Dark Eden had a striking premise, definitely nothing like I’ve read in quite some time, and I had high hopes for it. Unfortunately, the novel didn’t really deliver for me.Dark Eden starts slow, and I kept wondering what was going on and what each of their fears were, and what the main character’s fear was (though it wasn’t difficult to figure out), and there was so much mystery without the tension I was hoping for. I was wondering, yes, but it was a frustrating wonder, rather than an edge of my seat wonder.The action does pick up a bit mid way through, and I honestly wasn’t expecting some of the turns the novel took. I think my biggest issue with the story was the revelation. I wanted Will (and I) to be in the middle of the action and experiencing everything first hand, and I wanted all of the shocking little details to come out throughout the story, where I could experience the shock with Will. Unfortunately, much of what we learn is revealed in the end, and it didn’t have the same effect on me that it may have had otherwise.There was a lot of potential in this story, and I definitely think I would have enjoyed it with a different execution. Perhaps it was geared at a younger audience than I’m used to? I’m not sure, but I will be looking into some of the other books Patrick Carman has authored.
