Dark Eden (Dark Eden, #1)

May 15, 2012 karen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya

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

if you are new to karen, let me give you some background. i used to be really frownyfaced at the number of adults coming into the store looking for teen fiction. i run the regular adult fiction section, and i used to take great pleasure in telling grown women, "twilight?? why, that is in the children's department." i used to be amazed that so many women in their thirties were reading books intend...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Giselle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, ebook, mystery-thriller, mind-fuck

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

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

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

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

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

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Jan 05, 2013 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: supernatural, young-adult, mystery, not-my-cuppa-tea

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

To explain my feelings for this book, I would have to provide some personal context. My line of occupation deals with work related to a vast spectrum of psychological disorders. Dark Eden is centralized around one in particular: phobia.
The first thing we need to keep in mind is that phobia is very different to fear. A phobia is a persistent and irrational fear of something; a morbid fear that renders a person comp...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Rachel's Book Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, sci-fi

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

Woah. Seriously.

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

This book is going to the 'Shelf of Fame'

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

http://www.rachelsbookreviews.com/sci...(less)

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Jul 13, 2012 Reena Jacobs rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, 2011-reads, reviewed

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

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

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed the book was so far...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Carol Riggs rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a book about Will Besting and his initially unnamed fear, along with 6 others with hidden fears who are enrolled in a special program to become cured of those fears. I probably never would've chosen to read this book (the summary sounded too creepy and dark), but I won it on a blog giveaway. And I'm glad, because I enjoyed reading it. My husband read and enjoyed it too. It wasn't as creepy and dark as I'd feared. I liked the mystery of what was going on--which I did guess, even though I...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Pinkie Pie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: tour

Go ahead an re-read that synopsis. Totally intriguing.

I truly enjoyed unraveling the mystery of Dark Eden. It never stopped throughout the entire book. And once everything was revealed, I was honestly not disappointed. That happens a lot-so much build up for an anticlimactic ending.

Will Besting was a great narrator. He's terribly afraid of being around his peer, so he runs off away from the camp, and hides in a bomb shelter-type bunker. There he spies on his fellow patients, privy to there deepe...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Samantha Boyette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

This book messes with your head from start to finish, in a good way. For a book that is mostly the main character watching or listening to other people, it's really good. Seven kids with apparently incurable fears are sent to a retreat in the woods where they are promised a cure. The main character, Will, doesn't think this is all on the up and up, so he sneaks away from the group before the enter the compound and hides. When he finds a secret room in the basement of the caretaker's home, he is...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Kathleen Minde rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Feb 24, 2012 Betsy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Will Besting is afraid. We don't know what he's afraid of, but his fear is strong enough that his psychiatrist is sending him to a special place with 6 other teens with strong irrational fears where they can finally be cured. But when it comes time to enter Fort Eden, Will hides. He knows something isn't right, he just can't figure out what it is. Will is able to observe the curing process from his hiding place and he's determined he will not go through it. But it's already too late.

I had heard...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Reading Teen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: great-on-audio

About the audiobook:

I really enjoyed this audiobook, I thought the guy who read Will's parts read well and he also sounded like I felt Will would sound. But, Dr. Stephens's lines were read by someone else, she didn't have too many parts, but still, she drove me completely insane. She sounded like she was talking to a three-year-old, I don't know about you, but I'm not three. Other than that I really did like this as an audiobook... Just not Dr. Stephens.

My Review:

This book exploded my mind. I...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Rhiannon Ryder rated it 2 of 5 stars

You would think a story about fear would be scary, right? But although there was a definite attempt to build up suspense I wasn't feeling it. The story was moderately interesting, I was fairly intrigued to know what Wills fear was, but I wasn't gripped by Dark Eden in any kind of page turning way. In part I think this is because none of the characters have much depth to them. The story is from Wills perspective and since he doesn't know them and doesn't interact with them they never become more...more You would think a story about fear would be scary, right? But although there was a definite attempt to build up suspense I wasn't feeling it. The story was moderately interesting, I was fairly intrigued to know what Wills fear was, but I wasn't gripped by Dark Eden in any kind of page turning way. In part I think this is because none of the characters have much depth to them. The story is from Wills perspective and since he doesn't know them and doesn't interact with them they never become more than stereotypes- the blond girl, the jock, the Asian kid etc. Will reveals precious little about himself as well, until the end, so I found it hard to care very much about the characters. And since caring about them was largely required so that I would worry about their fears and their cures it really killed the suspense.

