Book Review: Returning Eden

The cover of the book is what drew my attention.  This book YA/new adult gothic mystery was an
interesting read. I read it a single Sunday evening. There is world
building that’s truly interesting. Although I realise when I started reading
that this was the beginning of a series, I am truly keen on finding out what
happens next.

I got this book from NetGalley. Thanks to Crooked Cat Publishing for granting me access. 

Notwithstanding how easy it was to get through the book, there were some gaps. The narrative shifts from one scene to the next in a quick jump that can leave the reader feeling disoriented. 

Another small concern I have was just how quickly the group of friends became so connected that they are willing to risk their lives for each other. That instant friendship is just as hard to believe as is the insta-love that is portrayed in YA romance fantasies. 

Goodreads Summary: 

A gothic ocean mystery. In a world of monsters, sharks, castles and corpses it is up to Eden to keep the ocean’s beasts at bay.

Eden Hollow is being hunted. A dark secret from her past has followed her to the remote island of Cantillon, where she is due to start college.

Before long, a corpse dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, is found floating in the ocean. Together with her friends Niamh, Amira, Riley and the handsome but mysterious Dylan, Eden must confront her dark past in order to find the predator. In doing so, the teenagers stumble into a sinister world that stretches the realms of reality, as they discover just what is causing the uncanny ripples on the ocean’s surface.

A grotesquely beautiful tale of love, friendship and transformation.