar was woken up a few hours later to start the day. On his way out he received a pair of boots from Red Eye and told he was leaving to the Passageway of Lies later that day. After all the members of the green team were in the drying room, Edgar took out the paper again. When they saw they all gathered around except Vasher. They decided they would escape and started talking about a plan. Vasher came over to find out what was going on and Landon convinced him to come along. The green team used the piece of paper to unlock the Passageway of Lies. Once they were all in the Passageway of Lies, they went into the vents and continued to Dr. Harding's lab. Once there they found out they needed a powder block to start the Ravin up again so they called Hope. Hope came and gave them a powder block in secret. When Dr. Harding had lived on the Dark Planet, he told her that one day some kids would escape and save the Dark Planet. The green team continued to the Yards where they had to knock over a statue of Dr. Harding to get to a secret room. When they went into the secret room Edgar put the disc on the ground and the room brought up instructions on how to escape. The room also brought the Raven to there location. Red Eye was in the Raven because he was sent to guard it but, when he entered the Raven it had been called it to the Yards. Socket then showed up because he was hiding from from Commander Judix. He was hiding because the green team had escaped and Commander Judix was looking for Edgar. The green team and Redeye and Socket escaped to Atherton when a Spiker showed up and Edgar was the only one who could run the Raven. The Raven landed inside Atherton at “the chill of winter” where Isabel and Samuel were. Red Eye and Socket tried to hold Edgar and the rest of the green team hostage when they landed. Gossamer began to attack Red Eye and Socket. Gossamer attacked because they were holding the green team hostage. Samuel told Gossamer not to hurt them so the dragon put them down. Edgar made Red Eye and Socket throw there bender’s into the hole to space but they didn't listen so Gossamer roared and made them go deaf. They all went to a tunnel while Gossamer heated up the Raven. When it was heated it shot the crystals on the walls and ceilings with its spikes. The crystals made hundred’s of thousands of White Ravens. The White Ravens followed Gossamer to the Dark Planet. All the children left on the then spikeless Raven to the surface and said others would come back later for Red Eye and Socket. Two months later all the children went to the edge of Atherton to meet with Dr. Kincaid and Vincent. Dr. Kincaid told the children about how the White Ravens cleaned the Dark Planet and how Gossamer killed all the cleaners and spikers. They renamed the Dark Planet the Blue Planet.

Recommendation
I would recommend this to middle schoolers and high schoolers. It is altogether easy to read and sometimes it can be a little hard to understand which is why I would recommend it to middle schoolers and high schoolers. I would also recommend this to both genders. I would recommend it to both genders, because I feel that this book would appeal to both genders.

[Nik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Si los dos anteriores prometían, este tenía todo para ser increíble.

Lástima que se sigue repitiendo lo mismo, donde todo parece ser una línea recta, sin ningún tipo de irregularidad, donde no se toma la molestia de hacer algo realmente interesante con lo que tiene a la mano.

Podrá ser una historia para niños, pero eso no justifica lo mediocre que fue el resultado.

En serio, ya he visto varias series destinada a niños que pueden manejar temas maduros y complejos, sin necesidad de ponerse demasiado explícitos, y aprovechando la historia que tienen para mostrar algo increíble.

[Adam Veeser-Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atherton: The Dark Planet, by Patrick Carman.

Personal Response: This book was a great view of what a world could be like if it were mistreated. I think I was really struck by its style of writing and the creativity of the author.