I also really disliked the ending. It's possible it will be different since my copy was a very advanced BEA ARC, but if not then they killed the one thing going for the story, the mystery. Throughout you're kept wondering what Dark Eden is, who Rainsford really is and what exactly they're doing to "cure" the kids. But when it came to the big reveal at the end, instead of a tight, concise TA DAH! moment, I got one surprise, then an ending, then another surprise, then the second ending and then some trailing thoughts on the surprises tacked on to the end ending. It was very anti climatic and just a little bit boring.

This is my first experience with a multimedia book, and I'm not sure what to think. For starters I don't have a way to download the apps so I can't check them out except via show and tell on the Dark Eden website. Second of all, I don't get the point of the book versus chapter serials. Obviously the chapter serials (which you download) must be a much more concise version of the story, since there are only 14, which makes me wonder what you loose if you "read" it that way (I think it's largely acted out). Finally, what could the apps possibly add I wonder?

The book is a complete thing on its own. At no point during the story was I alerted to bonus content or did I feel it was missing something. Presumably the apps are just secondary build on the story, though maybe they're just visual and audio of some of the things you've already read in the book proper, but unless the story continues online or through the apps I don't get the point, unless of course you're just trying to give options to the non-reading kids. Personally I think it would have been smarter to focus on the book and make it really gripping and mysterious then to spread the story thin over a book and then a web page and a bunch of apps. But maybe your 12 year old will disagree with me!(less)

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Jan 04, 2012 Alisha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, arc-s, books-i-own-that-i-ve-read, fantasy, favorites, mystery-thriller, young-adult

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

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

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

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

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Nov 23, 2011 Jessica Bronder rated it 4 of 5 stars

Will and six other teens have fears that are not being solved in regular therapy. They are sent to Fort Eden where they are going to face their fears head on. Will does not want to go. When the rest of the group is walking through the forest to the bunker, Will sneaks off and hides in the cooks basement in an old bomb shelter. While there, Will finds monitors that help him watch what is happening to the other people during their cures.

The other six people have a chapter dedicated to their treatm...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Deborah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: latest-reads, older-children-book, psychological, reviewer-book, ya-novel

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

First of all, I was drawn by the inspired concept for this novel. I can never turn down a book about insanity or horrific phobias. Stephen King is the man who ruined me for that. Once I was hooked on his scary writings...it was the end for...more I haven't read anything written by Patrick Carman before, and I know I'm poorer for that. He's a prolific author, and one that's greatly touted in YA fiction circles. I plan to correct my ignorance very quickly since I found "Dark Eden" a most compelling novel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

4 cabin creepin' stars

PS: By going to Harper Collins you'll see this trailer
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Nov 03, 2011 Sara Thompson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

This was an interesting book. I'm familiar with Patrick Carmen's work and it was nice to see something darker but what made it interesting is that you can choose to read the book or experience the book through a multimedia app. The first chapter is free but I found I preferred the flow of the book.
The story follows Will Besting as he attends Fort Eden, a camp to cure him and six others of their fear. It's a good concept and just experiencing Will's part made for an entertaining read. However, mo...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Engrossing and deliciously unexpected, Dark Eden is a tale that slithers across our skin, a cool breath on the back of our necks that raises the fine hairs and has us frozen in place, held immobile by the paralyzing fear of turning around and facing what’s there. The story progresses slowly and rather quietly, increasing our paranoia with every page as our minds churn frantically to produce possibilities and explanations for Fort Eden, the “cure”, and the characters’ phobias themselves. Will’s s...more Engrossing and deliciously unexpected, Dark Eden is a tale that slithers across our skin, a cool breath on the back of our necks that raises the fine hairs and has us frozen in place, held immobile by the paralyzing fear of turning around and facing what’s there. The story progresses slowly and rather quietly, increasing our paranoia with every page as our minds churn frantically to produce possibilities and explanations for Fort Eden, the “cure”, and the characters’ phobias themselves. Will’s self-imposed isolation from the other patients only increases our skittishness, leaving us cut off from the comfort of safety in numbers and all the more off balance as a result. We turn the pages as if drawn by magnetic force to do so, the tantalizing lure of learning about everyone involved without their knowledge while revealing nothing of ourselves both heady and powerful, and we enthusiastically follow the trail Mr. Carman has brilliantly blazed for us.

