Parents' Guide to

Elites of Eden: Children of Eden, Book 2

By Michael Berry, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Dystopian mind-control tale grows even more complicated.

Book Joey Graceffa Science Fiction 2017
Elites of Eden: Children of Eden, Book 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

AHigh
AHigh Parent of 11-year-old
April 1, 2019
age 13+

Chaste embrace?

"I pull him suddenly, almost violently, to me, pressing the length of my body against his. His eyes widen, but a second later, he's kissing me back. I grab his hand, move it where I want it and it feels so right and so wrong..." pg. 22 A "chaste embrace"????The two star rating is for Common Sense Media's assessment. Please reconsider standards for sexual content.
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What's the Story?

At the start of ELITES OF EDEN, Yarrow enjoys the power she wields as one of the popular girls at the exclusive Oaks boarding school. But when she meets a mysterious lilac-haired stranger named Lark, she begins to remember another life: one in which her mother died, her father left, and her asthmatic brother took her place as the favored first child. As she discovers the extent to which her mind has been controlled by others, Yarrow vows to fight alongside old friends and new allies.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

The clichés of YA dystopian fiction are well known by now, but this middle volume of a breathless sci-fi trilogy employs most of them. In Elites of Eden, no thought goes unexpressed by Yarrow/Rowan as she attempts to understand how she has been brainwashed by her elders. The plot makes crazy leaps in logic, and most of the characters are defined in a single dimension. But younger teens may enjoy the hyped-up storytelling, where almost anything can happen at any time, as the children of Eden choose their own destinies.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Elites of Eden addresses the topic of bullying. Why do some groups of teens feel it necessary to dominate their peers through gossip and innuendo?

  • The book explores the differences between illusion and reality. How do we know what is true? What criteria should be used in making judgments about how the world works?

  • The government in Eden lies to its citizens about their history. Do governments ever lie to their people in real life?

Book Details

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