Review: Dark Eden by Patrick Carman

Book: Dark Eden by Patrick Carman
Pages: 336
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

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.

Not particularly mind-blowing, Dark Eden proved to be a somewhat entertaining book.


The plot was wonderful. It's fast-paced, and it keeps you wondering what's going to happen next. Although this book is classified under thriller/horror, it wasn't exactly scary nor exhilarating from my perspective. (Perhaps because I've seen so many horror movies that it takes a lot to scare me...) However, I enjoyed finding out what each of the characters' fears were and especially Will's.

Will was an alright character. I didn't necessarily like him as his character fell flat for me sometimes. He somewhat had a monotonous, dull voice which made me drop the book at times. I did like the way how he's a quick thinker to get himself out of sticky situations.

The ending was unexpected (which I loved!) and it wrapped everything up quite nicely. The way it ended could be taken as a standalone, but there was definitely a bit more room for a sequel.