Though we spend all our time with Will, we don’t really ever learn that much about him, our relationship more one of a pair of observers studying, cataloging and piecing together the puzzle of Fort Eden and its current residents. The lack of a deep and memorable emotional connection is in this case one of the rare times such a thing is not a detriment to the overall story, instead we find ourselves so caught up in the almost overwhelming anxiety experienced as we learn of one character’s fear after another that we need absolutely nothing else to make this story stand out in our minds. We’re connected to the mysteries lurking within the intimidating walls of the Eden compound mind and body–as plugged into the book as Will is to his wall of monitors–with our bodies feeling phantom aches that mimic the strange symptoms of the cured individuals as proof of our involvement.

We spend the entire time we read wondering how things are going to play out, calling on every corner of our imaginations to conjure up any number of twists, but despite our best efforts, Mr. Carman still shocks us with his concluding revelations. Expertly played, he impresses us with his ability to weave a story full of clues that don’t go unnoticed but rather remain not fully understood until everything comes together, and we sit back at the end and bow our heads in a quick nod of deference acknowledging we’ve been bested. Dark Eden is a very quick read despite its slower pace, the phrase “just one more chapter” becoming a mantra repeated again and again until we reach the final page and immediately desire more from Mr. Carman.

Rating: 4.5/5(less)

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Oct 26, 2011 Hannah (The Irish Banana Review) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-release, ya-horror

This book could not have been read (for me) at a more opportune time. With Halloween right around the corner, this book is filled with terror, thrills, and chills. I am a horror-fan, so this book was right up my alley. Patrick Carman did a fantastic job. The way he wrote this novel pulled me in from the very beginning.

The story follows Will Besting, who has been seeing a therapist for a while to deal with his incessant fears, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. In a radical (but clearly calculate...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Victoria rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-science-fiction

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

The characters' development was minimal, and while the phobia-angle was interesting, the fears them...more

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Oct 14, 2011 Chelsea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-book-tour

This story has several problems. To begin, there's a fine line in a suspenseful novel that separates there being too much information given to be frightening, and not enough; this novel was definitely on the side of not enough. For the first three-quarters of the novel, I was thinking, "Ok, I'm interested to see how this ends, but I'm not scared in the least." It was compelling enough to get me to keep reading simply because I was confused as to what exactly was so frightening, because clearly s...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Kristi-The Book Faery rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: atwt, harperteen, mystery, suspense, thriller, written-reviews, ya-arc-for-2011, ya-reviewed, ya-pub-date-nov-11

THE FAERYS VIEW

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

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

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

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

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

THE FAERY SAYS YOU JUST MAY LIKE THIS BOOK!
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Sep 23, 2011 Krystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.co...

This is one book that readers should get excited about. I loved the characters, there are seven teenagers to follow-there will be at least two that appeal to the reader if not all seven. They each had their own quirks and...fears, but it was very easy to connect with them. The reader will be rooting for them throughout the book.

The reader will follow Will Besting's character. Will lets the reader into his mind and really holds nothing back. All of the tee...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Teri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-release, arc, around-the-world

