Eden at the Edge of Midnight by John KerryMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
*****This review is from 2013. I did a re-read in January 2019 and my review still stands. I am re-posting it because I also read and reviewed the second book today.*****
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Eden at the Edge of Midnight is an adventure story about a teen girl named Sammy who desperately wants to be noticed, and her inadvertent foray into the former garden of Eden, now called Perseopia. When a mysterious old woman asks her to hold onto a bracelet she claims is magic, Sammy thinks she's weird but doesn't believe her. At first.
When Sammy is transported to Perseopia, she meets with danger almost at every turn. But a chance encounter with a dinosaur-like creature named Louis and the man who lives in a house on his back, Mehrak, seems to be her only hope. Can Sammy make it back home to what Mehrak keeps calling the Mother World? Or will she be stuck in Perseopia forever? And is she really the chosen one that the old woman spoke of? Or just another teenager?
I had a great time reading this book, not only for the story but for Sammy's personality. She reminds me so much of myself, and she's completely geeky for science fiction and movies and video games. The pop culture references spattered throughout the book were welcome reminders that there is another world to which Sammy belongs, and that she is a normal teenager who just happens to mean something to someone.
Mehrak's age is never made clear, nor is Hami's, the mage who inserts himself into the journey. But they must have been close enough in age to Sammy for her to be "interested" in both of them. It's never really clear just how much she feels for them, although that kiss at the end (I'm not saying with whom ;)) was pretty nifty. Mehrak is married, but his wife was taken by crabmen and he's on the hunt for her. Hami is convinced Sammy is the chosen child, but his plotting takes so many twists and turns it's always hard to tell whether he truly cares for her or just wants to use her to achieve his own ends.
The end of the book sets it up nicely for book 2, and I wonder what role Sammy will play in the next installment. It looks like the magi are in danger and maybe Sammy will be able to help.
Highly recommended for people who love humor and suspense, with a teen heroine who isn't annoying (for once), and is as big a geek as we fantasy readers tend to be ;)
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