A review by mikkiokko
This Other Eden by Paul Harding

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

The themes and concept of this book were great. The exploration of government officials and outsiders deeming that a small community is in need of "fixing" then taking action that destroys and displaces these people's fruitful lives was very powerful. In fact, I think that the book was at it's strongest in the end when the most destructive and violent things were happening simply. I could feel these people getting discarded and forgotten and how hopeless it all felt because it was just happening and no one cared. All of the characters were also very interesting, but especially Esther Honey. Uncovering just how much she'd been through and the views she's come to have of the world really help tie the past generations of this island into the current ones; making the community feel very real and in harmony with itself. 

BUT, oh my god, I could not get into this writing style at all. There were times where things were described well but for the most part it would feel too scattered. It was like every sentence was a stream of consciousness and make it extremely hard to follow or connect with the text. The use of punctuation further confused me a lot while I was reading because it blurred the lines of almost every sentence. I understand that writing style is completely subjective, and I hope this style works for more people, it just did not work for me. Which, I am disappointed by because there was so much that I did like about this book that was kind of spoiled in the end. 

Still, a good book.