Eden's Everdark by Karen Strong

Eden's Everdark Reviews

• 
  DivaDiane

  I read this because I am judging the Middle Grade Speculative Fiction division of the Cybils Awards. Announcement of the winners in all divisions will be announced on Feb 14 after which I’ll post full reviews.
  
  
  https://www.cybils.com/
• 
  Nafiza

  I read an early copy of this and it was FANTASTIC. You all need to put it on your TBRs.
• 
  Bookishrealm

  If you're interested in hearing my full thoughts about this be sure to check out my video here:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1pmG...
• 
  Ms. Woc Reader

  This is a fantasy that explores grief and connecting to your heritage. I really liked the family aspect of this and was hoping to see more of the present day island. I thought the world of Everdark was interesting though the nature of the world allowed the story to be a little repetitive.
• 
  Palatine Library

  After her mother’s death, Eden and her father visit Safina Island, her mother’s childhood home. During her first day on the island, she finds her mother's old sketchbook, filled with haunting images. Days later, Eden follows a black cat into the forest, and stumbles into the world of Everdark, which looks eerily similar to her mother’s drawings. Now, the Witch of Everdark wants to make Eden her eternal daughter and keep her in Everdark forever.
  
  Atmospheric, haunting and touching, Eden’s Everdark explores grief, love, and magic. Author Karen Strong writes a realistic, yet heartbreaking story about how a young girl navigates the loss of her mother, but also commemorates heritage and family. This is a tale of not only grief, but also the dark history of America’s past: slavery. Yet, despite all the grief and darkness, this book made for a hopeful and magical read, filled with family and love.
  
  I adored this book! It was such a haunting and emotional read, with wonderful writing. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an eerie, yet also hopeful and magical, tale.
  
  Reviewed by: Riya B., grade 8
  
• 
  Erica Baxter

  What a treasure! I was immediately enthralled with this book – from the cover, to the first page, all the way through to the end. It hooked me and kept me wanting more.
  
  At its heart, this is a book about grief and how hard it is to escape. But it is also a book that celebrates the beauty of family and our roots. There is culture and love packed into these pages. Even the regional dialect is a joy to read.
  
  This book is so many things. It is creepy and atmospheric. Beautiful and haunting. It is a reminder of the past – the decadence of wealth and the barbarism of slavery. But it is about hope for the future.
  
  Even though this is marketed as a Middle Grade novel, adult readers will inevitably take more from it than the younger audience – the regrettable result of having more experience with grief. I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages.
  
  Truly exceptional.
• 
  Charlotte

  I subjected this to the hardest challenge a book can face, and it passed-I read it, engrossed and emotionally invested, while my car was failing inspection and The Price is Right was blaring overhead.
• 
  Stephanie Lucianovic

  Gorgeously life and death-affirming.
• 
  Tonja Drecker

  What starts out as a desire to meet family and gain footing after the loss of a mother turns into a trip to another realm, where death and magic refuse to let anyone go.
  
  After her mother's passing, Eden has finally convinced her father to take her to meet her mother's side of the family. Her mother avoided returning to her home on the island, despite Eden's father claiming they are kind, warm-hearted people. And he isn't wrong. The family is more than excited to meet Eden and accept her without a second's thought. The island is also a wonderful place, where tourists enjoy frequenting. But when Eden discovers her mother's old sketchbook, the nightmares begin. The family claims they are nothing more than her mother's imagination, but also admit that the island and it's mansion, no doubt, hold too many tortured souls. Little do they realize that a witch has taken over the spirit world, which runs parallel to reality on the island. When Eden takes a walk between the trees, she accidentally stumbles through a rift between the worlds. Now, she's stuck in the Everdark and the witch refuses to let her go.
  
  The setting is a real treat with the moss, trees, and humid climate that only the South can offer. This not only lays the perfect background for the haunted mansion and wild surroundings of the Everdark, but also makes meeting family for the first time a true adventure. The author has built a nice contrast between reality and the Everdark, one full of life and warmth, while the other holds darkness and evil. It was fun to venture through the different scenes. Plus, the Southern foods and culture were like added icing to a cake.
  
  Eden comes across like a nice, down-to-earth girl, and it's no problem to understand her desire to learn more about her mother's family. The positive atmosphere the family and their neighbors radiate is inspiring, and makes the reader wish they could visit the island, too. They support each other and offer words of wisdom, which make everything feel like home.
  
