Revealing Eden (Save the Pearls #1) by Victoria Foyt

Reviewed by: Siobhán
Format: Hardback
Pages: 302
Published: 10h Jan 2012
Publisher: Sand Dollar Press Inc
Source: Author/Publicist
Genre: YA Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic
Buy: Amazon UK I Amazon US I Book Depository

Description:

Eden Newman must mate before her 18th birthday in six months or she will be left outside to die in a burning world. But who will pick up her mate-option when she's cursed with white skin and a tragically low mate-rate of 15 per cent? In a post-apocalyptic, totalitarian, underground world where class and beauty are defined by resistance to an overheated environment, Eden's colouring brands her as a member of the lowest class, a weak and ugly Pearl. If only she can mate with a dark-skinned Coal from the ruling class, she'll be safe. Just may be one Coal sees the Real Eden and will be her salvation her co-worker Jamal has begun secretly dating her. But when Eden unwittingly compromises her father's secret biological experiment, she finds herself in the eye of a storm and thrown into the last area of rainforest, a strange and dangerous land. Eden must fight to save her father, who may be humanity's last hope, while standing up to a powerful beast-man she believes is her enemy, despite her overwhelming attraction. Eden must change to survive but only if she can redefine her ideas of beauty and of love, along with a little help from her "adopted aunt" Emily Dickinson.

Review:

Revealing Eden is book 1 in the Save the Pearls series. Set in a post apocalyptic/dystopian world where the tables have turned on race. Eden is nearly 18 and a Pearl (light skinned) she must mate with someone before her birthday or she will be force out of her community. Eden has her sights set on Jamel, a Coal (dark skinned), they have been secretly dating. However, one day Eden's world is tore apart by a betrayel and she is forced to go deep into the rainforest with her father and Ronson Bramford, her fathers boss, who after an experiment goes horribly wrong is turned into a beast.

Revealing Eden is very unique. The world that Victoria has created is very interesting and dark. In this world the table have completely turned on race. The Coals (dark skinned) are the superior race. I found this really refreshing. Eden everyday paints herself dark so she can blend in amoung the Coals. She hates being born white skinned because of the disadvantages and how people treat her. It was captivating, and myself I felt connected to this part of the story because my son is mixed race and I know how cruel people can be with they see someone is "different" However, I would have like the race issue in the book to me explore alot more and be a bit my indepth regards to the back story.

Eden is one of those characters that you like from the get go! She is smart, funny and quite sarcastic at time. Which I love! Although at times she comes across selfish and immature, but given the situation she is put into I can understand why. Her strange relationship with Bramford, I'm not going to lie, kinda weirded me out. I didn't get the attraction at all. She wasn't attracted to him with he was man but when he is a beast she finds it hard to deny an attraction. Bramford himself is quite strange. We don't know much about him before this tranformation but he has hidden secrets. He is quite arogant but at the same time he is very likable. He protects Eden even when she is a pain and trying to run away , he stills protects. When he is tranformed it's like he was made for that beast life. He fits into really well.

I am really excited to see how Victoria contines this series especially after that ending. It was such a perfect ending. Not a total cliff hanger just enough to leave the reader begging for the next installment. If you are looking for a quick read that will draw you in, that's very different and exciting then give this ago. I don't think you will be disappointed!

Rate: 4/5