Steven Layne owes Ira Levin a beer.

Mr. Layne's entertaining Young Adult thriller concerns two boys, brothers, who are moving to the gated community of Paradise. Their father, who has become more and more distant lately, works for the head of the corporation that owns and runs Paradise as a sort of company town. It's perfect there. Clean streets, no crime, excellent schools, beautiful parks, wonderful homes. Everything safe and secure, nothing anyone ever need worry about could possible intrude. Paradise.

The narrator is the good son. His brother is not really a bad kid--he pushes the limits and questions the rules in a good-natured way--but he is always in some trouble with his school or with his father. Maybe a move to Paradise will do him some good, or so his father thinks. Things have become so bad between the two boys and their father that it has begun to take a toll on their mother's mental health. One day just before they move the two boys return home to find she has gone to a sort of convention for a week to rest and recharge. She'll meet them in Paradise.

But the woman the boys find waiting for them is not their mother. She may look like their mother, but they know it's not her.

While This Side of Paradise is not exactly an original idea, it is a good book, one that many young readers will enjoy. The narration is taut, designed to keep the pages turning and to leave the reader desperate to begin the next chapter. The boys are easy to identify with and to root for. There is a brief romance that doesn't get in the way of the thriller's plot. The villians are fun to hate and the good guys are fun to root for. The book does raise issues of conformity and can be read as social satire, the same way Ira Levin's The Stepford Wives could, but this never interferes with the reader's enjoyment of the book as a straightforward thriller.

I have a group of 7th grade students currently reading This Side of Paradise for the class book club. So far, their reviews are good. Three other groups are signed up for a chance to read it before the school year ends. I think it's going to be very popular. ( )

Reviewed by Karin Perry for TeensReadToo.com

Jack's father has always been a perfectionist, but lately, his need to control every aspect of the family's life has stepped up a notch. Mr. Barrett, Jack's dad, has been offered a wonderful opportunity with the company he works for, the Eden Corporation. Eden owns a gated village in Paradise, a nearby town, where only the most successful and devoted employees are invited to live. The village is all-inclusive and there is no need to ever leave. The village even has a school for the children of the employees.

Mr. Barrett's family isn't handling the news of the move very well. His wife has been drinking more and more since Mr. Barrett's controlling nature has intensified. Troy, the youngest child, has used his rebellious attitude to spark conflict within the household. Gram, Mr. Barrett's mother and the boys' biggest protector, doesn't mince words when it comes to how crazy she thinks moving the whole family to a strange community is, and Jack, the oldest son, tries to keep the peace by attempting to please his father and trying to keep Troy under control.

Eventually, the day comes and the family packs up and moves to Paradise. Jack's mother has gone ahead in order to get the house ready so it is just Mr. Barrett, Jack, Troy, and Gram following the moving van. Once they reach the entry gate, Jack sees a site that leaves him speechless. Jori is a beautiful girl that works at the entry gate of Paradise and a girl that he definitely wants to get to know better, but for some reason, Mr. Barrett doesn't want him to have anything to do with her. His exact words are, "She doesn't belong in Paradise." This statement is just one of the things Jack, Troy, and Gram consider strange when they get settled in their new community.

Everyone seems too happy, their mother hasn't been seen since they've arrived, and Mr. Eden, the owner of the Eden Corporation, has been sneaking into the Barrett's house at night and taking Troy somewhere after knocking him out so he won't wake up. The boys, with a lot of help from Gram and Jori, attempt to get to the bottom of all the mysteries and find a way out of Paradise.

THIS SIDE OF PARADISE is a science fiction thriller reminiscent of THE STEPFORD WIVES. It was awarded the Hal Clement Award for best science fiction novel for young adults in the United States. This is Steven Layne's first novel and is far from perfect, but at the same time, has many characteristics that will appeal to young readers. ( )

This is a review for "This Side of Paradise"
Jack and Troy Barrett's father gets a new job. Their father is a perfectionist and so is his new boss Mr. Eden. Mr. Barrett has been acting especially weird lately since he got the new job. Mr. Eden invites the family to live in his neighborhood, Paradise. Everyone there is so strange, almost like robots! Here's the thing: You can't leave Paradise. Once your in, you can't get out... or can you? Read this marvelous book by the great author, Steven L. Layne. Also read his book "Mergers"!
Hope I could have been of help! ( )

Jack's father has always been a perfectionist, but lately, his need to control every aspect of the family's life has stepped up a notch. Mr. Barrett, Jack's dad, has been offered a wonderful opportunity with the company he works for, the Eden Corporation. Eden owns a gated village in Paradise, a nearby town, where only the most successful and devoted employees are invited to live. The village is all inclusive and there is no need to ever leave. The village even has a school for the children of the employees. Mr. Barrett's family isn't handling the news of the move very well. His wife has been drinking more and more since Mr. Barrett's controlling nature has intensified. Troy, the youngest child, has used his rebellious attitude to spark conflict within the household. Gram, Mr. Barrett's mother and the boys' biggest protector, doesn't mince words when it comes to how crazy she thinks moving the whole family to a strange community is, and Jack, the oldest son, tries to keep the peace by attempting to please his father and trying to keep Troy under control. Eventually, the day comes and the family packs up and moves to Paradise. Jack's mother has gone ahead in order to get the house ready so it is just Mr. Barrett, Jack, Troy, and Gram following the moving van. Once they reach the entry gate, Jack sees a site that leaves him speechless. Jori is a beautiful girl that works at the entry gate of Paradise and a girl that he definitely wants to get to know better, but for some reason, Mr. Barrett doesn't want him to have anything to do with her. His exact words are, "She doesn't belong in Paradise." This statement is just one of the things Jack, Troy, and Gram consider strange when they get settled in their new community. Everyone seems too happy, their mother hasn't been seen since they've arrived, and Mr. Eden, the owner of the Eden Corporation, has been sneaking into the Barrett's house at night and taking Troy somewhere after knocking him out so he won't wake up. The boys, with a lot of help from Gram and Jori, attempt to get to the bottom of all the mysteries and find a way out of Paradise. THIS SIDE OF PARADISE is a science fiction thriller reminiscent of The Stepford Wives. It was awarded the Hal Clement Award for best science fiction novel for young adults in the United States. This is Steven Layne's first novel and is far from perfect, but at the same time, has many characteristics that will appeal to young readers. ( )

This would be a great read-aloud, especially for teachers reading The Giver with their classes. The tension between the father and the rest of the family feels very real. And just like The Giver, the ending is not "happily ever after." This book would also be a good title to recommend to teens required to read science fiction but feel they don't like the genre. This suspenseful science fiction is a very satisfying read. ( )