Teen Thriller: Dark Eden

Dark Eden
by Patrick Carman
Katherine Tegan Books
2011
336 pages
Available November 1, 2011

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Dark Eden is one of those rare books where you think you know what's going to happen, but you would be wrong--very wrong! This is a sleek psychological thriller for teens; it is the Shutter Island for the teen crowd.

Will Besting finally goes along with his parents' wishes to go into a special program where his psychiatrist assures them that he will come out a "new man," unafraid of his fears. The van takes him and six others to Ft. Eden, a deserted looking bunker out in the middle of nowhere and drops them off. There is no way to walk back to civilization.

Will knows the six other kids, but they don't know he knows them. Will began snooping in his psychiatrist's office when she leaves him alone. He has stolen the tapes of all six of his van-mates. He knows their deepest, darkest secrets and their crippling fears and nightmares. Will has a suspicious mind and when everyone goes into the fort, Will runs for the woods. His plan is to stay hidden and figure out just what Ft. Eden really is.

He finds a way in--he sneaks past the groundskeeper and hides in the cellar of her bungalow. There he finds a secret entrance into Ft. Eden. Will also discovers a video room with ancient equipment where he can eavesdrop on the six teens. He has video but not an audio feed so it's guesswork what people are saying. Will watches in horror as each teen is led to a dark room and fed images that will "cure" them.

When Marisa tells Will that everyone is cured, Will doubts it. What is Marisa's secret fear? And what happened to Avery?

The teens have to face their worst fears to get out. Creepy and twisted, Dark Eden will resonate with teen readers who like adventure and who crave dank cellars and things that go bump in the night.

Recommended grade 7-up. No language, no sex.

FTC Required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.