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Eden's Root (Eden's Root Trilogy #1)

by Rachel Fisher (Goodreads Author)

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 124 ratings · 99 reviews

The year is 2033 and the world hovers on the edge of explosion as unexplained crop deaths lead to severe global food shortages. In the United States, the Sickness is taking lives slowly, creeping its way into every family. Fi Kelly has already faced the Sickness in her own family, toughening her beyond her years. But a shocking confession from her dying father will push he...more

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Published (first published December 17th 2011)

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May 23, 2012 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.2

Eden's Root is not your ordinary Science Fiction YA novel. It does not contain vampires, aliens, nor zombies.This novel is frightening, too frightening with its realistic situation. You are never lost through out this book. Fisher does a excellent job of keeping her readers informed on whats happening. I was good in Biology, but this takes it to a whole new level, when the food becomes the main source of the dwindling population. Set in the year 2033, which is not far off, food is manipulate...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Anagha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: If you like dystopian reads, you'll find this one refreshing!

Plot:
My favorite thing about Eden's Root is the circumstances around which the apocalypse happened. It wasn't the plan of evil governments, it wasn't bombs or volcanoes. It was - quite simply - man's greed. Scientists had, for centuries, cross-bred plants and animals and added pesticides and preservatives, convinced that they were helping to make more food to end hunger. Instead, all the blind tinkering with food sources led to all the plants and animals quickly dying (resulting in a famine) and...more Plot:
My favorite thing about Eden's Root is the circumstances around which the apocalypse happened. It wasn't the plan of evil governments, it wasn't bombs or volcanoes. It was - quite simply - man's greed. Scientists had, for centuries, cross-bred plants and animals and added pesticides and preservatives, convinced that they were helping to make more food to end hunger. Instead, all the blind tinkering with food sources led to all the plants and animals quickly dying (resulting in a famine) and many people becoming Sick with cancer and other diseases. The most chilling thing is... the logic's really convincing. We know scientists have added all these things to our crops, this frightens people enough that they are willing to pay much more for "organic" food. So it's not difficult to take that leap and believe that some harm could come of this food. And Rachel Fisher, well, she could probably make me believe anything. =)

Narration/Tone:
I was planning to give Eden's Root three stars for the first half of the book. Why? Because the author felt the need to describe Every. Single. Event. Seriously, I had to read every discussion Fi had with her dying father, every part of her training, and after the apocalypse, so much of the trek was described in excruciating detail. Okay, maybe I'm being too hard on the first half. It wasn't excruciating, but I can tell you, I was BORED. But then, Fi and Asher met. The tone of the novel suddenly changed. Things started actually happening. The story went at a much faster pace. I could sense hope in the characters, especially Fi. It's like Asher came and revived them all. There were fights and deaths and joy and grief - a whole depth of emotion and that's when I got hooked, baby!

Characters:
First half, I didn't like Fi. Not at all. She was so domineering! How did the adults handle following her? A person's level of preparation for the apocalypse doesn't automatically qualify her as Leader, but Fi leaves the Family with no option. It's like: "Here, become part of my Family and obey me no matter what with me as Leader and I'll protect you. Otherwise, go away." It worked out well in the end, but that's not the point. The fact that she could be so undemocratic in that matter made me think she was insensitive and I didn't care for her. As soon as she met Asher though, she completely changed. She was... fun! She finally started letting her emotions show and she started joking around more; thank goodness, because it was getting a little dull reading about a stoic survivor. Despite her unemotional attitude, I deeply respected her as a character. She was, without a doubt, a more-than-capable Leader and a formidable opponent in a fight and you just have to admire a 14-year-old who shuts off her grief and trains so hard for a year that she can successfully lead a group of 15 or so people across who-knows-how-many miles to safety.

Asher I pretty much loved from beginning to end, no question. I think it was the sword as a weapon of choice that did it. He can be my book boyfriend!

Romanciness:
Yes, there's a love triangle, but I loved the romance in this book anyway. It's a nice distraction from the extremely depressing conditions of Fi's world. I don't want to give anything away, but it's not a love triangle in the tradition sense, with two boys vying for the girl's heart. It's better. A lot better and so much more aww-worthy!

Overall:
Rachel has studied biochemistry and biogeochemistry and other unpronounceable courses, she is now a nutrition expert and truly knows what she's talking about. She always is a bit of a word nerd and has a certain way with words. This fearsome combination makes for a book with a dynamite plotline. In her story, you can get the actual scientific reasoning behind the apocalypse in such a simple and interesting way, you actually understand and start to believe in it. I think Rachel would make an fantastic teacher.

