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gabbywabby92's review against another edition
4.0
Not in love with the book but I do really enjoy this authors writing.
You have a little bit of everything in here, family drama, love interests, secrets, best friends, fights, trials and a few shockers. At one point I thought the book was going a certain way and thought that it was way to predictable but I'm happy to say that Joelle doesn't do that with you in this book. She has truly tried to find a way for you to stay interested in the characters and try to figure out the mystery of who is doing what and who has whose back.
Though I wish there was a little bit more information on the Xhelozi and how they came about and why, along with the war that Eden is currently fighting. I am hoping that in the next book we find out more information regarding these.
I would recommend this book and feel that it hasn't received enough hype.
You have a little bit of everything in here, family drama, love interests, secrets, best friends, fights, trials and a few shockers. At one point I thought the book was going a certain way and thought that it was way to predictable but I'm happy to say that Joelle doesn't do that with you in this book. She has truly tried to find a way for you to stay interested in the characters and try to figure out the mystery of who is doing what and who has whose back.
Though I wish there was a little bit more information on the Xhelozi and how they came about and why, along with the war that Eden is currently fighting. I am hoping that in the next book we find out more information regarding these.
I would recommend this book and feel that it hasn't received enough hype.
officialaelinxx's review against another edition
4.0
The reading slump I have been in for a few months now has possibly been absolutely eradicated thanks to this beauty of a novel. I have found myself reeling and craving more after finishing Dividing Eden and as always with great books I am counting down the days, through my Goodreads account, to when Eden Conquered releases next year on the 12th of June. This is definitely a great read for anyone who thoroughly enjoyed Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas or Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. You may be wondering where the magical elements might be hiding within the story - well just take my word and WAIT FOR IT... Read on and be bedazzled!
Read my full review on my blog and subscribe: https://wordsofeuphoricnostalgia.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/dividing-eden-by-joelle-charbonneau.html
Read my full review on my blog and subscribe: https://wordsofeuphoricnostalgia.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/dividing-eden-by-joelle-charbonneau.html
elizpeace's review against another edition
3.0
Not terrible, but strangely paced. And then it just ended.
tstreet's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! This was one of my favorites of Joelle Charbonneau’s books. I’m so excited to read the next one. I loved Carys so much and I loved how she cared about her brother so much. I love how she continued to try to help him even after he started being a complete asshole. She would have made a much better ruler than he would. I hate that the Trials divides them. I love that she finally figures out her “curse” and I hope she ends up using it for good. Overall a great book. Off to find the next one. 10 stars!!
ebralz's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book!! I really hope the sequel will be just ask good.
barcuswroot's review against another edition
3.0
it was meh for about the first half, glad i didnt DNF
z_bookfluencer's review against another edition
4.0
This review contains significant spoilers, but not all of them.
I almost didn't finish Diving Eden because of the drug/tonic addiction Carys has. When I read about characters who have a substance addiction, I am uncomfortable. From the few books that I have read that have a main character that has a substance addiction, I feel it is often romanticized in some way. While I can appreciate the awareness of writing characters that suffer from a substance addiction, reading about them is unpleasant to me. I decided to continue reading Dividing Eden because I was invested in the overall story due to redeeming qualities I found in Carys.
What I liked about Carys, and why I chose to continue reading, is because despite everything thrown her way, she kept trying to protect others. I felt there was a genuineness in her that hasn't been able to shine. I was rooting for Carys the break free from her oppression, and find health and happiness.
The dynamic of the royal family is quite awful and abusive. The King and Queen have the Carys flogged with a leather belt on bare skin to punish her when she steps out of the social grace of her station. The sister is punished because she takes it upon herself to create dramatic distractions to prevent others from noticing when her twin brother, Andreus, is having a health attack. If this health attack were to come to the attention of the people of the kingdom, then the royal family's claim to the throne would be forfeit. Now while Carys has been created into a pariah to help protect Andreus, Andreus is found chasing and bedding the many willing maidens in the surrounding areas. Thankfully, there are NO explicit scenes. Andreus will comfort Carys after she has received a flogging, until one day Andrues chooses bedding a woman over comforting Carys, who of course received the punishment in order to protect Andrues.