How far would you go to get pet your greatest fears?
Dark Eden takes us into the possibility of dispelling some of the greatest fears in seven teens. Chasing from a group of psychiatrists seven teens are sent for a summer camp at Eden. What they fund is not a paradise, but a dark bunker that has all they fear inside to confront and get 'cured'.
When your parents have no where else go send you, you may end up there.
Dark Eden revolves around seven teen, but mainly told brought the POV or one boy na...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Tricia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Dark Eden, by Patrick Carman
Genre: semi-paranormal psychological horror
316 pages
Published 2011
Read: 4/6/12
DON'T READ THIS AT NIGHT
Will Besting is afraid. They all are. Seven teenagers with deeply rooted fears, all sent to Fort Eden, where their cures will be miraculously cured in a week. When they go downstairs to be cured, they come back not remembering anything about the cure. They do, however, have strange side-effects. One develops arthritis; another, chronic fatigue; another, hearing loss....more Dark Eden, by Patrick Carman
Genre: semi-paranormal psychological horror
316 pages
Published 2011
Read: 4/6/12
DON'T READ THIS AT NIGHT
Will Besting is afraid. They all are. Seven teenagers with deeply rooted fears, all sent to Fort Eden, where their cures will be miraculously cured in a week. When they go downstairs to be cured, they come back not remembering anything about the cure. They do, however, have strange side-effects. One develops arthritis; another, chronic fatigue; another, hearing loss. At first, Will refuses to enter Fort Eden and hides out in the basement. He watches through security cameras as the other six are put through their worst nightmares and come out with no memory of what happened, but completely cured of their fear. When his turn comes, though, Wil remembers. He knows he has to block out the Doctor's memory-erasing voice. With help from an unexpected source, he gradually unravels the secret of why Fort Eden's miraculous cure works. Slipped audio tapes and videos as he's driving away, Will hears the truth about the cure. Who does it really benefit? Why are there so many strange symptoms?
Okay, that's not the official synopsis. It's the truthful one, though. *what the book jacket SHOULD have said*
Here's how it is: Rainsford is an Immortalist, a man (a creature?) who renews his body every seveny-seven years by means of seven blood transfusions over a seven-day period given by youths around fifteen years old and terrified out of their minds. He has a hypnotic voice which makes the youth forget his or her "cure"-- the transfusion. Rainsford exchanges some of his blood (which takes away the fear, but also gives symptoms of old age) for some of the youth's blood (which gives him the effects of youth). He is somewhat of a madman, so he arranges a huge staging around it, to cover it up. He uses various elements of poetry by Edgar Allen Poe and stories by John Steinbeck as symbolism all around his dark and creepy Eden. Through and through, the work of a scheming lunatic.
I found this book dark, slightly horrifying, and intensely psychological. The writing was fairly good and character development was excellent. (could have done without the gay guy, thanks!) There was no use of language, that I noticed, or any explicit scenes.
BUT. This book was paranormal, in my judgement, so if you don't read that kind of book, I wouldn't reccommend this one at all.
Two out of five stars(less)

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Oct 24, 2011 Crystal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, amazon-vine, for-review, read-oct-2011

Dark Eden captured and held my attention from the first page until the very last. I was deeply invested in what was going in with Will Besting and the other 6 teenagers who went to Fort Eden with him. I didn't view any of the app things so that might would have improved my experience. I think that was part of the whole experience, but with the ARC I wasn't sure what to view when (I'm not very app savvy I will admit). Ignoring the app part, and just focusing on the book, as I said the book engage...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Amie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Will Besting suffers from phobia, a phobia so crippling that his parents and doctor feel they must send him away to be cured. So Will joins six other teenagers in the mysterious Fort Eden where they will all face their fears, led by the mysterious Rainsford. Facing their fears will embolden the teens in ways they never imagined, but what will it cost them?

Patrick Carman deftly weaves an interesting tale, combining current social issues with a subject usually found in paranormal stories. There is...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Gary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Okay, mixed feelings about this one.

"Dark Eden" is a book about phobias. Or rather, curing phobias. But can phobias really be cured??

Will Besting is among 6 other teenagers who, under their common psychiatrist's advice, Dr. Stevens, seek the help of the latter's mentor, Rainsford, in curing their phobias at a secluded building known as Fort Eden. Being skeptical, Will hides out in the bunker next to Fort Eden, and stumbles upon a bomb shelter where he can observe what is happening through the mo...more Okay, mixed feelings about this one.

"Dark Eden" is a book about phobias. Or rather, curing phobias. But can phobias really be cured??

Will Besting is among 6 other teenagers who, under their common psychiatrist's advice, Dr. Stevens, seek the help of the latter's mentor, Rainsford, in curing their phobias at a secluded building known as Fort Eden. Being skeptical, Will hides out in the bunker next to Fort Eden, and stumbles upon a bomb shelter where he can observe what is happening through the monitors, sort of like security cameras. One by one, he sees how his peers go through the process of being cured, yet he's still doubtful. Soon, one twist leads to another and Will suddenly finds himself discovering something much more sinister going on in Fort Eden, something much darker...

I thought the book started out fine. The pace was good for the first 100 pages or so, then it started to drag. Repetitions of the phobia-curing process, which didn't differ much from each teenager, kind of spoilt it for me. The phobias of each teenager weren't that out of the ordinary too, which I considered disappointing. I expected much more left-field phobias, to be honest.