UPDATE (9/27/12): Aargh! I hate when this happens! I fell in love with this cover and it turns out the girl was just a stock photo, plus the added background. Check it out for yourself: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/95...(less)

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Apr 17, 2012 Book Addictions by Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars

First if all i loved this book! Really wonderful read especially if you love Dystopian...which I do. At first i thought it wouldnt take long to read because its only 350 pages when i picked it up and felt the weight, then I opened it an saw the small type.... and i knew it was going to be a bit mire than I thought.....it was alot more than I thought. Which is just awesome because i loved reading it. I really felt like i took this journey with Fi and her Family. The writing was good and the chara...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 5 of 5 stars

One word. WOW! Amazing and indescribable, Eden's Root is the perfect match for me!

Why? Well for one the main character Fi. This character is groomed from the very beginning with dark secrets. She fashions herself with learning the arts like hunting, fighting, and skills in survival. I like that Fi was just a normal girl about to go through something big. She is prepared for it and comes out totally rocking at being a fighter. She does not only fight for herself, but for her family as well. There...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first thing that I noticed about the story was that it's a pretty big read. I read this on my kindle and there were no page numbers but there were 7191 locations that is above the normal teen reads I get that average between 3000-5300 locations.
It starts out describing the world and explaining the main plot of what the story is going to be, the reader gets to see right away that Fi, the main character who is 13 in the beginning of the novel is going to have to grow up fast. She is smart and...more The first thing that I noticed about the story was that it's a pretty big read. I read this on my kindle and there were no page numbers but there were 7191 locations that is above the normal teen reads I get that average between 3000-5300 locations.
It starts out describing the world and explaining the main plot of what the story is going to be, the reader gets to see right away that Fi, the main character who is 13 in the beginning of the novel is going to have to grow up fast. She is smart and takes everything her father tells her to heart. She begins preparations for the time when she is going to have to leave town with her little sister when the time comes. There is a lot of stealing and lying and storage of necessities by her over the next couple of months. As well as learning how to fight, hunt, and some plant knowledge for food reasons. She eventually decides that she cannot leave her family and friends and decides that she just cannot leave them without some idea of what's going on. Plus the neighbor boy Sean has noticed she is missing school and that something is going on.
There were some parts of the book where they cannot travel because of the weather and settle down. The story slows and there is not a lot of things happening in those sections. We get to learn more about the individual characters and scout for more food and supplies in the abandoned towns.
This story contains a lot of characters. We start off with around 14 people traveling in the group (the plan was just supposed to be three) so we have a lot of people to get to know and as they travel more people are brought into the story. Not all of them play the major role in the story, but there were a couple places I found the amount of characters hard to remember and especially their ages and which ones were sick or not and what skills they had to provide for the group.
The story eventually starts to involve a little bit of a romance and a lot of complications that the family must get through to find their way to safety.
I was offered a copy of this for review, but when I checked online to see that it was selling for $2 for the ebook I was surprised, especially because of the length of the book. I think it is 100% worth that and more. That is a very good deal for this story.
My favorite character is Sean. I admired him, his actions and how supportive he was of Fi. Fi is a very strong leader and it really shows in this story that she had to grow up very fast in a short amount of time. I was torn at times that some of the adults in the group did not insist that she did not go out to scavenge herself because she knew where they were going and could not risk her getting hurt. But she always held her own and kicked ass when she needed to.
I think the main story behind the story is how the world treats our food supply.
With all the cross breeding of plants and use of chemicals in our foods, if not watched carefully could cause global damage, and in this story to the extent of global famine. (less)

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May 23, 2012 Angel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: must-review, series-books, e-books, 2011

1 like · like · see review

May 24, 2012 Aydrea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: recommended

