There will be no shortage of questions about Fort Eden, the seven, Rainsford, Davis, Mrs. Goring, the program. But the first question, the one that will set all things in motion, will be a simple one. It will be asked when they find me.
We asked you a question, Will. Why are you hiding in this room all alone?
I'll kick off this blog with a book by one of my favorite young adult authors, Patrick Carman. Carman is the author of the Skeleton Creek series which is a personal favorite of mine. Video links are embedded in the text of the story, so it makes a great in-class reading book if you or your students have access to technology. Carman always pushes the limits when it comes to the integration of technology in his books and Dark Eden, the first book in a new series, is no different.
That said, the tie-in app that readers can purchase from the Apple Store or Android Market seems superfluous and at $9.99 is cost-prohibitive to most teachers and students I know. The first chapter is free, so check it out, but I wasn't all that impressed, perhaps because of the high quality of the Skeleton Creek materials.
Dark Eden tells the story of Will, a teenager with a debilitating fear, and six others like him who are sent to a week-long camp at a place called Fort Eden to recover from their phobias. Will knows there is something wrong with the situation from the beginning and tries to convince the others of his suspicions before it is too late for all of them.
Content-- 3.5 out of 5 stars
From a content standpoint, Dark Eden is gripping and engaging with a paranormal twist. Most readers will identify with the idea of being willing to do anything to rid oneself of a fear. Will is a likeable protagonist and readers will be drawn into his view of the world and the sinister quality of Fort Eden.
Message-- 4 out of 5 stars
The message of Dark Eden is one of acceptance of things we hide from the world and even ourselves. Carman succeeds in subtly reinforcing the theme through the experiences of each character without being overly sensitive. In fact, the message is somewhat undermined by the conclusion of the story, but that is probably because Carman is planning a sequel.
Language and Other Offensive Material-- 4.5 out of 5 stars
As with most of Carman's books there is very little language or offensive material. Mild curse words are used sparingly and there is no sexual content. Some of the sequences that involve the retelling of the character's fears are vivid, but not overly gruesome or graphic.
Style-- 3.5 out of 5 stars
Dark Eden is not a very difficult text and will be a quick read for more advanced readers. However, it does include many higher-level vocabulary words. Most of the story is told as Will's internal monologue.
"Teachability" -- 5 out of 5 stars
Carman is a great author with which teachers should be familiar because he frequently writes from the perspective of male characters and does it well. Carman's male protagonists are multi-faceted and usually have some artistic leaning (Will, for example, is interested in audio recording). This is great for teenage boys that are not interested in the typical sports hero or "homeboy" motifs that dominate young adult literature written from a male perspective. Carman is also an English teacher's best friend because he includes numerous allusions to classic literature in his books. For example, in Dark Eden, Carman makes references to John Steinbeck's The Pearl, Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death," and Richard E. Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," all texts typically read in the 9th or 10th grade curriculum. Dark Eden also reflects the themes of the stories, so integrating classic literature into a unit containing the book would be relatively simple.
Overall Rating-- 4 out of 5 stars
Dark Eden is a good recommendation for readers who like suspense and mystery. The lack of objectionable content makes the book a choice for whole class readings, book clubs, or independent reading.
**Discussion questions to come soon.**
Tell me what you think by posting a comment below. Have you read Dark Eden or any of Carman's other books? What did you think?