  This is a spooky read, but it doesn't feel like one until more than a few chapters in. So, horror fans of this age group might be a bit disappointed, at first, while fantasy/paranormal fans might be surprised at how creepy things get. I think the slide into the scarier side was nicely done and let the reader get a handle on Eden and her reality first. I would have liked some scenes more built out than they were (such as the festival happens but we never really get to see it, or the days in Everdark fly by, at first, but it's not clear what Eden's doing the entire time), but this is a well-written read and does flow smoothly with a quick-pace. It does keep the reader at the edge of their seat, wondering how Eden will make it through.
  
  Fans of paranormal and fantasy with a creepy twist will enjoy this one quite a bit. I received a DRC and enjoyed diving into Eden's world quite a bit.
• 
  Bree

  For a middle grade…creepy and I absolutely loved it
• 
  Janet

  Eden's Everdark is a beautiful story about grief and healing, told in the tradition of the gothic South with rich tones of history and setting. I loved how the story followed an unforeseeable path, really letting me immerse myself in the story as I followed along with Eden on her adventure, taking it one page at a time.
  
  When Eden's mother dies suddenly and unexpectedly, she convinces her father to visit her mother's birth place (and extended family)-- A beautiful island with a history of slavery and freedom. Her mother hasn't been back since she left as a young girl, and Eden is eager to make family connections and to learn more about her mother.
  
  When she unearths a sketchbook with eerie images, she is sent on an unimaginable journey. I will let you discover that journey on your own, but it was surprising, and fascinating, and creepy, and all the things a good scary middle grade should be.
  
  I especially appreciated watching Eden deal with her own grief as she moved through the story. Her growth and change was organic and believable. It was easy to relate to her and understand the choices she made. Beyond Eden, the characters were interesting and fun to learn about. Their histories and backstories were varied, but all of them helped to build the overall theme of grief and healing.
  
  If you like stories with a rich setting; If you like scary (but not TOO scary); If you like middle grade books with heart; and especially if you are dealing with your own grief, then Eden's Everdark is for you. I highly recommend it!
  
  [Note: my 13-yo daughter read this as well and I'll be adding her review soon]
  
  I received a review copy of this book in exchange for a review, but the opinions are my own.
• 
  Jasmine

  "Twelve-year-old Eden Leopold, on a visit to her late mother's birthplace of Safina Island, Ga., discovers a creepy sketchbook that leads her to Everdark—a spirit world ruled by an evil witch who Eden must defeat in order to make it back home."
  x
  
  OKAY
• 
  Sara Tori

  2.5⭐️ I don’t know why exactly, but this just could not hold my attention. (Like having to *force* myself to pay attention while doing reading sprints with students…) I wanted to like it but it was a miss for me.
• 
  Brandy

  This. Book. Is. Everything. It is rich with history and love and pain and healing. I love Eden, who is struggling to find her way and her place after her mom's death. I love the richness of Safina Island and the depth of Everdark. I love the history that is sewn beautifully throughout the book. And that ending made me cry in the best way.
• 
  Beckyb

  I absolutely love middle grade books, they are the bulk of what I read. Even though I love them, it's incredibly rare when one surprises me. This book did and I just could not put it down.
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  Karen

  Eden and her father travel to her mother’s home on Safina Island in Georgia after the sudden death of her mom. Eden discovers a sketchbook left in her mother’s old bedroom that depicts dark creatures, unlike her mother’s usual artwork. Eden is drawn to the darkness and while walking in the woods she follows a black cat through a portal to a world of ghosts, Everdark. Will Eden find a way back to her family?
• 
  Alissa

  A stellar, spine-tingling middle grade horror.
  
  12 year old Eden takes her first trip to Safina Island, her mother’s hometown, not long after her mother’s death. She is welcomed with open arms and quickly falls in love with her extended family and the beautiful island, but after discovering some eerie sketches from her mom’s childhood, she is left unsettled by the place and what may have happened to her mother there. One day, while exploring the island, she stumbles through a sliver of night in the woods and into a world called Everdark, home of spirits, monsters, and a woman called the Witch of Everdark who wants to make Eden her daughter forever. Strong’s evocative world-building, of both the mystical Everdark and the Black community that has lived on Safina Island for centuries, effectively draws readers in. She also cleverly incorporates frank discussions of slavery and its legacy in the South without losing readers’ attention. This well-paced and suspenseful book is sure to appeal to horror fans, particularly of those who liked Neil Gaiman’s Coraline.
• 
  Gayatri Sethi Desi Book Aunty

  The description alone made me want to conjure up a spell & deliver this book to every 11 year old in my life.
  So, when I received an advance copy, I was thrilled beyond words.
  