Absolutely loved it, Fi is so BA! When I first started reading I wasn't sure if I was going to like it becasue Fi was so young, but as I got a little farther in I liked it a lot. Fi has to grow up pretty quick and that helped me identify with her better. She starts out like any normal 13 year old and becomes an adult almost instantly because of what she has to do. I also thought it was interesting that roughly 2+ years pass during this book. The post-apocalyptic/dystopian themes were really grea...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Kim Heimbuch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Eden’s Root (Eden’s Root Trilogy #1)
by Rachel E. Fisher- December 2011
Young Adult Science/Futuristic Fiction
RATED: 4 Controller’s or 4/5 stars
‘That almost all of the grasses and food crops around the world were suddenly dying very young and not growing back. That all the crops that fed the world were dying at once.” (p.27)
Eden’s Root is a refreshing reprieve from Vampires and Werewolves while following in the dystopian world footsteps of Hunger Games meets Soylent Green. Fi, a thirteen year ol...more Eden’s Root (Eden’s Root Trilogy #1)
by Rachel E. Fisher- December 2011
Young Adult Science/Futuristic Fiction
RATED: 4 Controller’s or 4/5 stars
‘That almost all of the grasses and food crops around the world were suddenly dying very young and not growing back. That all the crops that fed the world were dying at once.” (p.27)
Eden’s Root is a refreshing reprieve from Vampires and Werewolves while following in the dystopian world footsteps of Hunger Games meets Soylent Green. Fi, a thirteen year old girl is faced with illness, danger, grief, survival, and love. She is a girl that even grown women as myself can relate to, and can easily see my own daughters within her.
Fi has faced the sickness and now must become a strong fighter and survivalist to protect those around her. Food is rare and sickness is rampant. She must gain the knowledge given of her father and in a short amount of time to prepare her for the journey she knows she must take upon herself. Everything from stealing, hunting, and fighting will have to be endured if she plans on keeping her sister and her alive.
For being a young adult book, it is factually frightening, and I don’t mean “BOO” frightening. I would advise that for those younger than 12 to have a serious talk with an adult about the setting of this book and as they progress through the book to raise their concerns as what Rachel writes isn’t too far from what our future holds. This book delves deep into humanity and many topics such as survival and environmentalism, topics that have become very important as of late.
Rachel creates characters which are very realistic, someone you could see yourself friends with, or actually becoming. There are however, so many characters throughout this book, I often had to try and recall who was who.
As the book comes to a close, I highly recommend this book to all ages, even a great book to read to younger children. There is a lot to feel, experience, and love about Eden’s Root that I know you will love it too!

(Review was first posted by me on empyreanedge.com on 7/17/12)(less)

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Oct 06, 2012 Kim Justice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I am really getting into reading more books within this genre, dystopian. And seems I am enjoying getting to know the authors and the characters with each book.

With that being said, the book was no exception except for the fact that it took me some time to get through the first part of the book. Don't get me wrong, it was good. It took me a while to get through it, mainly because it was so drawn out. I couldn't get into it because of this.

This book is different than some of the other dystopian...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Sarah Kalaitzidis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia

From the beginning I wasn’t to sure I would ever start reading this book, but I did have it on my To-read list on Goodreads should I ever get the desire to read it. When the author came to me and asked me if I wanted to read and review this book, I was very excited. No other author has asked that of me before. I was happy to receive this copy to read. My only regret is not reading this book sooner!

The main character in this book is called “Fi”. It's her nickname, with only her father using her f...more From the beginning I wasn’t to sure I would ever start reading this book, but I did have it on my To-read list on Goodreads should I ever get the desire to read it. When the author came to me and asked me if I wanted to read and review this book, I was very excited. No other author has asked that of me before. I was happy to receive this copy to read. My only regret is not reading this book sooner!

The main character in this book is called “Fi”. It's her nickname, with only her father using her full name. I think it's a beautiful name, but no spoilers from me! She’s a strong character, and even as a 14-year-old girl she knows how to take care of her family from everything that is happening in the world. For months, Fi’s been training for the day the world goes to hell. She made sure she trained in how to use a gun and even a crossbow. She’s the leader of her group as they travel across the United States to reach Canada. On the way they pick up new people to add to their group, which they call “Family”. Each person Fi tells them that she is the leader and that they need to fallow under her rules so that they get to their destination safely. Another important character would be Sean, which Fi has known for most of her life because of how close their parents are. She even mentions how Sean’s parents were like a second father and mother to her. Sean is a very smart person and knew right away that something was up with Fi and didn’t stop to second guess her when she told the truth about what was happening. He actually got to work with training with her. Though he isn’t much of a fighter, he did do his best at training and knows how to fend off people as well as he could. The family that she travels with is a mix of society. There is already quite a few when her and Sean escaped their town to head north but as they went they began to gather more people. I found it a little convenient that they first find a doctor, then a teacher for the little kids and later two kids who were good at outdoor survival and they were both Orienteering experts. With their help they got to Eden a lot easier. I just thought it was to covenant that they found these people, but anything to make the journey easier is a bonus. The last main character they meet is Asher. He carries around a sword, and is the only character to do so. You first meet him sometime in the middle of the story where he decided to stay in his city while many other people left. He was in charge of his own gang, since that was the only way to get by in a city. When he met up with Fi, the meeting didn’t go that well, but soon he joined their group, never looking back on his past with that city.

