Wow, what a crazy, unexpected ride this summer has been. Never in a million years did I think my young adult novel, Revealing Eden, would be the subject of such heated controversy or receive any sort of backlash. How could a book with underlying themes of love and self-acceptance, as well as a clear message about the horrors of racism and the deterioration of our environment be attacked as racist?
Artists often provoke, and I had hoped that Revealing Eden would inspire people to question many things, including standards of beauty. Yet some of the response was shocking to me and when it was delivered in such an unexpected and sometimes hostile way—it almost made me think twice about writing. I say “almost,” because the moment passed, and as every writer knows, it’s impossible to not write.
The whole experience has opened my mind to the ways in which the internet and social media can impact the literary community. In a matter of two days, Revealing Eden’s four-star rating on Amazon dropped two stars, due to a campaign launched by an audience who confessed it had not read the book yet judged it by its cover—or the “look inside” first chapter posted on Amazon. Like a raging wildfire, more than 150 negative reviews appeared on Amazon in just 48 hours. Although most reviewers admitted that they had not read the book, Amazon let these specious “reviews” stand.
The backlash did not stop at vicious reviews, but included hundreds of comments on Facebook, some of which attacked me personally, even calling me a racist! If that were not enough, many bloggers who gave the book good reviews during the nine months since its release were also attacked. In addition, haters persuaded or bullied the magazine editor of the sci-fi magazine, Weird Tales, to pull a long-planned, positive story about Revealing Eden.
Of course, this controversy has brought Revealing Eden to the attention of many readers who might not have known about it otherwise. And there is now a conversation occurring about the issues in the book, as well as the damage that a freewheeling community of “reviewers” can cause to any artistic work, restaurant or business. The anonymity of online reviews can provide a destructive cover. Perhaps in the future a test will be given to prove that you have really read a book before you can review it—let’s hope.
Racism touches everyone in one way or another, and we have all had some experience that may have helped create our own personal philosophy and feelings about the subject. A discussion about the effects of racism can only be positive, especially when we treat each other with respect and an open mind.
Bottom line, Revealing Eden is a young adult dystopian novel that was meant to entertain while opening readers’ minds about deep subjects. The cover provides a snapshot of the world in which she lives; the beginning pages portray Eden’s terrible existence. At the start of her journey, Eden is in a negative place, burdened by oppression and hate. But she grows and comes to accept herself and others; even finding love with her ex-boss who represents everything she thinks is against her. As one reader pointed out, to condemn the book after reading one chapter would be like watching only the first 10 minutes of American History X, turning it off and deeming it racist—when the film actually has a strong anti-racism message.
Like me, many readers believe that Revealing Eden shows readers how hateful racism is—the exact opposite of how we should live our lives.
Upward and onward—I plan to take this learning experience with me, along with a little bit of everyone’s thoughts, good or bad, as I continue to travel the Eden’s path.
Adapting Eden, Save The Pearls Part Two, is sitting on my desk, and will soon arrive at the typesetters. Expect the pre-release late this year. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
—Thank you for your continued support!
