Eve has never needed something to believe in more than she does in the days surrounding her 11th birthday. Eve's mother is dead, and without her there can be no more stories, let alone any real magic.

Yet, everything that's happened to her since her father moved Eve to the small, stark and isolated town of Beaumont seems a bit too odd to be real. If she can believe the tales her new friends are telling her, Eve thinks, she just might be able to find her way to the perfect, magical garden her mother dreamed about. Or at least, to find some magic of her own.

K.L. Going's story slides easily and satisfyingly through pain, hope and love to create a pleasantly believable and charming book. Eve is so easy to relate to that the fantasy elements of the story seem perfectly reasonable through her eyes. All the wonder of childhood is there, as the perfect backdrop for learning how to deal with growing up.

Young readers will enjoy accompanying Eve on her journey of discovery, and more mature audiences will feel comfortably at home in Going's world. A lovely example of how appealing children's literature can be, The Garden of Eve is clear, meaningful and magical.

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