After Eden (After Eden #1)

AFTER EDEN is a spectacular sci-fi novel with a great focus on stars, planets and time travel. I was completely addicted to reading this book and raced through it loving every second. There were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments—there’s always one that makes the Uranus joke. It has a brilliant mix of characters, a gorgeous English seaside setting, and a beautiful love story. I thought it was clever, funny and incredibly romantic. I can’t wait for the sequel. I’d recommend this book to fans of WHEN THE WORLD WAS FLAT by Ingrid Jonach.

I love the premise of these kinds of books, time travel and mystery boys, I mean, how can you go wrong? Well, luckily Ms. Douglas didn't allow me to find out, because it was amazing. I got hooked right from the beginning, and really appreciated Ryan as a love interest, the friendship between Eden, Connor and Megan
I connected with Eden as well. I am similar in personality to her, not the most popular, but on the fringes of all the groups. She is a normal teen, and easy to relate to. She is practical, and she handles stress admirably.
I also appreciated the setting. We are in Britian for a change, and that adds a new spin on a few things.
Ryan was funny, thoughtful and I wanted to know everything about him. Since he was obviously hiding things, it was my mission (well, maybe I needed Eden to help a little) to find out what. I wanted to know why he didn't know about pizza, as well as the reason he doesn't know who figures like Hitler were. Of course, I knew some because of the old synopsis, but not everything. The romance was sweet, and I had to wonder how it was going to work out as I did uncover some of the mysteries. But I was definitely rooting for it to work one way or another. He was attentive to Eden, he
I did feel for Connor. I like the easy friendship and trust that he had with Eden, but unfortunately I couldn't root for him. It was obvious to me that he liked Eden more than friends, how she saw him only, but I def understand why Eden wouldn't see him that way. They grew up together, and she didn't want their comfortable to change. She saw him as the boy he used to be. I wish that he could've been in love with someone else, because he is a good guy and I want good things for him. I do wish that he wouldn't have been so rude and mean to Ryan, but I can see where he is coming from with that.
The world building was fine. I understood all of the concepts but that is not why I like it, everything being well explained and deeply rooted in science. I am all there for the premise, the execution, the romance and the entertainment. But I wasn't confused, and it seemed like it is within the realm of possibility in the scifi sense.
Some of the twists I actually saw coming, but it didn't mess anything up for me.
The ending was sweet, and it tied everything up well. I can see where the next book is heading, because there is hint of the next conflicts, but It was hea even more than I expected because I didn't know how they would pull it off.

Bottom Line: Quick read with sweet romance.

First things first, I want to make sure that you are aware that this review is based on an ARC (advance reading copy) of the book, so there may be changes in the final edition. So, in four and a half months, there may be a completely different book released in the world. I doubt it, but still. On to the review!

After Eden by Helen Douglas is a YA science fiction novel that reads like a contemporary and is Douglas' debut novel. It is set in England, focusing on Eden's last year in school. (I can't remember what it's called over there. Shall we pretend it's high school?) Anywho, the prologue starts us off with Eden shutting down her best friend Connor at the British equivalent of prom. Then chapter one starts three months before the cataclysmic (yes, this is the appropriate word) dance.

I could overwhelm you with spoilers, but I'm going to try to refrain. So let's talk about the characters, starting with Eden. I have an Eden who lives at my house, so I hold heroines with this name to a very high standard. She did not disappoint. She had a few dark spots in her life and some baggage, but no discernable "issues", and is not a broken waif waiting to be fixed by Mr. Right. She's sweet, smart, and strong, but not to the extent that takes away from how real she seemed. It was perhaps due to her believability that I was able to connect with her, and I could see us as being friends in real life. And don't listen to that love triangle nonsense in the synopsis for a minute - Eden knows what she wants, and she clearly does not want Connor.

Ryan, the sexy future man, is what I like to see in a YA love interest. He is not degrading or condescending to anyone in the novel. He does try to hold himself away from Eden, but not in a mean or disrespectful way. Connor, Eden's best friend, is the reason Ryan is in 2012, but he wants nothing to do with his future fan. (No, he does not know that's Ryan is his fan.) He sees Ryan as a threat to his relationship with Eden and treats him poorly. I wondered at times why Eden put up with Connor's behavior and how they ended up as best friends. That being said, the only facet of Connor's life that I really got to see was him being jealous of Eden's attention going somewhere else.

I can't really say much about the world-building without giving away spoilers, and as I said before, there could always be changes. There is a pretty big twist near the end of the book, but I already figured it out and saw it coming a mile away. These things tend to surprise you less the more you read. I was also a bit skeptical about the way After Eden ended because I really felt like the book was building up to go another direction. However, there will be a sequel according to Goodreads called Chasing Stars that make take our characters where I felt they should go.

All in all, this was a pretty good book that was a super fast and easy read. I think After Eden is a great book for readers of contemporary novels who want to step outside of the box a little, or sci-fi fans who want a fluffier read. I look forward to reading more in this series and from Helen Douglas.

- 3.5/5 Stars -

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the book briefly for reviewing purposes through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.