Chapter 1 - Foyt Fails Human Biology Forever

Why do I feel like I'm opening Pandora's box in cracking this book open?  Okay, here we go... I'll be commenting as I go and not reading ahead, so save what I've heard from Internet hearsay I have no idea what's going to happen in future chapters.  This could be interesting...

We get a title page first thing, then a dedication -- "For Christopher, beastly and true."  Given the bestiality undertones I've heard this book contains, this dedication comes off as slightly creepy... I sure hope Christopher is her husband or boyfriend, otherwise this could be trouble.

Next is the acknowledgements, which is surprisingly pretty free of crazy and actually has a quote I really like.

"They say it takes a village to raise a child.  The same analogy may apply to creating a novel, which is another kind of birth."

This may be the one favorable quote I take away from this, so I'm savoring the moment before it's gone.

"Ooooooh!"

Then we get a poem by Emily Dickinson, "Come Slowly Eden" (gee, wonder where the main character's name came from), and I'm going "Oh come on, start this dang book already!"  The poem is said to be a woman encouraging a shy and bashful lover to make his first move, which seems to be a weird choice for a novel that's supposed to be a post-apocalyptic dystopian critique on racism, but who am I to judge?

Then we get a second title page, just in case we forgot the title of the book already, and then FINALLY we get started on Chapter 1... which is simply called 1, with the number surrounded by leopard spots.  Okay...  

We start right off with our main character, Eden, hearing footsteps and ordering her "Life-Band" to hide her "Beauty Map."  No explanation for the former yet, but the latter is apparently a holographic image of "a blond girl playing on a sunlit beach" in front of her.  I fail to see how that's a map...

In comes our first black character... and I swear to Primus, her name is Peach.  Yes, like the Mario character.  I'd laugh but I have a sinking feeling that this isn't the last ridiculous name we'll see in the book...

Eden shot to her feet, her heart racing, as a plump, dark-skinned lab assistant appeared on the other side of the partition.  It was only Peach, who wasn't as cruel as the rest of them.

Eden's blank emotional mask slammed into place.  Never let them see how you feel. -- p. 3

Okay, if Eden was really being oppressed, I can see how she'd have this kind of attitude -- prejudice and oppression breeds this kind of hostility.  But we're barely four paragraphs into this book; why not show us some examples of her oppression before leaping right into this?  Just a thought.

Peach asks Eden about a report that apparently hasn't been delivered on schedule, and we get the following lovely exchange:

Had Peach forgotten that Eden's skin only had a dark coating?  Maybe she was passing, after all.  Wouldn't that be nice?  Eden almost enjoyed pointing out the truth.  "I'm not allowed to communicate on Priority One channels."

Peach grew flustered.  "I know that.  Why didn't you give the report to Ashina?"

In fact, Eden already had sent it to her supervisor, Ashina.  But she couldn't directly accuse a Coal, even if she was only late from her lunch break

"I sent it.  But, well, my lunch break started ten minutes ago," Eden said.  To further soften her words, she smiled politely.  -- p. 3-4

First of all, yes, we do have a character named Ashina.  I knew Peach wouldn't be the only ridiculous name in this book... 

Second, instead of telling us that Peach was flustered, why not show it with some change of expression or hand gestures or something?  Show, don't tell, is the first rule of writing, after all.  

And third, even if she's "softening the blow" with a smile, that last comment is sassy enough that if Eden really was as oppressed as the book lets on, I doubt she'd get away with it without at least a smack or a reprimand.  But it goes ignored, so... whee, I guess.

Also we get our first mention of the nickname for black people in this book -- Coal.  I'll discuss this in a bit more detail later.

We get a random paragraph about a holographic projection of mallard ducks flying over a lake on the other side of the lab where these characters are working and talking.  It seems out of place here, why the hologram would be there isn't explained, and it seems to only be there so Eden (and Foyt) can show off that they know the Latin name for mallard ducks.  I get it, you're trying to show your main character is smart and educated despite being a lesser class in her society, but presented in this way breaks the flow of the story.  Especially since it's dropped right in the middle of a conversation here.

Anyhow, Peach finishes up the conversation and leaves, and Eden's Life-Band tells her (via a voice in her mind) to "experience something pleasant" because her heart rate's elevated.  So Eden meditates and imagines herself as a stone in a cave.  Whatever relaxes you, I guess, but that seems a weird choice.

The relaxation must not have done much good, because Eden's thoughts immediately go to how much she hates them, but at the same time wishes she were one of them.  (Yes, them is italicized every time it shows up.)  We're also told that even at seventeen Eden's considered middle-aged, that she'll be lucky to live to her forties, and that she and everyone else lives in underground tunnels called the Combs to escape The Heat.  Why any civilization would name their home after "catacombs" is anyone's guess.

We get told that most of the population only goes outside at night, when radiation is lowest, and we get a flashback to when Eden's mother, who's conveniently dead of Disney Mom Syndrome, took her to a special viewing window to see the sunlight once.