Plot: The plot is about three children just over the age of 12. These children live on a satellite planet called Atherton. The air, water, and wildlife is as healthy as the people living on it, giving a good lifestyle well away from the dangers of the Dark Planet from which these people escaped. The Dark Planet, the home of everyone who lives on Atherton, was once clean and shining. However, the planet was corrupted by the creations of a young inventor turned scientist, Dr. Maxwell Harding. Max Harding grew up and lived in the Silo, a place of orphanage and refuge for stray children. One day another scientist caught wind of this young genius and invited him to Station Seen. Once in the station, Max went into solitude to create his dreams. Once the man created them he put them to work. One of these dreams was Atherton, a safe haven for the children of the world that turned into a haven for everyone, but not everyone believed in this and put it off. After Atherton was built, creatures from Dr. Harding's lab got out and started corrupting and destroying everything. From that point everything was set into a chain of events that Harding knew his best and final creation, Edgar, could follow through and finish indefinitely. Once Edgar knew his path and destiny, he left everything he knew on Atherton to find out more about his father and complete what he could not. On the Dark Planet, Commander Judix awaited the arrival of the Raven. Once she knew it landed on the surface she tried to get it to come to her but only days after the arrival of a new boy in the Silo. Little did she know that this boy was her retribution and way off the Dark Planet. When Judix found out about Edgar, it was already too late. He had escaped with some of the children and two of the other adults at the Silo. Once the Raven left the Dark Planet, Judix was killed by a Spiker. Once Edgar and the rest of his friends got back to Atherton, a chain of events know as "the chill of winter" was released. This made the Dark Planet clear and healthy again, free of pollution and corruption.

Setting: The setting is on a satellite world and a dying planet. The time period is unclear.

Characterization: Main characters: Edgar, Isabel, Samuel, Dr. Kincaid, Vincent, Commander Judix, Aggie, Teagan, Vasher, Landon. Aggie, Teagan, Vasher, and Landon are slave children on the Dark Planet. Edgar, Isabel, Samuel, Dr. Kincaid, and Vincent are people on Atherton that need to help the Dark Planet in order for it to survive.

Theme: The authors theme is to keep going even if you can't trust the people you've always trusted and that there are some things that are better to do separately than with a huge group.

Recommendation: I recommend this book to anyone over the age of 10 and of any gender. The book was very interesting and eye-opening to the problem that Man incurs on the planet.

[Corey Schmidt]

I read the book “The Dark Planet.” It was written by Patrick Carman. It is the third book in the Atherton book series, and I thought it was a very good book about how things can happen in a very unexpected way.

The book starts off with Dr. Kincaid giving Edgar a mission to try and reconnect with the Dark Planet. To get to the station where he could do this he had to climb all the way to the bottom of Atherton. When he arrives at the station he find a big spiked ball called the Raven. Inside the ball he finds out that it’s a transport to to the Dark Planet and that he can save the Dark Planet if he goes there. When he arrives there he can hardly breath because of all the pollution. He is picked up and brought to the Silo to work. He gets put with the green team making power blocks, which is a source of food on the Dark Planet. He makes friends there that help him get to Dr. Harding’s old lab in station seven. There they find out how to get back to Atherton. When they arrive there Samuel and Isabel are there waiting. They found a dragon that heats the Raven, and it multiplies in many little balls that cleanse the Dark Planet.

The main character in the story is Edgar. He is a very special boy that was made by Dr. Harding. He is very talented and loves to climb. He is always finding adventures.

The setting of the story takes place on Atherton and on the Dark Planet. Atherton is a man made world meant to save the human race. Atherton has only two parts now. The main part the book takes place in is the inside of Atherton. It is filled with caves and strange creatures that help Atherton survive. The Dark Planet is a dying planet. It’s very polluted and desolate. The outside world is full of Dr. Hardings creatures and smog that is hard for people to breath. The time period isn’t stated, but you can gather that it is sometime in the future.

I think the author’s purpose for writing this book is to show how there could always be a hidden objective. People may not always understand everything you do, but that should not deter you from doing it. This is helpful in my life, because people don’t always understand everything I do.

I thought this was a very good book. It kept me interested throughout the whole thing. The vocabulary wasn’t hard, which made the book even more enjoyable and easy to understand. I would recommend this to anyone that can read at a high school level. I would give it three out of five stars.