The romance in this book was strange but so very cute. Asher and Fi are cute together, although Asher is roughly 5 years older then Fi when they meet up. She’s 15 while he just turned 20. I guess in the old world this wouldn’t be right but in this world people have to grow up quickly. It’s cute how at first their just teasing each other before they tell each other their true feelings. Even at the end Asher surprises me by what he says to her. There was some happenings with Fi and Sean, Sean has always loved Fi but Fi only loved him as a sister/brother relationship. Every time he tries to show Fi his true feelings she would pull away. Then she starts to be with Asher and you can see how hurt Sean is and you know what Sean just accepts her feelings for Asher and moves on. This doesn’t make sense to me, how could someone give up his feelings for the girl he has loved for so long so fast? I guess he either really never loved her enough if he’s not willing to fight for her, or loved her so much that he was willing to let her go so she could be happy with another man.

What I liked about this book was how real this dystopian type life could be. It gets you thinking on what we’re doing to the plants and how they are so different from plants century’s ago. We don’t know that what we’re doing to the plants that could kill us, so this book has a very interesting point. This plot was so interesting; I enjoyed every moment of it. From Fi becoming leader of a small group to a big group. Even having time to fall in love with someone and acting like a normal teenager for once gives some normal to the crazy world they are now living in. As well as to see how each character brings the story together so well.

Overall

I love every moment of this book and if your interested in Dystopian novels I highly suggest you read this book it’s really good!

See more at my blog: http://howlingbooksanddesign.blogspot...(less)

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Apr 18, 2012 ❤♏αια (My Book Diaries) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Originally posted at My Book Diaries

Just as a side note I think the cover is perfect for this book.

Positives:

The characters. I thought they were well developed. I especially liked how every time someone new joined the Family, we’d get to hear their story. That alone made me feel like I knew each and every one of them. I especially loved Fi, the main character.

I thought the situation was believable. After the crops died and there was a food shortage, how people started doing the things they were...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 17, 2012 Suzette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great effort by a first time novelist. Strong, capable 13 yr old female protagonist leads her family and close friends to safety from a futuristic government run amok. Due to over manipulation of our food sources by biologists, crops stop producing, grass fails to sprout, people begin to die from mysterious diseases and starvation, and anarchy takes over. A small group of scientists have developed a safe spot called Eden which only a few are invited into. Fi having been warned by her dying scien...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Athena Nagel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

EDEN'S ROOT
This book has totally hit a nerve with me. I read ALOT and many books I have chosen to read involve our diet and what we consider food. Our food today does not at all resemble what it was decades ago. Wheat has been modified to such an extent there is only a tiny remnant of anything that was ever considered "wheat". I have adopted three children - all with special needs. Some of their issues are environmental but some have no explanation such as autism. Is that a result of diet? Immun...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Candace (Lovey Dovey Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: wovenmyst-reviews

Eden’s Root is an apocalyptic surprise! The world is falling into destruction, and the danger lies in the genetically enhanced foods that become known as ‘Sickfood’. Fi Kelly’s father entrusts her with the serious task of getting her sickly mother and younger sister safely to Eden, but doing so means traveling far and wide through the troubles of hunger, sickness, and violence.

Read the full review on WovenMyst.com

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Apr 13, 2013 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-dystopian

In the near future, the world is facing a food crisis. Genetic modification and "tinkering" with crops has caused an unexpected side effect. In addition to the failing crops, all the modifications are causing wide-spread cancers. Our heroine, Fi Kelly, has lost a brother to the Sickness, and her father is fading fast. Fi also realizes her mother is Sick, too. Before he dies, her father explains the imminent famine and a possible safe haven, Eden. He encourages Fi to train and learn so she can ge...more

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Dec 11, 2012 WovenMyst rated it 4 of 5 stars

Eden’s Root is an apocalyptic surprise! The world is falling into destruction, and the danger lies in the genetically enhanced foods that become known as 'Sickfood'. Fi Kelly’s father entrusts her with the serious task of getting her sickly mother and younger sister safely to Eden, but doing so means traveling far and wide through the troubles of hunger, sickness, and violence.

Rachel Fisher thoroughly details the breakdown of the world, which is why the novel seems a little slow in the beginning...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Marybeth (Manhattan Reader) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, for-review, i-own

When first asked to read this book, I said yes because I absolutely LOVE dystopian novels, or in this case it looks like post-apocalyptic. Anyways, this book sounded interesting.

At first, I felt like it was a slow going and I was almost dreading the rest of the novel because I was hoping that it wouldn't be as slow going as the beginning, luckily, things picked up.

