Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to Fort Eden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once ther...
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reviews
Nov 30, 2011
karen
rated it: 
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 More...
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Oct 29, 2011
Giselle
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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
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Feb 08, 2012
K.
rated it: 
When I picked up Dark Eden I had high hopes that this book would be bone-chillingly scary. Well, sorry to disappoint, but it's not.
Here's what I found out: this book is not scary. It's kind of weirdly creepy, but not so scary that I'm bothered by what I read after I've put the book down. I expected this book to read like a horror movie (though not the gory, stupid kind, but the psychologically intense, nail-biting, pillow-hugging, pants-wetting, haunting kind that actually has depth More...
Here's what I found out: this book is not scary. It's kind of weirdly creepy, but not so scary that I'm bothered by what I read after I've put the book down. I expected this book to read like a horror movie (though not the gory, stupid kind, but the psychologically intense, nail-biting, pillow-hugging, pants-wetting, haunting kind that actually has depth More...
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Jan 09, 2012
Rachel
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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
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Feb 10, 2012
Reading
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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:
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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:
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Feb 03, 2012
Rhiannon
rated it:
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 mo
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Jan 04, 2012
Alisha
rated it:
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
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Nov 23, 2011
Jessica
rated it: 
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 th More...
The other six people have a chapter dedicated to th More...
Nov 15, 2011
Deborah
rated it:
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 wr More...
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 wr More...
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Nov 04, 2011
Carol
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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. It wasn't as creepy and dark as I'd feared. I liked the mystery of what was going on, trying to figure things out--which I did guess, at least the secret th
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Nov 03, 2011
Sara
rated it:
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. Howev More...
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. Howev More...
Nov 01, 2011
Jenny
rated it:
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
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Oct 26, 2011
Hannah
rated it:
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 clear More...
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 clear More...
Oct 16, 2011
Victoria
rated it:
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 More...
The characters' development was minimal, and while the phobia-angle was interesting, the More...
Oct 14, 2011
Chelsea
rated it: 
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
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Sep 30, 2011
Kristi-The Book Faery
rated it:
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 t More...
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 t More...
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Sep 23, 2011
Krystal
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http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/2...
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 real More...
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 real More...
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Aug 22, 2011
Teri
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Oct 24, 2011
Crystal
rated it:
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
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Aug 25, 2011
Amie
rated it:
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 stor More...
Patrick Carman deftly weaves an interesting tale, combining current social issues with a subject usually found in paranormal stor More...
Jan 01, 2012
Gary
rated it:
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 wh More...
"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 wh More...
Oct 17, 2011
Jennie
rated it:
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 abo More...
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 abo More...
Apr 28, 2011
Ab
rated it:
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
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Feb 21, 2012
Kasey
rated it:
I won't explain the book because it has already been done by other users and it would be a complete waste of my time. Honestly, I don't even know what to say. The twists at the end left me thinking what the hell.
Bad!
Firstly, as far as character development goes this book is seriously lacking. We do learn about the characters fears but beyond that there is nothing
Will- worst main character ever. He comes of rather creepy. I know the whole point of the book is about fears More...
Bad!
Firstly, as far as character development goes this book is seriously lacking. We do learn about the characters fears but beyond that there is nothing
Will- worst main character ever. He comes of rather creepy. I know the whole point of the book is about fears More...
Nov 14, 2011
Shellie
rated it:
I was so excited to get my hands on this book, I had read so many great things about it and it lived up to them. You get to experience what it’s like to face your fears through some traumatic ways and then be ‘cured’ from them after leaving Fort Eden.
Will has been going to therapy for years and has been taking his auto files, when he finds out that he’ll be going to Fort Eden he steals the files of ‘The 7’ and repeats them. When he and the other 6 meet up, they don’t know him at all b More...
Will has been going to therapy for years and has been taking his auto files, when he finds out that he’ll be going to Fort Eden he steals the files of ‘The 7’ and repeats them. When he and the other 6 meet up, they don’t know him at all b More...
Sep 25, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
Sometimes, I read a book that truly jumps off the page and comes to life. Sometimes, when I pick up a book with no idea what to expect, but it was so excellent that I wonder why I never considered reading it before. That was my experience with Dark Eden. I hadn't heard anything about it prior to requesting it from Amazon Vine, and chose it just because it was one of the few vaguely interesting options in last month's newsletter.
What I got was amazing -an excellent concoction of horror More...
What I got was amazing -an excellent concoction of horror More...
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Nov 02, 2011
Christy (Love of Books)
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Have you ever been so afraid of something, that it interferes with your daily life? Dark Eden tells a story of 7 teens who all suffer from different phobias. When their therapist, Dr. Stevens, feels she can't cure them, she recommends the seven go see her mentor, Rainsford. She claims he is the only one who can help them. They are sent to a place called Fort Eden, where they are told to think of it as a summer camp. However, Will Besting knows better, and it isn't long before strange things
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Nov 01, 2011
Truly Bookish
rated it:
Everyone has fears, right? Imagine having phobias so debilitating, they prevent you from living a normal life, doing things that most people take for granted. For the seven teens who are sent to Fort Eden (a sort of rehab for people with severe phobias), therapy to has failed them and this is their last chance to be cured.
The entire story is told from Will Besting’s perspective and he is a great main character. Even though Will is quirky, Patrick Carman writes these little details th More...
The entire story is told from Will Besting’s perspective and he is a great main character. Even though Will is quirky, Patrick Carman writes these little details th More...
Nov 05, 2011
Frankie
rated it:
This is the twelfth book I have read by Patrick Carman, and I have enjoyed every single one. I had been waiting for this book to come out since July, and when it was released on November first, I got it that day.
Dark Eden is a suspense novel that I never wanted to put down.
I cannot reveal much about the book, because everything is a mystery at the beginning and bits of information are gained along the way. Often Will, the main character, knows things but doesn't reveal them More...
Dark Eden is a suspense novel that I never wanted to put down.
I cannot reveal much about the book, because everything is a mystery at the beginning and bits of information are gained along the way. Often Will, the main character, knows things but doesn't reveal them More...
Oct 30, 2011
DARK EDEN, by Patrick Carman, is a young adult psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Will and six other teens are afraid of something and they are given the opportunity to cure their fears, but at what cost?
This book blew me away. For one thing, it has a strong male voice that not many current YA books have. Another thing is that the story idea is absolutely unique and somewhat paranormal. We take the journey through Fort Eden with Will and each step of More...
This book blew me away. For one thing, it has a strong male voice that not many current YA books have. Another thing is that the story idea is absolutely unique and somewhat paranormal. We take the journey through Fort Eden with Will and each step of More...
