Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Waiting for Eden by Elliot Ackerman

How I Heard About It:  Because of my membership on the Charlotte Huck Book Awards committee, I have been reading mostly middle-grade novels.  I still try to throw in a novel written for adults as much as I can.  While reading about new and noteworthy novels for adults, I came across this title and ordered it via Amazon.  

What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Eden is in the hospital after suffering injuries while fighting abroad.  

2.  *The story is told from his best friend's point of view.  He is actually dead.  


3.  *Eden's wife has spent days and months by his bedside waiting for him to either get better or die.

4.  *Eden has a young daughter, but with that comes some secrets that both he and his wife want to keep to themselves.  

5.  *As Eden lays in bed fighting for his life, the reader learns of his earlier years through his best friend's recollections and memories.  


What I Thought Of It:  I guess novels this size and length are called novellas.  Even though this was a relatively short story at about 170 pages, the plot was powerful and full of emotion.  I found the story telling fascinating and unique.  It was interesting to read about Eden's life from the view point of his best friend.  It gave me an outside view into the lives of Eden and his wife.  The author did a phenomenal job of describing the condition and pain that Eden was experiencing.  I felt like I was in that hospital room with him.  Many sides of each character were presented; both positive and negative.  


Who Should Read It:  This is definitely a novel written for the adult reader.  The story is emotional, thought-provoking, and powerful.  I would recommend it to any reader that enjoys high quality literature.  Happy Reading!  



Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars



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