Book Review: After Eden

Author: Helen Douglas
Publication Date: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Series: After Eden # 1

The day Eden met Ryan changed her world forever. Actually, not just her world. Ryan has time traveled from the future to save the world. In a few weeks, Eden’s best friend Connor will discover a new planet—one where human life is possible. The discovery will make him famous. It will also ruin the world as we know it. When Ryan asks Eden for help, she must choose between saving the world and saving her best friend’s greatest achievement. And a crush on Ryan complicates things more than she could have imagined. Because Connor is due to make the discovery after the girl he loves breaks his heart. That girl is Eden.

Grounded in a realistic teen world with fascinating sci-fi elements, After Eden is a heart-pounding love triangle that’s perfect for dystopian fans looking for something new to devour.

He closed the gate behind me and waited until I was turning the key in the lock before disappearing into the star-studded sky.

Only one thing could explain all these things. Ryan Westland was from the future.

I might be overwhelmed, I might be confused, and I might not have all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. But it was obvious that Ryan was here because of Connor. The question was: Why?

Eden knows there is something strange about the new guy, Ryan Westland; however, she cannot seem to put her finger on it. After many conversations with Ryan, they start to become close friends, and then they eventually develop even deeper feelings for one another. Ryan knows more about Eden and her best friend, Connor, then they do. When Eden finds a book in Ryan’s house written by Connor, she starts to piece the puzzle together. Ryan eventually admits his secret to Eden, and tells her that the mission he has to complete is a difficult one and he could really use her help!

This is only the third book that I have read about time travel, and I have to say that this topic thoroughly interests me. The world building was phenomenal, as well as Douglas’s attention for detail in her made up world and her ever-developing characters. This book squishes Science Fiction, Romance, and a Contemporary feel all into one book. I am not a huge fan of science fiction, but the way it is written in this book is so much easier to get through. The subject was light and Douglas made everything easy to understand; although, I still had questions by the time it was all finished and over with. But I believe that is a good thing. Every author wants to leave his or her readers wanting more!

I am so over books that have these insta-love relationships, and I am so glad that Eden and Ryan did not fit into this category. Their relationship grew and progressed at what I felt was a normal rate, and was satisfied to see it blossoming into more than just a friendship. The only problem that I found with the book was its predictability at times, and often times this cannot be avoided. It doesn’t make the book bad at all, and I am very excited to read the next book in this series!

***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books in exchange for my honest review***