[Kristie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Y el último libro de Atherton llegó y con ello el final de una saga en la que los niños son los máximos protagonistas, no importa que apenas levanten un palmo del suelo, serán más valientes, tenaces y sobretodo más aventureros que los propios adultos y es que sino los niños no aprenderían el significado de la amistad, compañerismo, y como no, la moraleja que hay detrás de los libros, y que encierra los tres tomos y con ello el secreto del planeta Oscuro.

Nuestros pequeños protagonistas, Edgar, Isabel y Samuel, deberán enfrentarse al mayor reto, el de ir al mismísimo planeta Oscuro, para que su propio mundo sea salvado, ya que la rueda que tejio el doctor Harding sigue su eje, todas las piezas están encajando y solamente Edgar, su mayor logro, su más preciada creación podrá salvarlos.
En el planeta Oscuro, hay un silo, un singular sitio que al Edgar deberá ir, ya que allá encontrará todo lo necesario para poder salvarlos a todos, pero tranquilos, que Isabel y Samuel no estarán de brazos cruzados, ellos también vivirán sus propias aventuras.

El tercer tomo de esta saga, sigue la estética de los dos primeros, con unas aventuras que encandilarán a los más pequeños, ya que el autor sigue deleitándonos con seres extraordinarios que habitan en las profundidades y es que Patrick Carman ha sabido hacer una historia que aunque siendo pensada para los pequeños puede ser leída para un público más juvenil, ya que en cada tomo te viene un recordatorio de lo ocurrido y una guía de personajes, para que así puedas seguir el hilo sin perderte absolutamente nada.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I thought of the book was it was good, It had a balance between suspense joy and other emotions. What I liked about it was the essence of both fantasy and sci-fiction. For example there was a genetically engineered dragon. The mad Dr. Maximus Harding had planned everything that happened, and he knew it would save the Dark Planet from itself. The inhabitants all found out the very creatures that hunted them was able to be eaten. The creatures, the Spikers and the Cleaners, are both mutant creatures created from the pollution of the Dark Planet.

Some of the main events are Edgar leaving Atherton in the Raven another creature Dr. Max Harding and going to the Dark planet leaving Isabel and Samuel with a tablet with markings. At the Dark Planet Edgar encounters cleaners five times the size as the ones in Atherton and Spikers, dinosaur like creatures with a long spike on their forehead. Meanwhile Samuel and Isabel find Gossamer, a black dragon Dr. Harding created to fix the Dark Planet. At the Dark Planet Edgar is enslaved by Station Seven, which is governed by Commander Judix. The brothers, Red Eye and Socket, guard the Silo. Both of them rule the Silo where the enslaved children work. They use metal rods called Benders to beat them with should the children stop working or cause trouble. Near the end just like Dr. Harding planned he would cause winter on the Dark Planet ridding it of the Cleaners and Spikers.

I would recommend this to young adults because the reading lexile is 820. This is a book anyone who likes future related books could enjoy. Those who enjoy suspense would like to read the book. Guys would like this because of Dr. Harding’s beyond future creations and bizarre imagination. Girls would like this because of the father/son relation with Dr. Harding and Edgar.

[Noah Herring · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dark Planet
Personal Response
I enjoyed the adventure and the constant peril throughout the book. Through the book we are shown how all of the characters have matured and have become more like teens instead of kids. Also this book was a great view of what a world could be like if it were mistreated. The author did a great job of keeping the story very exciting.

Plot
The Dark Planet, the home of everyone who lives in Atherton, was once clean and bright. However, the planet was corrupted by the creations of a young inventor turned scientist, Dr. Maxwell Harding. Max Harding grew up and lived in the Silo, a orphanage and a refuge for stray children. When Edgar arrives on the Dark Planet he is thrown into a crazy and very scary world. When Edgar arrives, he is chased by a familiar monster, but this one is three times as big. Edgar springs from his ship and climbs up a tree expecting safety, but he hears a loud tearing noise to his left as he spins his head to see what it was he sees all the trees around him falling. So he quickly jumps to the next tree hoping to escape this creature.