This novel does not involve zombies or vampires, but the threat is even scarier because it is so close to the truth. The author taps...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Diayll rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour

Originally Reviewed At:Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 4 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Blog Tour
Reviewer: CrayolaKym

Eden’s Root is a refreshing reprieve from Vampires and Werewolves while following in the dystopian world footsteps of Hunger Games meets Soylent Green. Fi, a thirteen year old girl is faced with illness, danger, grief, survival, and love. She is a girl that even grown women such as myself can relate to, and I can easily see my own daughters within her.

Fi has faced the sickness and...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 16, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Whew! This novel is a definite page turner! Fi Kelly is only 13 when she learns about the awful famine that is coming and what will most likely happen when it occurs. Her dying father charges her to save her family, her already sick mother and her little sister. She cannot tell anyone about the coming collapse. Since Fi has to grow up in a matter of months and become an adult, it's a little hard to warm up to her. She's a bit like Katniss from The Hunger Games (I've only read the first one so I...more Whew! This novel is a definite page turner! Fi Kelly is only 13 when she learns about the awful famine that is coming and what will most likely happen when it occurs. Her dying father charges her to save her family, her already sick mother and her little sister. She cannot tell anyone about the coming collapse. Since Fi has to grow up in a matter of months and become an adult, it's a little hard to warm up to her. She's a bit like Katniss from The Hunger Games (I've only read the first one so I only refer to her in that one). She's tough, makes the adult decisions despite adults being in the group and isn't afraid to kill if she has to for protection. She goes on food raids by herself in the middle of the night when she might face armed killers, crazy people starving to death or later in the story people called Others, desperate for food and to protect their remaining resources no matter the cost.

What has caused this famine, world wide, killing millions of people. A combination of things, stuff we hear in the news daily. Pesticides, genetically altered food, fertilizers, unnatural foods filled with artificial everything. It's what becomes known as "Sickfood" named by Fi. "Truefood" is the wild game, fish and nuts and berries they can gather from the forest. "Sickfood" is the cause of cancer, lupus, anything else that people are dying of, which is now just called the "Sickness". Food will not grow in the ground anymore because there is something in the seed that kills the plant before it reaches maturity.

Fi at 14 is The Leader of her Family that includes her sick mother, Maggie, her 4 yr old sister Kiara, The Stillmans, mother Lucy, father John, brother and best friend Sean, and sisters, Rachel, who is also sick and Zoe who is around two. Along the way they pick up others to add to the family. Where are they going? Eden, a place supposedly built to weather this calamity and where the Kelly's were going before her dad got sick. He was kicked out because the policy is no "Sickness" allowed. Cold hearted.

The storyline is one of the best apocalyptic stories I've read. I read a very, very early version of the story and I'm sure that some of my issues with the story have been fixed so I won't mention them. I've been in touch with Rachel and she assured me it's been through several edits since then. My biggest issue is that I love a character driven novel and I couldn't connect with this child that was an adult in her world. But, this is definitely a plot driven novel and like I said, the plot is incredible. Nothing is overdone, which I think for this type of epic journey novel is hard to do. The raids were mentioned, but only a few were gone into detail and only because something really interesting happened. The journey wasn't so detailed that you were bored with days and days of walking and scenery. Only certain days were detailed. And I honestly didn't expect to cry when the inevitable happened, yet I found myself sobbing. Fisher does a great job of bringing some of the characters to life while others feel a little stilted.

Again, I read an ARC, and an early one at that. I am looking forward to reading the second in this series.
I think the horror of this novel was the reality that this could happen. If nothing else will make you go organic, this novel will! Might even make you plant your own vegetable garden! I highly recommend this novel.

There are some violent scenes in the novel, some sexual in nature, strong language and some pretty tough situations. As always choose your books based on your maturity level.

Thanks to Rachel Fisher for this copy of Eden's Root that has been sitting here since January! I'm glad I finally read it! It was such a pleasure to read and I'm looking forward to the next in the series, Seeds of War.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 16, 2012 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-must-reads, atomr-book-tours, july-2012

Eden's Root is one of those books that will leave you speechless and stay with you for a very long time. Thank you AToMR Tours for allowing me to be on this tour. Eden's Root grabs you right from the beginning and holds you right to the very end. It had me thinking about all the people who say that things like that food is poison don't eat it. The truth is you never know what you are eating and where it came from unless you killed it yourself or you grew it yourself.

Fi is one of those characters...more

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May 03, 2012 Justine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-dystopian-challenge, read-2-review

Eden's Root is a read to review novel that I received free from the author Rachel Fisher in exchange for an honest review.

