I read this book a really long time ago. I honestly don't remember most of it but I remember how much I loved it / was freaked out by it. Ahaha thus the five stars; if the memory of the book is still bringing back all these emotions then it was definitely a good one. However when I have the time, I'd like to go back and re-read it. Hopefully then I'll be able to match this emotional splurge of memories with actual scenes from the book.

5/21/13

Loved the book. Vocabulary is a little challenging. This would be a great read aloud.

First off, let me start by saying that I don't intend to be mean. I just need to give an honest opinion here. This book is absolutely horrible. It's honestly a boring read. As one would say, great idea, poor execution. There are spoilers in here, but they probably won't ruin anything because a., this book sucks enough already and b., everything is so obvious. Every single plot twist was predictable. The foreshadowing sounds like a two-year-old trying to keep a secret. Mom being a robot was obvious as soon as she returned. For example, they say that she spoke in a monotone voice, her words were hollow, and she didn't let go of the plate. These, to me, are blatant giveaways of the fact that she is a robot. To add to that, if you listened to the CDs of the book, he reads Mom's lines in a robotic voice. CAN YOU GET MORE OBVIOUS THAN THAT? I also strongly dislike the way it's written. It seems like a child wrote a novel and overused the thesaurus. I can't seem to pinpoint what exactly is wrong with it, but that is just a personal opinion. I'm also tired of the religious references. Mr. EDEN, ADAM, GARDEN SCHOOL, PARADISE. To me, raised in Christianity, this was an obvious reference to The Garden of Eden. Though, to others, it may not be as obvious, and some people may actually dislike it (like me). It's not something everyone would get. For example, someone raised an atheist with no knowledge of the Bible won't get these references. For me, it just got tiring. The process went like this. This side of Paradise. Paradise. EDEN. Ha, funny; I get it. Adam. Oh, another reference. Garden school. This is honestly getting old now. I'm not even going to pay any mind to these anymore. To reiterate, this was a boring read. I honestly wouldn't waste your time with it.


EDIT: I realized that Jori is a biblical reference as well... It's driving me insane.

I really liked the story. It did get a little buzzare if I do say so myself but if you just go along with it it's okay. I really liked the grandmother she was my favorite!

A very good, very disturbing tale.

Early dystopian literature--the genre has become much more advanced. Good story line for young adults.

This story is one that I'll always remember. A few years ago I had picked it up and read it, and now when I see someone else reading it I tell them it's my favorite. I picked it up again this year and read it once more. The author is an amazing writer and this story idea is incredible. Its about a teenage boy who moves into a place called "paradise", which is a perfect society. The events that occur are completely suspenseful and I loved the way it was written. The one thing I'd like to point out is I do not recommend reading it if you read at a fast pace, the text is very small and the pages are bigger.

I Love Steven Layne as an educator, and have read his professional book, picture books, but had never read one of novels. He is ver clever with his words, and the chapters always end with a suprise to make you want to keep reading. This book has a character who is in High School but I feel it would be appropriate for upper middle school.

In my seventh grade class, we read this as a read aloud. I thought it was ok.

Chilling is the best way to describe this. It gives off vibes similar to The Giver which a all too neat Stefford wives utopia. Only to discover it’s the dad with a split personality and he’s willing to kill to get his way. Though there are some plot holes. I feel like it would’ve made a good early aughts tv show adaptation.

Jack Barrett has noticed a difference in his father since he took a job with a new company. Suddenly he seem more demanding and much more critical of everyone around him. When he forces them to move to a new town owned by the boss of his company things get really bizarre, and Jack's father and his boss seem to be the cause of it all. Can Jack save his family from destruction?
Although the book is classified as science fiction/fantasy, I'd add psychological thriller instead of fantasy, because for a while the villain does seem to be playing with the family, his moods changing with each new scene. I read this book on a rainy Saturday and it was perfect to entertain without too many plot twists (sometimes psychological thrillers can go crazy that way). I agree with another review that more could have been done with this, but I think Steven Layne did a very good job considering his audience.