Elites of Eden

October 15, 2017
A young member of the elite class in a dystopian future discovers her destiny in this sequel to Children of Eden (2016). Bronze-skinned Yarrow is the teenage daughter of one of the most powerful women in Eden. At the exclusive Oaks boarding school, Yarrow rolls with the cool kids, submissive only to the queen bee, Pearl. When mysterious, lilac-haired Lark joins Yarrow's class, the two girls feel drawn to each other, and as Lark's secrets are revealed, Yarrow discovers her own true path. This discovery is the smartly conceived and perfectly executed twist that puts this sequel over the top. The standard teen-dystopian tropes remain, but the author uses readers' familiarity with overreaching governments and shady rebel bases to his advantage, structuring Yarrow's arc as a journey that examines heretofore unseen aspects of Eden's culture and dovetailing with the first book's narrative thrust. The love interests remain spottily developed, but the sexual fluidity baked into this love triangle makes for a refreshing change from the usual two hunks pining for one gal. The novel's climax points toward an intriguing path for Book 3 to take but still provides readers with a sense of closure. The early pages are a tad rough: Yarrow is deeply unpleasant and Pearl is a pill, but once readers get past the Mean Girls-esque surface there's plenty of reward. A cunningly charted sequel that improves on its predecessor. (Science fiction. 12-16)

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March 1, 2018

In this sequel to Children of Eden, Yarrow attends an elite boarding school meant only for top citizens. She and her best friend, Pearl, rule the school with a vicious, vapid hand. Drugs and all-night parties abound. However, a chain of events force Yarrow to remember she is actually Rowan, a second-born child who has people waiting for her to escape. Rowan does her best to assist those hiding from the evil governing forces of Eden, but it all ends in seeming disaster, setting up the third book. This predictable, clichéd sequel will not thrill any but the most loyal fans of the first installment. The protagonist too often oscillates between weepiness, helplessness, and indecision and the competence and self-assuredness of a trained operative in a spy novel. The language is an off-putting blend of teen speak and invented swear words. There is even a cackling villainess who reveals the full menacing plot of those in charge right before she tries to kill off the main character. Overall, this is a melodramatic story about a society waiting out ecological disaster with a HAL-like machine in charge. VERDICT Purchase only where there are already fans of the series.-Kristen Rademacher, Marist High School, IL

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