They had ridden several underground hovercrafts until they reached a special set of stairs.  The guard on duty had inspected them before letting them climb to the upper level.  There, they stood at a special viewing window that was tinted and sealed.  The sight of the steaming rocks and an endless sea of pale, tired dirt had saddened Eden even though she'd never known a green Earth.  Her mother had pointed to a pile of bleached bones. 

- We must be careful, daughter.

The message had been clear: this is where you'll end up if you don't obey.  All Pearls, the racist term for whites, feared the light. -- p. 5

The wooden writing aside (though seriously, this is pretty bad Beige Prose), I'm failing to see how the word Pearl can be racist.  A pearl is a gemstone, and a pretty darn valuable one at that -- up to $5000 to $10,000 for high-quality ones.  Even putting aside the "gemstone" thing, Dictionary.com gives another definition of "pearl" as "something precious or choice; the final example of anything."  Not the kind of name anyone is going to be using as a racial slur.

If "Pearl" was the term Eden and others like her were using to describe themselves, I could see it... but for it to be a racist term is pretty ridiculous.  But moving on...

The Life-Band gets explained a little more -- it's a copper hoop earring she wears in her right ear, and it apparently gives her "the freedom to travel in her mind anywhere in the past."  She also regards it as valuable as her heart and lungs. and every citizen gets one from the "Uni-Gov."  Not sure why the government is giving everyone devices to let them have random flashbacks, unless that's not the only thing they do, but we'll see if this gets revisited at all in future chapters.  (Ten bucks says it doesn't.)

There's also a bit about how everyone gets a Life-Band, but most sew it into a pocket or wear it as a hidden locket, but Eden needs to have hers within easy reach and highly visible... so she can believe it'll never be taken away?  Um... yay, who needs logic?

Oh, okay, the Life-Band and some convenient sensors planted in her head let her access any and all holographic images stored on the World-Band, so she immediately goes back to watching the hologram of the girl on the beach.  Is this an image from her childhood?  Of happier times?  Nope!  It's a random (and illegal) image of a random white girl playing.

A familiar rush of pleasure, mixed with fear, coursed through her at the sight of the white girl.  Images of Pearls in natural coloring were forbidden.  If they caught Eden looking, she would be punished.

And yet, she couldn't resist watching the pale, slim girl bounce a multi-colored ball over to a young man who was also white-skinned.  She wore a polka-dot bikini -- all that skin exposed!...

Ms. Polka-Dot Bikini was Eden's kind, right down to her long blond hair and big blue eyes.  And yet, according to the antique Beauty Map, she had been prized for her beauty -- which meant, if Eden had been born in an earlier time, she too might have been beautiful.

Me?  Eden Newman, beautiful?  No matter how often she studied the precious map she couldn't imagine it.  She was a lowly Pearl, worth nothing in a world ruled by dark-skinned Coals.  -- p. 6-7

Argh, stop calling it a map!  It's a video or the holographic equivalent of a GIF, not a map!  I know, the meaning of words can change over time, but a map indicates that it's a representation of an area of land, not a GIF of people frolicking on a beach.  Using the wrong words just confuses people!

Also, if images of white people... excuse me, Pearls are banned, how is Eden able to access one on the World-Band?  Why would they even keep things like that on the World-Band where anyone could get at them?  That's like banning people from buying beer but still keeping it on store shelves.

We get some more musing on "that bitch Ashina" and that "haughty Coal," a bit more description of the lab and the stem cells growing there, and a glimpse of Eden's father, described as "a brain on a stick."  Apparently his IQ is high enough that he gets to work in the labs despite being a Pearl, and his high position lets Eden work there too.  Yeah, we can really see how grateful Eden is for the job...

Apparently tomorrow an experiment is to take place that could possibly save the world, and Eden's all smug about being one of the few people to know about it.  But we don't get to hear what the experiment is about -- instead we get to hear Eden gloat about how a lowly Pearl gets to know a secret that all the "gorgeous, dark-skinned Coals" don't get to know about.

Oh, and we get our first glimpse of blackface... I mean Midnight Luster.

As he turned his head, Eden winced at the sight of pale skin peeking through his worn, dark coating.  For Earth's sake, how was she supposed to pass when her father didn't maintain standards? -- p. 8

Yes, "Earth" is the stand-in for "God" or any other deity-based curse word.  And while I appreciate a book not taking God's name in vain (one of the reasons I use "Primus" instead), it just feels weird.  Do the inhabitants suddenly worship the Earth?  Or is it just a convenient stand-in?  

Moving on...

She smoothed a hand over her long black hair to reassure herself.  Like her skin, the layers of dark coating -- Midnight Luster -- she'd worn since birth had turned it dry and crackly.  A small price to pay for beauty and for protection.  She had to cover her white skin or risk antagonizing the Coals.  -- p. 8

whut

Yeah, you read that right.  This novel not only contains blackface, it makes it a freaking plot point.

