Reviews

Eden West by Pete Hautman

s_kirby's review against another edition

reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

trkravtin's review against another edition

A provacotive exploration of devotion and the search for one's self within the confines of faith, family and superimposed expectations. There is much here that is discussion worthy, but at it's heart, it is a novel of a boy's search for the truth of his soul and courage to acknowledge the path of his life's journey.

For readers of his National Book Award winner, Godless, and anyone else fascinated by questions of faith and teenagers coming of age

hulahoopes's review against another edition

3.0

I did not expect to like this and got very caught up in the characters and the tale. Truly fascinating.

cstoeger's review against another edition

4.0

Read my full review here: http://cbabblings.blogspot.com/2015/05/eden-west-by-pete-hautman.html

ghetzler99's review against another edition

3.0

Strange. That's the only word I could use to describe this one. I did like how it dealt with religion though and questioning one's faith or lack there of. Another audio book, making me start to like audiobooks more.

lorimanning's review against another edition

4.0

A great story about a teenage boy living in a cult who is tempted by a worldly girl.

nasilemaki's review against another edition

might try and give this book another go in the future. I just don’t think the pace is what I am looking for currently 

silea's review against another edition

4.0

I'm not one to sit down and analyze books. I read for pleasure, not to write book reports. Thus, it is very out of character for me to notice Themes and Symbolism in a book, or whatever the words are that my 10th grade english teacher probably said at least a dozen times per class. However, upon finishing this book, i knew exactly how to write the essay for this book. Between the Tree, the wolf, and the lightning, the symbolism was dense and obvious.

That's not to say the book wasn't good. It's an unusual Coming Of Age story, what with the cult and all. Jacob is not a person i could ever relate to, but i felt i understood his character a lot more than i expected to, what with the cult and all. The author did a stellar job of writing a believable teenage boy in a rigid culture. While the pacing was a little uneven, there were no outright lulls deep enough that i wandered off to do something else. In fact, i stayed up well past my bedtime two nights in a row to power through this book.

kmg365's review against another edition

3.0

Since I enjoyed Godless so much, I was intrigued when I saw Hautman had returned to the topic of religion in Eden West.

The book took a very long time to develop a head of steam, and once it did, the rest of the book seemed rushed.

It was entertaining to watch Jacob repeatedly deny that Father Grace’s group was a cult. Yeah, they wear robes, they have a sacred tree, their leader (and ONLY their leader) has multiple wives, fourteen is not too young for a girl to get married, the elders throw wrongdoers into a pit until they capitulate, and if they don’t capitulate, sometimes they shove an ice pick into their frontal lobe to calm them down a bit, and both the suicide rate and infant mortality are off the charts… but it’s not a cult. They’re the one true faith— honest.

The wolf and sheep as metaphors seemed a little belabored and obvious, but I did like the sensitivity of the scene in which Jacob kills the wolf. It’s not easy out there for a lone wolf, which helps explain why the lost lambs tend to gather in robe-wearing, brimstone-believing cults.

I enjoyed the use of the tree as the focal point of the cult. I’m disappointed that Tobias— an outsider— was the one to poison the tree. I wanted the beginning of the end of Nodd to come from inside the community. When the tree was thriving, it was supposedly a literal signpost for the return of Zarachiel. After it dies, one of the faithful says offhandedly “It was just a metaphor.” Whew. That’s a relief, because otherwise, you’d have to disband the cult, because all the prophesies were about this real, actual crabapple tree that just happens to be growing in the middle of cult central.

The ending was meant to be mildly ambiguous, but I’m picturing Jacob in blue jeans, working for Lynna’s dad, and learning how to use contractions when he speaks.

suzannedix's review against another edition

4.0

Seventeen-year old Jacob has lived in a cult in a remote area of Montana since the age of five. His parents joined Grace Ministries while grieving the loss of Jacob’s four-day old brother. While Jacob can recall glimpses of his young life (television, fast food, toys) he is fully invested in his life serving the Archangel Zerachiel and working hard on the land to support his fellow Brothers and Sisters. Never once has Jacob doubted his faith until he meets two Worldly, and therefore wicked, teens. Tobias, a troubled and angry boy, arrives at the compound with his mother and immediately fights the constraints of this limited and spartan living. Lynna, a beautiful girl from the neighboring ranch, excites Jacob in ways that he knows are sinful but her allure is all consuming. Within the span of a few months, the compound experiences some of the most trying times of its history: bitterly cold weather, diseases wiping out their chicken crop, injuries and illnesses of the members, a suicide and several desertions. Many question whether the end is near and Jacob finds himself at a crossroads, considering a new path. Immediately engrossing, this story gives the reader a compelling look into a modern-day religious faction. Jacob is a sympathetic character with universal appeal. With so many realistic novels currently focusing on mental illness, drug use and suicide, this unique story is surprisingly hopeful and offers a welcome change of topics.