Call me Snake SOLO...Romance, science, genetic tinkering, and hot boys. The synopsis had me after one line, but EVE & ADAM is a bit of a mystery to me. Maybe I went in with strange expectations, or maybe the blurb is misleading, but I expected something a bit different expectations than I should have. Expecting genetic experimentation, the future, and a girl creating her perfect boy, what I got was… Okay, fine, I pretty much got what I was anticipating, just in a different form. But maybe it was for the better.EVE & ADAM is not the groundbreaking, must read, brand spanking new great American teen novel. The basic plot is pretty tried and true, it follows the usual tropes (love triangle, cold distant parents, slapstick best friend, etc). But at its core, EVE & ADAM is a rather twisting, intricate tale with depth and intrigue. Evening, the heroine of our tale, is smart, witty, and bold – my favorite type of heroine. Although some of her side plots – namely, her best friend Aislin and Aislin’s icky boyfriend – were annoying and unnecessary, I found Eve’s resiliency and pride to be admirable traits.But Solo… Hrm. I just didn’t connect with him like I should have, even though all the Snake Plisskin references made me giggle. If you haven’t seen Escape From New York/Escape from LA, what are you waiting for? Go and do that before you read that and it’ll make the experience better. Solo is your typical YA hero – a brash bad boy with a rebellious streak and witty comebacks. There were times in EVE & ADAM where Solo and Eve sounded a bit too similar in their styles of narration, leaving me flipping back a few pages to see who was talking. Solo at times also acting rather… let’s just say bratty. Yes, bratty…Let me just say one thing that I disliked. I mentioned this before, but it’s worth repeating. Aislin and her boyfriend. Aislin was extremely dislikable, and her friendship with Evening made me question Eve and her friendship. Was she that desperate for a friend that she picked the first drunken girl she found? Aislin’s relationship with a drug dealer made things so much more difficult. The storyline of a girl dating an abusive, stealing drug dealer is one that should be seen more in YA, but not as a secondary plot line to a story about genetic tinkering. It felt like overkill used to pad the storyline instead of contributing to the overarching plot. It was a distraction and really took away from the plot to me.Oh, and Evening’s mother Terra? LOVED her. So awesome, but is she a good mother? Nope. Not in the slightest.EVE & ADAM was fast paced and interesting. In fact, once I sat down and had a good chunk of time to read, I finished the last 250 pages in one sitting. Although it wasn’t the futuristic story I’d hoped for, what it did have was enough science to keep me hooked. But this one won’t be for anyone. In fact, my enjoyment wavers looking back. Choosing between 3 and 4 stars is difficult. This one is one of those that will anger some, entrance others, and be completely meh to a few. There were areas that needed improvement, but you know what? I enjoyed it for what it was. It wasn’t masquerading as the Great American Novel. But it was fun and enjoyable for a few hours of distraction. Don’t go in with high expectations, but don’t discount this one either.VERDICT: Although the synopsis is misleading, EVE & ADAM is an enjoyable, fast paced novel that will appeal to fans of light sci-fi and action. But it’s not much more than action fluff, mind you.