...

Why?  Just... why?  Blackface has a long and not-so-grand history of being used to mock African-Americans, and to say it's a controversial practice today is an understatement of gargantuan proportions.  Tropic Thunder was able to (barely) get away with a blackface scene, but otherwise it's seen in incredibly poor taste.  So why would anyone think it's a good idea to include it in a book that's supposed to be about how terrible racism is?  

And yes, I know "passing" is a thing.  In the book Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi (worth a read if you actually want something about race and racism), there are African-American characters trying to pass as white, but they're already naturally light-skinned and accomplish their "passing" by ostracizing any family members that happen to be born dark.  It's presented as controversial and problematic in the book, whereas Revealing Eden seems to be promoting it as a good thing.

Foyt apparently sees nothing wrong with taking a controversial practice and not only making it a plot point in her novel, but using it in her book's advertising and even encouraging fans of the book to wear blackface in public to promote the book.  You know, there's a big difference between Sharpie-ing a lightning bolt on your forehead to proclaim your love for Harry Potter and participating in a practice that's long been used to mock African-Americans...

Finally we get a good look at Ashina, Eden's nemesis.  She's described as thus:

Voluptuous, with raisin-colored skin, everything about Ashina screamed ruling class. -- p. 9

Notice that so far, all the black people have been described as "plump" or otherwise heavy, while all the white people are thin?  Also, Foyt does know that few black people are actually black, right?  (Are raisins even black?  I always thought they were dark purple...)

So it's explained that because of The Heat, people of color have a higher survival rate than white people because of their high melanin levels.  Um... that's not how it works?  A high melanin content can keep you from getting sunburned as easily, but it doesn't protect from UV rays, which are the main cause of skin cancer... and it's no protection whatsoever against heatstroke.  Did Foyt do ANY research going into this?

There's also stuff about "mate options," and how having good genetics means it's more likely that you'll get chosen by a suitor, and Pearls and Cottons ("the derogatory term for albinos") are the least likely to get picked because of bad genetics.  It's also mentioned that albinos are extinct, which makes no sense because albino isn't a race.  

Ashina promptly demands the reports from Eden, and when Eden insists she did Ashina tells her to sit down and she's not going to be responsible for her screw-ups.  Eden thinks that she's heard multiple times that "white people were lazy good-for-nothings with weak genetics," but this would have meant more coming from Ashina instead of Eden, personally.

Then we get the prize-winning moment -- after some back-and-forth between Eden and Ashina, Ashina makes a grab for Eden and Eden blurts out what's explicity called "an incendiary racial slur."

"Get your hands off of me, you damn dirty Coal!"  -- p. 10

So... ever since this book gained notoriety on the Internet, Foyt has been defending the terms "Coal" and "Pearl" in blog posts and news articles, claiming that in this futuristic world coal is more valuable than pearls and so calling the ruling class "Coals" is a good thing.  Her words are as follows:

"Why are the whites called Pearls, while blacks are called Coals?  Imagine a gritty, post-apocalyptic world where all that matters is survival.  What good will a pearl do you when luxury items have no use?  Coal has energy, fire, and real value.  It is durable and strong, not easily crushed like a pearl.  Pearl is a pejorative term here.  Coals are admired.  Coals oppress Pearls because they fear that those with light skin will add to a population unable to survive "The Heat," and drain meager resources."

I already explained why it's ridiculous to use the word "Pearl" as a derogatory slur, but the number one problem with this explanation is that it isn't included in the book itself.  Just like J. K. Rowling's revelation that Dumbledore was gay ultimately means very little when it isn't included in any of the Harry Potter books, this nugget of information means nothing when a reader has to hunt it down after the fact.  A work of fiction needs to be able to stand on its own, without requiring an outside source to explain plot points or provide valuable information.  Some supplementary material that accompanies and fleshes out the original is nice, such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for Harry Potter or The Silmarillion to Lord of the Rings, but when you leave a vital chunk of information out of the work itself, the work fails.

But all her explanation falls flat on its face with this simple passage on page 10.  Because despite her insistence otherwise, Eden and every other character introduced thus far treats the word "Coal" as an offensive term.  So much for trying to prove it otherwise after the fact...

Ashina reacts the way you'd expect someone to react to being called by a racial slur -- she slaps Eden.  Eden jumps back, Ashina falls, and immediately all the other workers in the lab start to stampede toward her.

The angry mob lurched toward Eden, just like in her nightmares.  The Coals were going to kill her.  They would drag her outside and leave her to cook in the sun.  -- p. 10

Main character dies, the end, we're done, yay!  ...Wait, I mean the chapter ends there, so I guess we have to wait until the next chapter to see what happens. 

So thus far it's been established that Eden's not as badly oppressed as she likes to think, our main character comes across as a racist whiner, Foyt stinks at naming characters and knows squat about how etymology and melanin work, and I already want to throw this book at the wall.  Oy...

One chapter down... forty-two to go.  This is going to hurt...