The Eternal Ones

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Quirky romantic mystery offers something for every teen.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this page-turning mystery features three murders -- and the protagonist wonders if she was victim of more than one murder in her various past lives. The book romanticizes love at first sight, and there is talk about sex and desire -- though nothing teen readers will be shocked by.  There are also frequent sexual innuendos that come from Haven's homosexual best friend, Beau. This book explores themes of identity, faith, and the afterlife: Haven is raised to believe that Christianity is the only true faith until circumstances encourage her to explore the possibility of reincarnation. Readers also will get messages about staying true to yourself: Haven is a respectful and independent girl, who, while treated like an outsider, continues to believe in herself. 

  • Teen girls may quickly devour this book -- and then look for other mysteries and romances to read. See our recommended lists for some other ideas.
  • While Haven and Beau are immediately outcast from their small town community, one for being eccentric and the other for being gay, they learn to stay true to themselves
  • There are many role models in this book, some heroic and others anti-heroes. Haven is a respectful and independent girl who makes decisions based on personal preference and facts, rather than emotion.  She remains level-headed when an opportunity arises to chase romantic love, and learns to have faith in others. Ethan is a chivalric, honest man who will go to necessary extremities to defend his honor and love for Constance.    
  • Murder mysteries appear throughout the novel.  The main character, Haven, comes to realize that she may or may not have been the victim of more than one murder in her various past lives. The violence is not explicit and written in the third person. 
  • Haven is a young woman who literally meets the man of her "dreams."  Once they are reunited there is talk of sex and desire, but nothing teen readers can't handle.  There are also frequent sexual innuendos that come from Haven's homosexual best friend, Beau. 
  • Occasional cursing and use of the word "s--t."   
  • Car models and fashion labels are used to define characters.  Also, the characters rely on gossip magazines and television shows, such as Access Hollywood.    
  • Marta Vega, a secondary character, has a heroin problem. There are a few scenes where her "track marks" and syringes are visible.  However, her substance abuse problem is not glamorized and eventually overcome.  Seventeen year-old Haven also mentions that most of her peers smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. 

What's the story?

Haven Moore is a high school senior in a small Christian Tennessee town.  At a very young age she begins to have visions of people and places that she has never seen before. Her grandmother is convinced that she is possessed by demons and spends her days praying for Haven's soul to be healed. Feeling alone and lost in her community, Haven decides to go to New York in quest for Ethan, the boy from her visions. There she meets people from the Ouroboros Society who help her trace her life back to 44 BC. And, if that's not enough plot for you, then there are the three murder mysteries she investigates...


Is it any good?

 

Kristen Miller's imagination is alluring and very entertaining.  She has created likable characters and suspenseful events that keep the reader hooked and excited for more. THE ETERNAL ONES is rich with a mixture of literary genres that will appeal to some, but come across as scatter-brained and confusing to others. Although the theme of chivalric love and a single soul mate for eternity may cause some to roll their eyes, the way in which Miller utilizes mystery, romance, satire, and fantasy offers something for everyone. The open ending invites reader imagination -- and possible sequels.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how this book is being marketed. How did you find out about it? You can watch a video preview for it on Amazon, where you can also download an excerpt to read. If you were the publisher and trying to get teens to read this book, what would you do?

  • Have you seen any other creative campaigns for books that use social
    networking, mobile, or any other modern method to connect to young
    readers?

  • For parents and teachers who want to delve more into the plot: How
    is Hollywood portrayed in this book? Do Haven and Beau rely too much on
    gossip magazines and television shows for factual information? Is their
    interest in gossip media an accurate depiction of teens today? If so,
    what are the potential problems?


This review was written by Karen Wirsing
Teen, 15 years old
January 5, 2011
 
Strange love mystery with just a little too much drug dealing.
I picked up this book with high hopes, drawn to the beautiful glossy cover, to the very well written quote from the book in the back, to the intriguing plot line I was disappointed over all. There were some pretty funny lines coming from different characters, and some good role models, but that was all that really kept me hooked. Everything else was predicable, and the ending left a open door for a sequel. I'm not so sure I really would want to read it if it was released. The story fallows that of Haven Moore, who has always had visions of a past life. Yup, that's right; reincarnation. When she gets a vision of a fire that killed her, a race against time is set in place, she must find out if her past boyfriend was the one who killed her or not. And then a few killings happen and a man named Ethan is the one everyone thinks the killer. Because her whole town thinks she is being possessed by the devil, she leaves for New York where Ethan sapposely lives. You find out a lot about people drug dealing, and other people having affairs with other people, It is very hard to keep everything strait in my head. (It reminds me of my Aunt's favorite soap operas.) Those who have read and like Twilight, this good be a book for you. Enjoy.

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This review was written by Karen Wirsing
Author:Kristen Miller
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Mystery
Publisher:Razorbill
Publication date:August 10, 2010
Number of pages:432
Hardcover price:$12.23
Paperback price:$8.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):12 - 12

This review was written by Karen Wirsing
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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