Accelerated Reader Program Selection
2001 Hal Clement Award Winner for Best New Science Fiction Novel for Young Adults
2001-2002 Best of the Best for Young Adults, Missouri Library Association
2002-2003 Read Aloud Books, Too Good to Miss, Indiana Library Federation
2003-2004 Texas Lone Star Top 20 List
2003 Young Adult Choice Title, International Reading Association
Accelerated Reader and Scholastic Reading Counts! Selection
“An entertaining, suspenseful thriller with a genuinely chilling villain. Good fun.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Layne’s tale is a heady mix of conspiracies, alternate identities, and sinister underground laboratories with a creepy schizophrenic villain that readers will love to hate. Recommend this title to thriller fans who will enjoy the ride.”
—VOYA
Something wicked this way comes; in this case it’s high schooler Jack Barrett’s father, whose inherent drive for perfection has spiraled into a raging obsession ever since he began working for the mysterious Eden Corporation. When his father forcibly relocates the family to Paradise, a village that is literally owned by Eden’s enigmatic CEO, Jack uncovers a sinister plot that threatens the lives of everyone he loves. Delving even further into the secrets of the village, he soon learns just how high the price for perfection can be . . . and to what lengths some people are willing to go to obtain it.
About the Author
Dr. Steven L. Layne teaches courses in children’s and adolescent literature at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He also serves as a national literacy consultant, featured author, and keynote speaker at conferences and workshops throughout the United States and Canada. He is the author of three picture books published by Pelican: the International Reading Association/Children’s Choice selection
The Teachers’ Night Before Christmas, My Brother Dan’s Delicious, and
Thomas’s Sheep and the Great Geography Test. His
Life’s Literacy Lessons: Poems for Teachers is one of the International Reading Association’s bestsellers. Additional information is available on the author’s Web site at
www.stevelayne.com.