Recommendation
This book is full of lots of action and peril, and a lot of new and terrifying creatures. That is why I recommend this book to kids ten years old and up. I would also recommend this book to anyone that likes adventure and mystery. Both girls and boys would enjoy the story. I give it a five out of five stars.

[Narek Aloyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book because of the title and the summary about it. Earth has become a dark, polluted planet and one boy, who was made by a scientist, starts a cycle that would clean the Earth and make it safe to go outside. He and around a thousand others had escaped to a planet created by the scientist who created him, (AKA Edgar), and now went back to clean up Earth and save children in the process. One quote i liked was " She would remember her mother's touch or the voice of a lost friend, and the tiniest bit of hope would return." I liked it because it showed that even the rock hard commander of station seven still had hope. The author would change from viewpoints on the dark planet and the place called Atherton where a few people escaped to. I would recommend this to a person who likes sci-fi books.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark Planet was better than the other books. The only thing that kept me from giving it five stars was that it skipped around a lot. In one chapter it starts from Edgar's point of view and then you know what another character is thinking. The only thing that kept me from giving it three stars is that he made the characters very life like.

There are also more of Dr. Harding's creations. Such as the Spiker, the Pythid, the Raven and Gossamer. I liked the new creations most of all though. The cover is very misleading though because it looks like the characters are in a forest of dead trees. I hope you like the book as much as I did.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

www.2thepointbooks.blogspot.com

This trilogy finished with a happy ending ... yay! A little bit unbelievably, yes, but I was willing to ignore the craziness of the denouement because most, if not all loose ends were tied up. Although, it doesn't come outright and say what happened to Cmdr. Judix. I love tied up loose ends. They make me happy and feel complete.
For a kids' book, this is nicely done. Simple plot, lots of adventure and excitement. And there are dragons AND spaceships involved! What could be better?
I will probably recommend this trilogy to my 11-year-old. I think she'd like it.
Kudos to Carman for not swearing in the book. Kids don't need to read - or hear- that stuff.

[Quincy Whittaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought everything together. It was the corner stone of the structure or the most important part of a machine. The action, suspense, climax, and way the author told the story was like I was experiencing it myself and I loved it with my heart. The book was special and I rarely find and read books like this it. I hope that I can find more like it and I hope that others will enjoy it as much as I did.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed this series of books! Started reading them with my son and just kept on reading. I never knew what was going to happen next. I really appreciate his easy style of writing, keeping things innocent and gentle while still maintaining a great adventure story. Patrick Carman is now one of my new favorite authors! :)

[Avery (Book Deviant) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember why I loved this book as a kid.

Check out my full review here.

[Chris Strehlow]

Personal Response:
I think this book was good, but it wasn’t one I loved to read. It did a good job of describing the situation on the Dark Planet and how it was fixed. I think this book was a good one to end the series with.

Plot Summary:
Edgar decides to try and find the Raven on Atherton. It is a capsule that would take him back to the Dark Planet. He has to climb around the bottom of Atherton to get to it, and it gets pretty dangerous down there. Once he reaches it, he finds a tablet that he gives to Samuel and Isabel to let them know where he is going. When he reaches the Dark Planet, he lands in a forest filled with cleaners and spikers. He is found by a patrol group and taken to the Silo where Dr. Harding grew up. He is watched by Red-Eye and Socket, two brothers who watch the children, and is put to work making powder blocks. He manages to convince his group to leave through a tunnel he knows about from Dr. Harding. They manage to find his lab, only to discover that they need a powder block to make it back to Atherton. They contact Hope, the resident mother figure, and she brings them a block but goes back to watch and protect the other children. They make it back to the Raven, only to find Red-Eye and Socket are already there. They take the brothers and the powder block back to Atherton, and use the powder block to activate tons of White Ravens. Vincent and Dr. Kincaid go back to the Dark Planet and confirm the air is clearing up because of the White Ravens.

