Revealing Eden (Save the Pearls #1) by Victoria Foyt

Title: Revealing Eden (Save the Pearls Part One)
Author: Victoria Foyt
Published: January 2012 by Sand Dollar Press Inc

My Rating: 4.5 stars
Tags: YA | Paranormal | Sci-Fi | Romance
Includes: Violence, Sensuality

First Lines: Eden jumped at the sound of approaching steps. They must not see. Hide Beauty Map! Her mental command caused the Life-Band she wore to send a tiny white spark into the air. In a flash, the holographic images that appeared in front of her - a blond girl playing on a sunlit beach - disappeared.

In a post-apocalyptic world, everyone must live underground to protect themselves from the extreme heat on Earth. People with white skin, called Pearls, are the most susceptible to die from The Heat, and most have already perished. Eden, a Pearl herself, has managed to survive with her father, an intelligent scientist. They now live underground surrounded by a population of dark-skinned people called Coals. Eden's light skin forces her to be in the lowest class, being looked down upon by the powerful Coals. There's only one way for her to earn respect from them, and that's by mating before she turns eighteen. With just half a year left, Eden must find a man that will accept her as a Pearl, or be left stranded on the surface of Earth alone to die. Meanwhile, Eden's father has been working on a secret biological experiment that could save the existing Pearls. But when the experiment is put into the wrong hands, Eden must flee with her father and boss, Bramford, above ground and into a whole new world.

There were so many great and wonderful things about this book, it's hard to find a place to start! First of all, the entire story itself was brilliantly thought out and creative. It was really interesting reading about a super high-tech setting underground, where the people dwelled. Sure, it was very farfetched, but that's what made it fun. Also, even though the setting itself wasn't realistic, the people that made up the community living there sure were. Right away, I liked Eden's character. She was independent, open-minded, brave, and rebellious. I admired how she marched to the beat of her own drum, and refused to just deal with the rules given to her. She was also flawed, which made her character seem that much more real! She whined and complained some, ached to fit in and belong among the Coals, and like any girl does, yearned to be loved by a mate.

Another unique thing about this book was how the concept of racism was turned around. It was interesting seeing how people with white skin were in the lowest class and treated like scum, while those with very dark skin were superior and ruled over everyone. Something I would have liked to know that was never mentioned in the book was how the surface of the Earth grew so overheated that it began killing off people. The Heat, which was the deadly disease that white-skinned people got, was described as like an extreme sunburn that after a few days lead to sickness and then eventually death. I would have liked to know the background behind all that.

The only thing that felt a little awkward sometimes in the story was the relationship between Eden and Bramford. Sometimes it felt forced or unnatural, and the romance wasn't completely believable. There were a lot of unexpected things that happened in the book that I never saw coming. I liked how it was unpredictable and full of action. This was a great book to the start of a new unique series.

Cover Thoughts: I really love this cover art! It captures the whole essence of the book, and I absolutely love how the girl's face is half light and half dark.