Adam, 17 ans, habite dans une tour de la banlieue de Londres, l’Eden. Depuis le départ de leur mère, il y a huit ans, il tente de protéger sa petite sœur d’un père brutal qu’il hait. Quand Adam tombe amoureux, tout se complique ; comment ne pas avoir honte quand la fille de vos rêves vous prend pour une racaille ? Comment se montrer romantique, quand on est nourri de YouPorn ? Comment la conquérir quand dans sa famille on a connu plus de coups que de caresses ? Comment aimer quand on a été abandonné ? Le déterminisme social est au cœur de Fuir l’Eden. Lorsqu’Olivier Dorchamps donne la parole à Adam, c’est toute une jeunesse abîmée, perdue, amère et surtout terrifiée, qui s’exprime. Par la voix de ce gamin, on perçoit un quotidien marqué par la violence, celle de son père, celle de la société tout entière. Mais cette noirceur est contrebalancée par la profondeur et la sensibilité des personnages, en particulier féminins. C’est à elles, sa grand-mère, sa petite sœur, Claire son professeur, Karolina son amie, qu’Adam devra de grandir et de dépasser la honte de qui il est et d’où il vient. Olivier Dorchamps est un merveilleux raconteur d’histoire, qui sait faire naître des émotions. Sa verve et son humour, ses dialogues naturels et vivants permettent d’alléger un propos qui ne l’est pas toujours.

Seventeen-year-old Adam lives in Eden Tower, a grim high-rise on the outskirts of London. Ever since their mother left, eight years ago, his goal has been to protect his younger sister from their violent father, a man he loathes. When Adam falls in love with a stranger, everything suddenly becomes trickier. How can he not feel shame when the girl of his dreams sees him as mere riffraff? How can he act romantically when all he has ever learnt about love was from YouPorn? How can he woo her when he has been dealt more blows than strokes all his life? How can he manage to love anyone after being abandoned as a child? Social determinism is at the core of Escape from Eden. Dorchamps’main character embodies a whole generation of youngsters who are damaged, lost, bitter and above all frightened. Adam’s daily lot is etched in violence, his father’s as well as the rest of society’s. His story may sound dark and gloomy, yet it is skillfully outweighed by the incredible depth and sensitivity of other characters in the novel, especially female: Adam’s grandmother, his younger sister, his teacher, Claire, and his friend Karolina amongst others. Thanks to them, Adam will grow to overcome his shame for who he is and where he comes from. Dorchamps is a fantastic storyteller and knows how to trigger emotions in his readers. Through wit, humor and lively dialogue, he manages to avoid overloading a topic which is not always light-hearted.