A quiet rebellion: All about Eve of Eridu

Have you read the book about the girl in the future? You know the one – she’s special, the government is corrupt, and she leads a rebellion? I bet this sounds familiar, right? Dystopian YA novels have been the thing for several years now. However, Eve of Eridu is a little different and that’s a good thing. Below is the 4 star review I left on Goodreads and Amazon, but I wanted to write a bit more here.

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Eve of Eridu isn’t your typical dystopian YA. There are no love triangles or big battles. It also appears to be a standalone – though I imagine more could follow, it is complete as it is. Another big difference IMHO is that the main character is quite likeable. Yes, I enjoyed Jennifer Lawrence’s portrayal of Katniss Everdeen; however, whenever I re-read I remember that I didn’t like the character in the books.

While I don’t think I’ll ever be a fan of first person POV, it works well here. In this future, emotion is considered a dangerous threat so it’s imperative we form a close connection with Eve. I would also like to note the loss of her brother that Eve experiences happens before the book starts – there’s no ripping of a beloved character from us. We do get to know Luc through her memories, but the connection is different than experiencing him firsthand.

The author brings in some unique ideas that have stayed with me (and isn’t that an amazing thing for a writer to be able to do)! As emotions are foreign to Eve, she reads ‘symptoms’ of them and even considers whether they have a taste. I’m not sure I would have selected green beans for any particular emotion, but I like the concept.

The title of my review is a quiet rebellion and that’s the best summary I could write. Following Eve’s journey is more mental and emotional. It’s also a private study in what it means to be human. It doesn’t push big ideas down a reader’s throat but instead offers a discreet conversation on a personal level.

If you’re looking for a different take on this genre, give Eve of Eridu a try!

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First, my own picture of the cover on my Kindle.

So, what more can I discuss here? That’s a good question! As a member of the #indieauthor community, I think it’s important to support my fellow writers. And, as with any good book, there is certainly more to discuss.  While this is the first time I’m blogging about a book review, I think I’ll look for more such opportunities in the future.

I must include a couple of gripes – there’s a formatting error on one chapter and a few missing commas (though I’m hardly an expert). The use of technology was a bit vague at times, but I’m not someone who researches such subjects to find the author’s mistakes so that didn’t truly bother me. That’s it! To me, this is an example of an indie book that gives self-publication a good name. The cover is eye-catching and the editing prevents any distraction with typos, repetitive words, bad grammar, plot holes, flat characters, etc. The side characters are a bonus which make it even more enjoyable as are some of the more descriptive sections. There’s even a bit of a ‘twist’ at the end.

Next, a bit more about the substance of book. In addition to being impressed by the emotions/ taste connection, there were other points I enjoyed. Each chapter includes a quote of the Book of Eridu which provides a bit more depth without bombarding the reader with information overload. The use of colors and even the water comparison were particularly striking to me. The names of the characters are unusual enough to scream fantasy; however, we learn the meaning and reason for them. I will say that every time I read ‘Alexa’ I thought of Amazon and my Echo dot! These small points are symbolic of the book. While there aren’t love triangles and battles, there are quiet points that allow you to think. Yes, they allow you to think – they do not make you.

One piece of advice I’ve seen often is to not share too much but instead trust your reader to be smart and to figure things out. I think the author did that well here. It left me with some things to ponder and yearning for a bit more without a feeling of disappointment. That’s a difficult line to walk as an author.

Before I conclude, I must include one more gripe – this particular future doesn’t include cats. Even Katniss had a cat! In light of that, here’s a picture of one of mine as a sign of protest for this detail!

As I say ‘well done’ on this book, I would encourage you to pick up a copy and see what thoughts you have!

[Amazon link for Eve of Eridu.]

#bookreview #bookblogger #amreading