Fi is a thirteen year old girl, she lives with her mom and sister, he father is sick and dying. Her dad feels the need to tell Fi what he actually does so that when the time comes Fi can save the rest of the family.

Fi's father Mike tells her that basically all the food that they have been eating on the planet has been altered and it is killing everyone slowly and some quickly...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 02, 2012 Rebecca McKinnon rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book is what I consider "soft" sci-fi. (My definition of that is: a story that relies on science---or the "science" created for the book---but isn't about said science. It's about the people or situations.) It is also apocalyptic. To be honest, for a while I stopped reading apocalyptic books, because I spent every night in my dreams living through disasters. Not very restful. But I digress.

One of my favorite parts of t...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Cheyenne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Being a fan of all the new YA dystopian books coming out recently as well as old and new sci fi books, I was intrigued by the idea in this book from the beginning. A close future with the genetic engineering of our crops, the processing of all the foods we eat, and the chemicals we continue to add to everything we use turning everything into a poison is scary and an all too real possibility! I greatly enjoyed this book and I look forward to see what this author brings us next.

1 like · like · see review

Mar 13, 2012 D.M. Dutcher rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia, science-fiction, young-adult

Disclosure: I paid for the Kindle Ebook, it's definitely worth doing so.

This is an appealing YA dystopia book that deserves much wider acclaim. Fi is a 15 year old girl entrusted with a terrible secret by her dying father. The world is going to end, as genetically modified plants have spread like wildfire, replacing native plants. These new invaders will kill all the grass, grain, and other plants, leading to massive devastation. Her father tells her of Eden, a place where scientists gather to w...more Disclosure: I paid for the Kindle Ebook, it's definitely worth doing so.

This is an appealing YA dystopia book that deserves much wider acclaim. Fi is a 15 year old girl entrusted with a terrible secret by her dying father. The world is going to end, as genetically modified plants have spread like wildfire, replacing native plants. These new invaders will kill all the grass, grain, and other plants, leading to massive devastation. Her father tells her of Eden, a place where scientists gather to wait out the apocalypse, and tells her to train to find it. Soon she gathers a Family, but the trip will be harder than she could imagine.

This would easily be a five star review if not for a few minor things. The writing is superb, the characters and situations unique and full of adventure, and the concept good. If anything, this beats out many of the major publishing houses offerings. It's that good, and a no-brainer if you like dystopian fiction. Fi feels very real, as a determined girl hardened by the end of the world and guarding her ragtag Family.

The minor things that prevent me from giving it a full 5 star review may not even apply to you, so feel free to do so. There are three problems I had.

The largest problem is that Rachel tacked on the whole "foodie" aspect. Fi believes that processed foods, which she calls Sickfood, causes cancer, disease, etc. However the book never really does much with this: they simply have to raid canned foods to survive, and apart from starvation, the link from Sickfood to cancer is very tenuous. It comes across as the author's personal hobby horse at times. It's never done enough to make the book a tract, but she also doesn't really make it a justified belief.

The next is personal, and feel free to disregard. Fi is hypercompetent.

A problem often with young women in YA fiction is that they become incredibly competent and outshine the men. Fi straddles the line a bit. She's a brilliant 15 year old who can command people, talk to adults and win their loyalty, fights like a wild wolverine, masters survival, martial arts, and probably could outfight Army rangers. Her only real flaw is she is clueless about relationships. She never really does anything that causes any longterm harm to anyone she loves, nor fail in anything important that she does. Again, this is minor-she's still an excellently written character and very real, but I was wanting either Sean or Asher to rebel a little.

The last problem is that the ending drags on some. The tension just evaporates. I was hoping a bit for a twist ending, but to be fair, the book is plenty bleak already. But the last few chapters felt a bit of a letdown.

Again, these are minor quibbles. Go, buy this book now. It's better than 90% of the YA fiction you will read. It deserves much wider recognition.(less)

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Jul 20, 2012 Ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tours

Fi Kelly is a normal 13-year-old girl, thinking about and doing things that you would expect any 13-year old to do, that is until her father becomes ill with cancer and her world turns upside down. Fi's father confesses a secret to her that relates to his work, Fi and her family's future, and the future of the world, the consequences of which are coming, quicker than anyone imagined. Unbeknownst to Fi, her mother is sick also, and her father tells her it is up to her to prepare and save the fami...more Fi Kelly is a normal 13-year-old girl, thinking about and doing things that you would expect any 13-year old to do, that is until her father becomes ill with cancer and her world turns upside down. Fi's father confesses a secret to her that relates to his work, Fi and her family's future, and the future of the world, the consequences of which are coming, quicker than anyone imagined. Unbeknownst to Fi, her mother is sick also, and her father tells her it is up to her to prepare and save the family. Little did Fi know, but her father could see that strength in her that she would later come to find in herself, and then use to protect her family. With her father's help, she prepares herself for what lies ahead, physically, mentally, and emotionally. When disaster strikes, at 14 years old, Fi becomes the leader of her family, a family that started out as three, and kept on growing. With the help of her best friend Sean, they embark on a journey in a world that has been ravaged by the negligence of its own inhabitants, facing famine, danger unimaginable, the elements, and the sickness. Fi rises up and becomes a great leader, guiding her family across country in search of their Eden. In the process she faces things and does things that she never thought possible, and she and the family that have come together form a bond like no other. She even manages to find love.

