When I picked this book off the shelf, I didn’t notice that it was written by popular YouTuber Joey Graceffa. But once I realized my blunder, my expectations for this book were immediately tarnished. After I got a few chapters into the book, however, it was made clear to me that the book would exceed my expectations.

Children of Eden takes place far into the future, after what is referred to as the Ecofail, when human’s pollution of the world has completely decimated its resources, leaving nothing behind but a barren wasteland. Scientist Aaron al Baz saved humanity by designing the EcoPanopticon, a futuristic society in which the remaining human population could thrive until the earth healed. Centuries after the Ecofail, Rowan is born. She’s healthy and spirited, exactly what the city likes. The only problem is that she’s a second child. Her twin brother, born just five minutes before she was, is the only child legally allowed in her family. Forced to hide in her home for 16 years, Rowan learns about the Center through the screen of a tablet and looking out the window. Tired of living indoors, she sneaks out for an innocent night of fun and befriends a local girl named Lark. Things eventually go wrong, however, and Rowan becomes a renegade on the run.

Children of Eden has a strong beginning, but slowly turns into a semi-stereotypical love triangle. Rowan is caught between loving Lark, a safe and honest girl, and Lachlan, a rebel trying to destroy the Center’s social pyramid. The lack of heteronormativity is very refreshing, but other than that, Children of Eden is yet another dystopian novel set far in the future that has a seemingly meaningless romantic subplot.

Though the plot seemed quite predictable, it was still a fun read. The premise behind the book is very interesting, and there was a plot twist that I wasn’t able to foresee. Graceffa left me wanting more of the story, a feeling which I both despise and love. I fell in love with this book and absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys books like Divergent, The Hunger Games, and The Maze Runner.