Characterization:
Socket starts off as an abusive watchman, but changes as his life depends on it. When he makes it to Atherton, he kind of mellows out. He enjoys a peaceful life of fishing for cleaners and watching the lake.
Vasher is a scared boy, who will be sent away soon. He panics when Edgar suggests leaving, and only Landon can calm him down. When they start to escape and he sees they have a chance to leave, he starts to help.

Setting:
Dark Planet takes place on the Dark Planet, or Earth. It is set way in the future, after humans have nearly destroyed it. The fact that it is in the future means that we have advanced enough to make artificial planets.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to younger audiences because it is a more simplistic book, and will be easy for them to understand. It also adds a small amount of thrill and adventure that will sit well with kids. There is little to no violence involved within this book.

[Shanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite feeling a deep connection to Atherton, Edgar now of course has a deep desire to go to the dark planet. More shenanigans ensue as Edgar sets off alone on his adventure and Isabel and Samuel inexplicably sneak back into the underworld in spite of the spectacular experiences they had there last time.

Technically, this would be considered science fiction, as all the fantastic elements are vaguely explained by a scientist's inventions, but they are so outlandish and not based on any science at all, it may as well have been magic.

Upon arrival to the dark planet, Edgar gets put into the labor camp where Harding lived. The next day, he escapes with the help of four other children. He takes them back to Atherton. Most of the evil adults die, two are put to work scaling fish on Atherton. Meanwhile Samuel and Isabel make friends with the underworld dragon, who collaborates with the raven spaceship to create a special snowstorm which cleans the earth and gives humanity a second chance. Everything works out perfectly.

[Brock Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dark Planet follows up on the atherton story a year after the events of rivers of fire. Edgar is sent to the underside of Atherton to find and reactivate the communication station that lets them talk to the Dark Planet (Earth), which has been polluted to the point where people cannot go outside without goggles and masks. Edgar accidentally is sent to the dark planet in the Raven, a bio-spaceship. Edgar finds the Silo and Station 7, which is where the world of Atherton was created. He follows instructions left by the scientist who created it, and then returns, taking some orphaned children who helped him escape the Cleaners and Spikers that run rampant on the surface with him to Atherton. Edgar's two friends from rivers of fire also help in that they find the great dragon Gossamer, and help him along the "Path of the Yards" to where they will meet the Raven. If I go any further, I will spoil the book, so enjoy.

[Zane Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title The Dark Planet
Series Atherton
Order 3
Author/Editor Patrick Carman
Note (Accolades)
Genre/Subject Dystopian
Pages
Owned? Platform? Kindle
Excitement (0-10) 7
Rating 8
How did I hear about it? Book series I read as a kid
Finished? Yes
Read over the course of? A couple months
Date Finished Fri, Aug 16, 2024
Reason Finished It was great. A little too simple and could have used some more nuance, but the book is made for children and entertaining none the less, so it was great
Reason Dropped
Expectations Met
Pacing Feel Just Right
Style Narrative
Worth My Time? Yes
Anything else? Great little fun series

Review looks weird due to exporting format errors from a spreadsheet

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting ending to an interesting series. I appreciated the mystery but did not enjoy the fact that the intricacies of the Ravens and Atherton itself were never fully explained. Evidently, this is not a series written for older adolescents, but these books were much better than other series.

[Amelia B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE GOSSAMER!

[Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series, a little dark at times, but otherwise would recommend for 10-12 year old readers.

[Russell Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting conclusion to a fantastic narrative. Edgar's heart and abilities are truly tested in this final installment in the story of Atherton.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Charles Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

67%
Lacking in attention grabbing content,

[Susie Porier · Rating 4 out of 5]

this will be my year of kids fiction!!!!!!!!!