I am a huge dystopian fan, so I was intrigued by this book as soon as I read the synopsis. In this apocalyptic, science fiction novel, the world's food supply has been threatened, and they come to find out that the sicknesses many people have been plagued with have been caused by genetically altered food. This books is really kind of scary, because I can really see something like this happening. The plot and the story line are very imaginative, yet very realistic. Despite her age, Fi rose up and did what had to be done to take care of her family in their fight for survival. I loved watching her grow and mature, and evolve in to one kick-butt heroine. The saying dynamite comes in small packages may seem cliche, but it is absolutely true in the case of Fi Kelly. I know to some it may seem unrealistic to have a 14-year-old taking on the "weight of the world," but Fi Kelly is definitely not your typical 14 year old, and in the world they live in, you've seen more and experienced more at that age than most people do in a lifetime. There is a wide array of characters in the story as this group of people meld together into one family. Some have known each other for years, and others have just recently met, but the bond between them was unbreakable. I loved Fi's mother Maggie. I also loved the relationship that Sean and Fi had. She loved him dearly, he was her best friend, and like a brother to her, and though he felt something different for her, their friendship meant too much to let that get in the way. I really loved Asher, not only was he super hot, he was was a pretty bad-ass dude himself. I guess that is why he and Fi hit it off so well, they had so much in common. Their family unit consisted of both young and old, and those in between.

Eden's root was a very enjoyable and sometimes intense read. It had action, adventure, heartache, and suspense, with just the right amount of romance in the mix. Rachel Fisher has done an excellent job in creating a dystopian world that centers around realistic issues, and leaves you pondering on the "what if's" that could actually someday take place. If you are a dystopian fan, then Eden's root is one of those books you definitely don't want to miss, and I highly recommend it. I am looking forward to reading Seeds of War, the second book in the Eden's Root Trilogy to see where the story goes. (less)

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May 21, 2012 Rachael Woohoo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, book, books-i-own, ebook, dystopia, review-copy, romance, may-2012, reviewed, 2012-favorites, ebooks-i-own, signed

Disclaimer: The fact that the author provided me a copy of Eden's Root in exchange for an honest review has not affected my review.

As a huge fan of dystopian fiction, I may be a little biased in my review. I love so many things about the genre - the characters' needs to survive, their strength through thick and thin, companionships throughout the story, and worlds in which they reside. Eden's Root is no exception. Many of the characters, even the younger ones like Kiara or Zoe, supported each ot...more

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Aug 12, 2012 K.C. Hilton rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was such a wonderful book! In my opinion, if you enjoyed Hunger Games, you will enjoy this book.

*** SPOILER BELOW ***

In the year 2033, an unexpected devistation occurs to the world's food source. Few people knew about the coming of hard times. Fi Kelly, a fourteen year old girl, was burdened with this knowledge before her father died. Her father was one of the people who knew what was coming and planned ahead. He urged Fi to learn survival tactics to keep the family safe and more important...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Chapter by Chapter rated it 4 of 5 stars

I seriously had no idea what I more could expect from author Rachel Fisher’s novel Eden’s Root, after reading the synopsis on Goodreads, I was seriously pumped. The novel sounded just like my cup of tea and post- apocalyptic stories are always bound to be amazing, so I’m sure you’re wondering is something along the lines of: So was the story as good as you were hoping. Well… obviously yes! Or else I wouldn’t have started the review that way! Eden’s Root is a novel that I personally had high hope...more I seriously had no idea what I more could expect from author Rachel Fisher’s novel Eden’s Root, after reading the synopsis on Goodreads, I was seriously pumped. The novel sounded just like my cup of tea and post- apocalyptic stories are always bound to be amazing, so I’m sure you’re wondering is something along the lines of: So was the story as good as you were hoping. Well… obviously yes! Or else I wouldn’t have started the review that way! Eden’s Root is a novel that I personally had high hopes for and it is a science fiction novel that you most definitely can’t predict yourself.