Halfway through, the author seemed to know that I was looking for more left-field stuff, and he unleashed a plot twist that was just so...dumb. I mean, even if you're trying to write something that twists, you should do it in a way that is believable! Anyway, that plot twist happened and I was like, "OH NO YOU DIDN'T!". I put down the book a little while because I was frustrated with what was happening. After that, the author just dumped plenty of shockers for the remaining of the book. One after the other, it was a little hard to accept some of them because they were too 'WHAT THE HELL'. Some of them were brilliant twists, but one of them just made things so confusing.

At the end, the author managed to explain everything that has happened, and he even included a chapter titled "Observations" which was, while informative, totally unnecessary.

Character development was kind of meh for me, except for Will. I didn't relate much to the rest of the characters and their phobias, and I wished the author could have detailed something more about them.

Fortunately, the book didn't close with a cliffhanger that you'd expect for a book like this, so I was quite alright with it. Even though "Dark Eden" didn't turn out as good and chilling as I expected, I'm really curious as to where the story leads. I think I might give a chance to the sequel (yes there is one), just to see what happens next.

This book is thus a 'neither here nor there' for me. Mixed feelings, like I said.(less)

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Oct 17, 2011 Jennie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Horror fans, dark mystery fans, those nostalgic for R. L. Stine

Shelves: fiction, horror, ya

Dark Eden brings me back to those days when I stuffed myself on a heady diet of young adult horror and dark fantasy. I'd read Goosebumps prolifically, and refuse to touch anything with a happy ending or lacking a liberal heaping of gore and dark mystery. It's through that nostalgia that I happily read Dark Eden.

Carman's newest YA novel is great for those who like to be frightened. The entire book is told from the limited perspective of a frightened 15-year-old boy who knows nothing about the hor...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Ab rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-ness, realms-of-the-psychological, a-bit-creepy

This was a really good book ... all about a group of kids sent to a kind of bunker to be cured of fears that their therapist can't help them with. One kid hides while the others go into the bunker, and watches video feed of what's going on inside ... he knows what all of their fears are because he hacked into his therapist's computer files. He senses something strange going on, and has to figure it out before he gets caught, because they're looking for him. The twists and turns are intriguing, a...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Kathrine rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

Oh how I had high hopes for this one. It actually started out pretty good. I was thinking teen psycological thriller but as it went along, it quickly became obvious that it was aimed more at the tween segment. Ok, I could live with that. It had some little moments/hints of Dorian Gray so I thought there was still some kind of possibility of good story. And then the story fell off the cliff, tumbled through some undergrowth, rolled past some tumbleweeds and lay in a heaping mess at the bottom of...more Oh how I had high hopes for this one. It actually started out pretty good. I was thinking teen psycological thriller but as it went along, it quickly became obvious that it was aimed more at the tween segment. Ok, I could live with that. It had some little moments/hints of Dorian Gray so I thought there was still some kind of possibility of good story. And then the story fell off the cliff, tumbled through some undergrowth, rolled past some tumbleweeds and lay in a heaping mess at the bottom of a canyon of vampire-ness. Ugh. I have no issues with ya books containing vampires; some are actually pretty good (no, not the sparkly ones). But to suddenly take a story that is supposedly about phobias and fear and make it all about an immortal being? I didn't know whether to laugh or throw the book across the room.

Speaking of phobias. How about our illustrious, super smart, main character/supposed hero, Will Besting. When we finally find out his fear, what is it? People. More specifically crowds, but the author apparently doesn't see much difference. So looking back, how in the world did Will ever manage to get in that van with 7 other humans he didn't physically know, drive for hours and yet not have even 1 small panic attack? Um. yeah. Ok. Since his fear is apparently more of a relapsing-remitting type fear rather than a crippling one, perhaps the adults in his life should have been more concerned about his stalker like tendencies. (view spoiler)

On top of all that the author apparently felt the need to have Will explain why the author made some of the writing choices he made. Not once. Not twice. But THREE times. Who writes what basically amounts to 3 epilogues? Why encourge ya readers to read The Pearl for themselves, when you can just explain it all in an epilogue. Want to appear oh so smart to your readers, bring up Edgar Allen Poe and then explain why you decided to bring him up after the story was done. Apparently the author was following a mantra of why have less, when you can have more. Kinda like those AT&T commercials with the little kids. In this case, less is more would have been a better way to go.(less)

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