Dark Eden by Patrick Carman

 Find more cool videos and teasers here!

Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to Fort Eden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once there, Will and six other teenagers take turns in mysterious fear chambers and confront their worst nightmares—with the help of the group facilitator, Rainsford, an enigmatic guide. When the patients emerge from the chamber, they feel emboldened by the previous night's experiences. But each person soon discovers strange, unexplained aches and pains. . . . What is really happening to the seven teens trapped in this dark Eden?

Patrick Carman's Dark Eden is a provocative exploration of fear, betrayal, memory, and— ultimately—immortality.

Goodreads Summary

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 teens were invited to potentially cure their debilitating fears.  Will is the most cautious of the bunch, he prefers to watch and wait rather than be the first one in the mysterious chamber.  The chamber is geared towards curing fears...and a more potentially sordid purpose.  That quality pays off, the reader will learn that there is a shocking twist at the end of this novel-one that, in hindsight, falls right into place. 

The characters are very well-developed, particularly Will's.  The events are fast-paced, they pick up even more speed towards the middle of the novel.  The ending was perfect for Dark Eden, I couldn't imagine it any other way.  I think this book was especially great considering it was written by a male author with the main character also being male.  There aren't many of these types of books to go around; Will is one of the best male main characters I have had the pleasure of reading about.  The author writes very clearly and with the perfect amount of detail.  Dark Eden is highly recommended to teens/young adults/adults.

5 Stars

*Review thanks to HarperCollins

Find this book at:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
The Book Depository <-should be in stock upon release!