Tom Fletcher is best known to book fans as the chap who wrote cracking childrens’ novels such as “The Dinosaur Who Pooped A Planet”, and Giovanni Fletcher is well-regarded for her fiction marketed at women. So it’s not really a surprise that the book they’ve produced together is aimed squarely at young adults, with an interesting female protagonist.
Eve of Man is the story of Eve, the only woman to have been born in fifty years. Set in a world where women simply stopped being born, the planet is an apocalyptic wasteland. The lack of a future simply accelerated all the threats to the world, and everything fell apart. The only beacon of hope is Eve, who is kept securely away from everyone. When she turns 16, it’s presented to her adoring public as Eve’s greatest moment. Three young men have been chosen to be her mate and (somehow) restart humanity.
Eve’s only friend is Holly, an interactive computer programme controlled by various young men. Eve has long since seen through the illusion, but plays along for the company. When disaster strikes, Eve ends up with one of Holly’s controllers, a chap called Bram. Wackiness, as they say, ensues.
Eve of Man is an interesting book. For a start, the language and writing style is effortless to read – you can quickly plough through this on a short vacation. Though marketed at young adults, the broader themes of patriarchy, slavery and domination will make the story interesting for older readers. Simply put, Eve of Man is the tale of girl locked in a tower, who yearns for release into a world that is full of dangers. It’s also the tale of a young man who puts passion before wisdom and love before hope. It’s the tale of one person who tries to solve everything methodically, and their friend who would rather cheat and move onto the next challenge.
The fairytale-like structure does mean it has a number of flaws. The premise is one of a world with no women, and the obvious technological solutions are hand-waved away. The same goes for the disasters that finally put an end to the future – it’s all very lightly dealt with. This is primarily because the book is about Bram and Eve, but it is frustrating that there’s not quite enough world-building.
Eve of Man is a compelling and entertaining read. Feed it to the young adult in your life to keep them busy on rainy sunny days, or use to keep yourself amused whilst taking a well-deserved holiday.
EVE OF MAN / AUTHOR: TOM FLETCHER, GIOVANNI FLETCHER / PUBLISHER: MICHAEL JOSEPH / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
