Monday, 31 December 2012

Book Review: Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt

Goodreads Summary: Eden Newman must mate before her 18th birthday in six months or she'll be left outside to die in a burning world. But who will pick up her mate-option when she's cursed with white skin and a tragically low mate-rate of 15%? In a post-apocalyptic, totalitarian, underground world where class and beauty are defined by resistance to an overheated environment, Eden's coloring brands her as a member of the lowest class, a weak and ugly Pearl. If only she can mate with a dark-skinned Coal from the ruling class, she'll be safe. Just maybe one Coal sees the Real Eden and will be her salvation her co-worker Jamal has begun secretly dating her. But when Eden unwittingly compromises her father's secret biological experiment, she finds herself in the eye of a storm and thrown into the last area of rainforest, a strange and dangerous land. Eden must fight to save her father, who may be humanity's last hope, while standing up to a powerful beast-man she believes is her enemy, despite her overwhelming attraction. Eden must change to survive but only if she can redefine her ideas of beauty and of love, along with a little help from her "adopted aunt" Emily Dickinson.



Title: Revealing Eden
Series: Save the Pearls #1
Author: Victoria Foyt
Publisher: Sand Dollar Press Inc
Release Date: First published 6th October 2011
Format: e-galley
Source: Publisher via NetGalley


Wow, this is an amazing fantasy novel. I have seen a lot of mixed reviews regarding this book, generally because of the racism that some believe this book is about. I have read and am reviewing the book for the whole story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  This is a unique and riveting book that I couldn’t put down; I read it in one day and found the page turner storyline and characters fascinating.

Eden Newman is seventeen and a half years old, in six months she will be eighteen and if she doesn’t find a mate, she will be left outside in the heat to die. In a world where procreation is limited to one child per couple, her meals consist of pills and water is rationed to a cup a day; Eden is starting to panic that she will die of The Heat and never find her mate. Civilisation has been all but wiped out and the survivors are living in tunnels underground away from the blazing sun. Eden’s Father is a scientist and a very good one; he is trying to adapt humans DNA with an animal’s DNA in order to help humans survive on the surface.

It is unusual for Eden and her Father to have such highly ranked jobs; their social standing is classed as low because they are Pearls. Pearls have light coloured skin and Eden in particular has a very low mate-rate of only 15%. Eden works in her Father’s lab assisting with the test subjects and on this particular day trouble starts. Eden and her Supervisor have an altercation; Eden tries to run away and is caught by the guy that runs the place, Bramford. Eden sees Bramford as arrogant and a self-righteous man that is only out for power and glory.

The test subjects go missing and as a last resort Bramford requests that he become the new experiment. There is an explosion in the lab during the procedure and all hell breaks loose. Bramford takes Eden and her Father on his jet to escape. Eden feels she is kidnapped and doesn’t know what will happen to her life or her Father.

Arriving in the Jungle, Bramford is adapting to his new DNA and is unpredictable. Eden doesn’t know why he helps them or where they are going.  Arriving in a small village they have to adapt to their new surrounding and the food available. There is something very mysterious going on, the children are calling Eden Rebecca and nobody will tell her why.

Will Eden ever find out why Bramford is really helping them? Does she have feelings for Bramford or does she like just ticking him off? Will they ever get back to civilisation? Can Eden really survive out on the surface? Can Eden find out the mystery behind Bramford and who Rebecca is?

I cannot wait for book 2, Adapting Eden to be released next year; Goodreads says it is due for release in January, but I found somewhere else that it isn’t until March. Anyway, I will be looking out for it and can’t wait to see what happens to Eden, Bramford and her Father next. I really loved the story behind this book, the world building could have been a little more detailed as to what and how everything happened, but the characters and Eden in particular are intriguing. Eden is struggling through her life and trying to work out what it all means. Being an emotional 17 year old is difficult at the best of times, but put in the mix of trying to live in a jungle with a strange man that she has always had to fear, well what more could you want. Betrayal, love, mystery, family relationships and adventure all mixed into one. I recommend this to those that enjoy a fantasy.

5 AWESOME STARS



About the Author
Victoria Foyt's debut novel, The Virtual Life of Lexie Diamond, a young adult fantasy 
mystery thriller (HarperCollins) was Recommended by The Center for Children's Books, and received a five-star, must read rating from Teens Read Too: “Foyt has created a compelling character and an electrifying story that will hold readers until the last page.”

Victoria co-wrote and starred in several acclaimed feature films, including "Going Shopping" with Rob Morrow, "Déjà Vu" with Vanessa Redgrave, "Last Summer in the Hamptons" with Melissa Leo, and "Babyfever" with Eric Roberts.

Victoria has appeared on news outlets such as Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, E! Entertainment, HBO, CNN-TV, Showbiz Today, ABC Radio, Turner TV Entertainment Report, TNT Rough Cuts, and Westwood One Radio, and has received extensive coverage on Siskel & Ebert. 

She also has been featured in Vogue Magazine, O at Home, Elle Magazine, Movieline, Venice Magazine, Avenue Magazine, Night Magazine, Moviemaker Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, La Opinion, Miami New Times, Dramalogue, and Backstage West, among others. 

Born and raised in Coral Gables, Florida, Victoria attended the University of Miami, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in French and Spanish and German. She currently resides in Santa Monica, California. She loves reading--at least two or three books a month--movies, tennis, swimming, hiking, and lots of dark chocolate.




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