Having read Joelle Charbonneau’s Testing series (which has a Hunger Games-esque vibe to it for all of you dystopian novel lovers!), I think I can safely say I was jumping up and down out of excitement when Dividing Eden popped up on my radar.
Reminiscent of The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye, Dividing Eden tells the tale of twin royals, Carys and Andreus, pitted against each other in a battle for the crown after a disastrous accident leaves them with equal claim to the throne. Faced with a power hungry council watching their every move and faceless enemies stirring up trouble, the twins can only do what they’ve been doing their entire lives – stick together, watch each other’s backs and, above all, protect the secret that’s been haunting them since birth.
The novel was intriguing from the get go but I felt that Carys definitely emerges as the stronger lead throughout the book with Andreus’ story taking a surprising turn that, whilst being beneficial to the plot line, was still a little tough to read through (if you find yourself shaking the book in frustration and wailing “Noooo!”, don’t say I didn’t warn you!). There a quite a few shady characters that appear in and around the castle which left me questioning almost everyone’s motives. Even after finishing the book, I’m still suspicious as to who is really on which side.
Dividing Eden is truly an engrossing read – clear your calendar because you won’t want to put it down until you’ve worked your way through all of the secrets, lies and manipulative madness that await you.
