Escape from Eden

Since the age of ten, Mia has rebelled against the iron fist of a fundamentalist preacher who lured her mother away to join a fanatical family of followers. At "Edenton," a supposed Garden of Eden deep in the South American jungle, everyone follows the reverend's strict and arbitrary rules--even about whom they can marry. Mia dreams of slipping away from the armed guards who keep the faithful in and the curious out. When the rebellious Gabe, a new boy, arrives with his family, Mia sees her chance to escape and to free her family. But the scandalous secrets the two discover beyond the compound's facade are more shocking than anything they imagined. While Gabe has his own terrible secrets, he and Mia bond together, more than friend and freedom fighters. But there's no time to think about love as they race against time to stop the reverend's paranoid plan to free his flock--but not himself--from this corrupt world. Can two kids crush a criminal mastermind? And who will die in the fight to save the ones they love from a madman whose only concern is his own secrets? "Since the age of ten, Mia has lived under the iron fist of the fundamentalist preacher who lured her mother away to join his fanatical family of followers. In Edenton, a supposed 'Garden of Eden' deep in the South American jungle, everyone follows the Reverend's strict but arbitrary rules - even the mandate of whom they can marry. Now sixteen, Mia dreams of slipping away from the armed guards who keep the faithful in, and the curious out. When the rebellious and sexy Gabriel, a new boy, arrives with his family, Mia sees a chance to escape. But the scandalous secrets the two discover beyond the compound's façade are more shocking than anything they ever imagined. While Gabriel has his own terrible secrets, he and Mia bond together, more than friends and freedom fighters. But is there time to think of their undeniable attraction to each other as they race to stop the Reverend's paranoid plan to free his flock from the corrupt world? Can two teenagers crush a criminal mastermind? And who will die in the fight to save the ones they love from a madman who's only concerned about his own secrets?"--Provided by publisher. "In her first novel, Nader...builds dramatic tension very effectively as the stakes are raised with new revelations, violent confrontations, and tough choices...a riveting read." --Booklist Mia has spent half her life rebelling against the iron-fisted fundamentalist preacher who brainwashed her mom into joining a compound of fanatics deep in the South American jungle. When Gabriel, a new boy, turns up, Mia sees the chance to run. But then Mia and Gabriel discover how the paranoid reverend is using faithful church members for his own gain, and how he has big plans to free his whole flock from this evil world while keeping their money to fund his way to a new "paradise" for himself. Love must take a back seat as Mia and Gabriel fight back against a criminal mastermind, because if they can't get the truth in time and live to tell it, hundreds of innocent people, including their own families, face certain death