"A Season of Eden" by Jennifer Laurens - The Evolution of Eden

Details

Title: Season of Eden
Author: Jennifer Laurens
Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing
Release Date: October 20th 2008
Available to order here: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository


Synopsis 

He's my teacher. I shouldn't be alone with him. But I can't help that he's irresistible.
I let the door silently close at my back. He stared at me, and a taut quiet stretched between us. "I like hearing you play," I said, moving toward him. He turned, in sync with my slow approach. He looked up at me but didn't say anything. I rested my clammy hand on the cold, slick body of the baby grand. "May I?" The muscles in his throat shifted, then he swallowed. "Eden." My knees weakened, like a soft tickling kiss had just been blown against the backs of them. "Is it okay?" I asked. His gaze held mine like two hands joined. He understood what I was really asking. "Let me stay," I said. "Please." "You're going to get me in trouble," he said.

My Review

There are books you pick up because the premise seems interesting, and books you pick up because the characters seem to be the kind of people you'd relate to, and sometimes you pick a book because you like the author who has penned the novel. In my case, I picked up "Season of Eden" due to all of the above. But what I got in return was so much more than that!

Eden is a beautiful girl. The kind of girl who emanates warmth and beauty, and can have any boy she wants at the high school she attends in Palos Verde, with a mere flick of her hair. But although she is all those things, she is not an unkind girl, she is not mean. Her personality, however, is slightly self-absorbed but that is due to her circumstances. Since her mother passed away, Eden has been left to her ministrations by her father who has taken up with a woman half his age, who is unconcerned with Eden and an obvious gold-digger. Although her dad provides any luxury that Eden may require, he fails to provide his affection or his time to his only child. Left to her own devices, Eden’s character has solidified into one where she gets what she wants, takes what she can get, and is the center of her own lonely universe.

All this changes the moment James Christian walks into her life. At first he’s alluring because he’s older, more mature and exudes a certain charm. But the more Eden gets to know him, the more she realizes that he is far more than all those things. He’s also incredibly passionate, extremely sensitive and a very understanding guy. Before she knows it, Eden is falling for James. And he seems to care about her too. But wait…he’s her teacher! Can they make this work?

This book is about SO much more than just a student falling for her teacher. To see Eden evolve from a teenager who is sure of nothing but her beauty and is at the verge of discovering herself, into a young lady learning about life and that love is not merely about possessing, but about letting that which you love come to you. Through her interaction with James, Eden blossoms into a girl who learns about sacrifice, and friendship and redeeming herself – he teaches her about more than music, he teaches her about life, and she teaches him that he is more than just a geek who loves music. Above all, she learns that there is a great big world outside of her own self, and she learns to allow it in. Yes, there are some who will say the end seems… “unfinished”, but I believe the book ended perfectly, with the reader left to their own conclusion, however, the metamorphoses of the characters is complete. I’m sure all of us have had a crush on one of our teachers at some point in time (or in my case, a college-student TA for my Junior English class!) – and this book is sure to take you right back to those feelings. Author Jennifer Laurens is, beyond a doubt, one of my favorite authors, and her writing style is remarkable. I would recommend it to everyone; it is a wonderful teenage tale of self-discovery.

My Rating : 5/5 Stars

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book as a prize for a contest won, I was not compensated monetarily, or in any other way, for my opinion. The opinions stated in this review are solely mine, and are not representative of views of the author, or publishing company, of this book.