The tonic addiction is started by the Queen giving Carys a tonic under the guise of lessening the pain from the punishment the King and Queen Order from when Carys's dramatic scenes occur. The King and Queen both know that Carys does the things she does, to protect Andreus and her family's claim to the throne. They order the punishments anyway so they can be seen as equally just throughout the kingdom so no one would dare cross them, for they are even willing to punish Princess Carys. Carys is taught at a young age by the King and Queen that she is to always sacrifice herself for the good of the kingdom, and Carys does not question whether this is truly right or truly wrong.
Certain events lead to the twin siblings fighting for the throne. This leads to Andreus's downward spiral into madness, hunger for power, and ultimately, betraying his twin sister Carys, who has done nothing but sacrifice her entire life for him.
I admire the intricacies woven into this story. The characters themselves are well rounded and their relationships with themselves and others are complicated. You do see some of the egotistical and sociopathic tendencies in Andreus in the beginning of Diving Eden, and as the story goes on, Andreus ceases the opportunity to be who he has always wanted and who he could be, turning him into an egotistical psychopath. Carys on the other hand, battles her addiction while trying to firstly protect her brother, then her kingdom and only true friend, and finally, herself.
Overall, Dividing Eden is very well written.
I do want to read book two, Eden Conquered. In book two, I hope to find Carys addiction free and a strong woman who not only fights for what is right, but the importance of finding value in her own life and protecting herself as well.
I almost didn't finish Diving Eden because of the drug/tonic addiction Carys has. When I read about characters who have a substance addiction, I am uncomfortable. From the few books that I have read that have a main character that has a substance addiction, I feel it is often romanticized in some way. While I can appreciate the awareness of writing characters that suffer from a substance addiction, reading about them is unpleasant to me. I decided to continue reading Dividing Eden because I was invested in the overall story due to redeeming qualities I found in Carys.
What I liked about Carys, and why I chose to continue reading, is because despite everything thrown her way, she kept trying to protect others. I felt there was a genuineness in her that hasn't been able to shine. I was rooting for Carys the break free from her oppression, and find health and happiness.
The dynamic of the royal family is quite awful and abusive. The King and Queen have the Carys flogged with a leather belt on bare skin to punish her when she steps out of the social grace of her station. The sister is punished because she takes it upon herself to create dramatic distractions to prevent others from noticing when her twin brother, Andreus, is having a health attack. If this health attack were to come to the attention of the people of the kingdom, then the royal family's claim to the throne would be forfeit. Now while Carys has been created into a pariah to help protect Andreus, Andreus is found chasing and bedding the many willing maidens in the surrounding areas. Thankfully, there are NO explicit scenes. Andreus will comfort Carys after she has received a flogging, until one day Andrues chooses bedding a woman over comforting Carys, who of course received the punishment in order to protect Andrues.
The tonic addiction is started by the Queen giving Carys a tonic under the guise of lessening the pain from the punishment the King and Queen Order from when Carys's dramatic scenes occur. The King and Queen both know that Carys does the things she does, to protect Andreus and her family's claim to the throne. They order the punishments anyway so they can be seen as equally just throughout the kingdom so no one would dare cross them, for they are even willing to punish Princess Carys. Carys is taught at a young age by the King and Queen that she is to always sacrifice herself for the good of the kingdom, and Carys does not question whether this is truly right or truly wrong.
Certain events lead to the twin siblings fighting for the throne. This leads to Andreus's downward spiral into madness, hunger for power, and ultimately, betraying his twin sister Carys, who has done nothing but sacrifice her entire life for him.
I admire the intricacies woven into this story. The characters themselves are well rounded and their relationships with themselves and others are complicated. You do see some of the egotistical and sociopathic tendencies in Andreus in the beginning of Diving Eden, and as the story goes on, Andreus ceases the opportunity to be who he has always wanted and who he could be, turning him into an egotistical psychopath. Carys on the other hand, battles her addiction while trying to firstly protect her brother, then her kingdom and only true friend, and finally, herself.
Overall, Dividing Eden is very well written.
I do want to read book two, Eden Conquered. In book two, I hope to find Carys addiction free and a strong woman who not only fights for what is right, but the importance of finding value in her own life and protecting herself as well.
jeslyn_'s review against another edition
5.0
I love a shirt book that’s full of intrigue! It’s one thing to write an 800 page book to get your point across, but this 300 pager is a work of passion! Loved it!