Eve of Man

Eve of Man

Giovanni and Tom Fletcher

Narrated by Josh Dylan

Rating: 2*

This may be my lowest rating on my blog so far. I found this audiobook through my library after reading my first audiobook: Harry Potter. I was excited to continue reading in this format but this experience didn't live up to my first. The narration wasn't as animated. But the main problem was with the actual text. I think when read aloud, you can pick out more things you don't like, both in the plot but also in the actual wording. At least I could in Eve of Man.

The main thing that was highlighted by the audiobook was the amount that the authors tell us instead of show us. There's a bit at the very start that stands out, where Eve's name is explained, linking her to the rebirth of mankind and their saviour. But this is spelled out to us in five different ways, consecutively.

Eve of Man is set in a world of low fertility, where no-one has borne a girl in over 50 years. Then Eve is born, and subsequently brought up in a controlled environment until she is ready to bear more girls. It had a very The Handmaid's Tale vibe. I don't think it is as fleshed out and planned as The Handmaid's Tale, but some aspects of the world created mimics it a lot. Most specifically, the mothers who bring Eve up and the ceremony where Eve is expected to conceive her first child with a pre-selected male. There's even a scene where the mothers have to dress in baggy clothes that only show their eyes in public; very Gilead-like.

The book alternates between Eve's perspective and Bram's: a pilot, one of three people who controls Eve's robot (Holly). The robot is designed to look like another girl Eve's age so she has company (but obviously no other girls exist). What I thought could have been done more interestingly is their relationship. Eve only realises she has feelings for Bram when she sees him in real life. It is made clear she can differentiate between the three pilots controlling Holly and I thought it would have been so much more gripping and diverse if Eve had fell for Bram while he was Holly, when she still didn't know how old he was or even if Holly was one of the mothers. Love at first sight seemed not only a cliche here but a disappointment.

I appreciated how the authors created a different tone for both narrators. I know they are narrated by a male and female but the actual writing style changes as well, which I appreciated. But I found myself liking Bram's character and narration more. At the start, Eve was described as just too perfect. I don't think they list something she isn't good at; she is athletic, she's learning other languages, she enjoys gardening etc. But also she agrees with how she is being treated; she justifies everything they do to her and goes along with their plans. Then, when Bram is forced to leave, she changes her tune and starts to question them. It seems like a very sudden change of heart.

There were also a few gaps that I don't think were explained very well. For instance, if the youngest female is now 60, how are boys still being born until recently? Also, if the rebellion group (the 'freevers') want to free Eve, then why does her second suitor try to kill her? What does this achieve? It is never touched on or explained, and I feel like it only happened for dramatic value and so Eve could see Bram in real life. If you think about it, why would someone want to kill the last fertile woman on Earth?

The only reason I continued with this was to see how they ended it. The inevitability of her reunion with Bram and her father was inevitable, so I was confused when the authors decided to end it just before their meeting. I get building suspense for the sequel but it made me so annoyed that I don't want to read the sequel. I think the lesson I learned with this one is to not question yourself when you want to DNF a book. I sure won't again.

Let me know if you liked this book though. I'd love to hear people's positive opinions.

Happy Reading :)