  This spooky middle grade book delivers. It’s creepy, page-turning, unexpected, makes you oooh & can’t be put down once you open the page. I was invested from page 1. Themes of loss, grief, & love are interwoven with such tenderness. It’s set in coastal GA & unlike any other story about family, roots, heritage & history of this region. The setting is perhaps my favorite “character” of the story, in fact. That’s how artfully Karen brings the world to life!
  
  Karen is an incomparable middle grade storyteller. This new book is going to be a spooky favorite this fall.
• 
  Audrey

  Black Girl Magic goes to a darker version of Oz, Wonderland and Narnia. Eden visits her maternal side's home. While loving meeting her relatives and learning her heritage, she is is still deep in grief for her recently deceased mother. She sees a dark opening and enters a new, dark world and instantly tries to go back home. Eden is smart, kind, brave and resourceful as she tries to return back to the world of the living. Filled with hope, grief and resilience as well as magic, it's also just fun.
  
  I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
• 
  Em

  Just finished this! Wow! 5 ⭐️ for sure. Karen Strong’s writing style is stunning. Everything was so vivid, it felt like I was right there with Eden and the other characters. An incredible book with mystery, magic, and empowerment, all rolled into one incredible plot. This will definitely be shared with my students for our next first chapter read-aloud!
• 
  Heather

  As haunting as it is heartfelt, Eden’s Everdark is a fantastically eerie tale of bound spirits and eternal night, rooted in family and blooming with love. Strong’s writing absolutely shines with magic.
• 
  Christine

  Sooooo strangely beautiful. Eerie, magical, suspenseful. I want to recommend this to every kid looking for a new fantasy story.
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  Brittany Boggess

  I really enjoyed this book. It was such a beautiful story.
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  Whitney Weinberg

  Gorgeous and creeeepy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
• 
  Caitlin

  Such a bittersweet ending to an amazing book 🤧
• 
  ♢luminara♢

  this looks amazing!! def. a Black history Month read
  
  edit: read it, was soooo good! a haunting story. a must read.
• 
  Ms. Yingling

  E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
  
  Eden and her father are going to visit her mother's family in Georgia. They have own most of Safia Island for generations, but her mother suffered an accident there in the wake of her parents' divorce, went to the mainland to recover, and never wanted to return. Now, grieving her death from a brain aneurysm, Eden and her father are hoping to reconnect with her extended family and understand this unusual place. The relatives are all glad to meet Eden, feed her great Southern food and make a fuss over her, but don't share a lot of stories, so Eden still doesn't understand why her mother didn't want to return to Willow Hammock. It's an interesting place, but the old mansion they visit seems especially creepy after Eden has been plagued with weird and unsettling dreams inspired by sketchbooks of her mother's she finds in her room. When she goes on a walk and ends up getting lost, she is plunged into the world of Everdark and captured by Mother Mary, a frightening witch with long, scary nails. The witch has several others in her thrall, from Bull, who is her butler, to Netty and Grace, girls who died years ago. Eden is still alive, but won't be for long if Mother Mary has her way. She wants to keep Eden as her daughter, dressing her up and having her watch movies with her, and is willing to watch her die slowly. Eden tries to escape, but can't find a way. She eventually makes it out of the house, and with the help of two ghost boys, is directed to Ruby. Unfortunately, Ruby isn't as helpful as she seems, and Eden is soon back in the creepy house. Will she be able to harness the inner magic she didn't know she had in order to overcome this frightening world?
  Strengths: The part of this I liked best was Eden's introduction to family that she hadn't met, and her reconnection to their culture. Like Strong's Just South of Home, it was a good look at the interesting dichotomy of being from the North but having roots in the South. Everdark and Mother Mary were creepy in a slowly built up way, and Eden's desperation to escape increases like the spots of rot she can see on the ceilings of the house. Why is humidity so creepy? The historical timeline of the different characters was fascinating; some of the ghosts were born as enslaved people, and Mother Mary was an entertainer right before the crash of 1929. Eden's grief over her mother's death is worked in nicely, and there is some closure for this as well.
  Weaknesses: This does not start out as a very scary book, and I'm afraid that some readers will have to be encouraged to keep going until the creepy things start to happen. The horror readers in my school want dead bodies or murderous ghosts right away!
  What I really think: Readers who want scary stories with a touch of Southern culture, like Dawson's Mine or Howard's The Visitors will enjoy the humid, magical atmosphere of this one. The family lore and powers reminded me just of bit of Baptiste's The Jumbies as well.