Famine is the one thing that has caused our world to destroy itself thirty years from now, the time that Eden’s Root is set in. Main character, Fi Kelly is given her father’s dying wish to protect her family by learning to protect them herself and by finding them a way to get them to Eden before it’s too late. Embarking on this journey with her new skills in hand and her group that is known as the Family, Fi heads off to find Eden and meets the challenges that come with this new world which consist of starvation, death, and Sickness.

If there’s one thing that caught my eye with this story is the main character. Fi Kelly is a strong female character who I personally felt a strong connection with. She reminds me a lot of Katniss Everdeen in the sense that she is willing to do anything and everything to keep her Family safe. Not to mention that just before she turns fourteen, Fi begins to train in martial arts and becomes a total butt kicking machine. She sounds a lot like me, in that sense *grin*. I loved Fi. I loved how Fi was so willing to kill anybody who could potentially harm her Family and of course, she wasn’t a character with a heart of stone even though she has a warrior spirit.

Fi still felt sorrow and other emotions such as… love *winky face*. The only thing about Fi that I found unrealistic was that, when she escaped from her hometown with the Family, she was described to have these really visible, really defined Catwoman muscles which… considering that she was a fourteen year old girl was really unrealistic since I train and work out just as much as Fi does in the novel… and I don’t look like Catwoman. Just saying. I envied Fi for that.

The world that Rachel Fisher introduced me to was one that I found myself falling in love with because it actually held a realistic reason for the world to end. It wasn’t zombies or giant bunnies destroying the Earth (the bunny thing will happen, mark my words), it was our own ignorance and need to be superior that caused our downfall in Eden’s Root. The food shortages were described as leaving people desperate, and I loved that Fisher actually described other characters who weren’t in the Family as being in a desperate state where they would create gangs and kill other gangs and groups for food.

But don’t worry, there was no cannibalism in the novel.

The romance portion of the novel is something that I personally described as young love when it came to Sean’s feelings towards Fi. But when it came to Fi and Asher, I have to admit that despite the age difference between the two, I was totally falling for Asher. He was so romantic, brooding and at the same time able to kick some major behind.

All in all, a story that I loved with a main character who is ruthless. I loved it! I would recommend Eden’s Root to fans of Post-apocalyptic novels, science fiction and readers who want a story with a strong female character who can kick some butt and then some.(less)

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May 30, 2012 Wakahiru rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-dystopian

I thought I have a little time over each day so I should make a review for some of our writers. Enough choice to pick so I did. And I picked Rachel Fisher. It was one of the best things I could do, really.

I got her book the same day with my e-Mail and started to read. I didn't know what the theme was of that book. So to my surprise it was exactly what I like science-fiction but the kind way, lol. That's what I call the sc-fi that you before hand don't know if it is or not.

Fi is a thirteen year o...more

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May 05, 2012 Darlene rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Yvensong, S. Michele, Cheryl in CC NV

Recommended to Darlene by: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5157475-my-book-diaries

Shelves: adventure, apocalyptic, booklending, cancer, dystopia, feminism, kindle, kindle-books-i-own, lending-enabled, medical, nature, new-york, canada, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, strong-fem, free-from-author-giveaway-day

Wow! This is quite a book. The author did a lot of research, it is evident, but it isn't splashed on every page. The research proves this to be a great sci-fi in the real sense that REAL science is involved.

I want to thank Ms. Rachel Fisher for this complimentary Kindle copy for reading and reviewing. I got to know her a bit through email exchanges and found she was friendly and accessible to her readers.

On to the book. I would say that the first 86% of it was fascinating. I didn't want to put i...more

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About Rachel Fisher

I am a tennis addict and entrepreneur living and working in sunny Florida. I think cliches are undervalued and that ellipses are just *asking* for abuse. :)

I fancy myself a Jeopardy winner in hiding, but know far too little about U.S. Presidents to stand a chance.

And since I was a girl I've been an avid reader, a science-fiction fanatic, and a lover of words.

A scientist by background, I've alway...more

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Quotes from Eden's Root

“Love is like water,' Fi murmured, 'You can't squish it down and make it any smaller. No matter how you squeeze it,' she held Kiara close as her chest tightened. 'It just keeps busting out. So when you lose someone, you don't lose the love. It stays with you just as big in your heart as it always was. We may want the ache to go away, but we can't give up the love. So you live with both.” — 2 people liked it

“Seriously." Asher whispered. "You are pretty badass. It's a good thing you're little or I would be afraid of you.” — 2 people liked it

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