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Everybody's Haven
Haven Alexander is the whole co-captain of Cross Country and Track, excelling in her classes, volunteering at church, loving and supporting her neurodiverse older brother, Paul, and being—according to her friend (and sort-of crush) Alice—a babe.
Albeit a fresh-faced, basketball shorts and flip flops wearing babe who could carry someone out of a burning building and doesn’t understand other girls.
At seventeen she’s never given her parents a moment’s anxiety, except for her stubborn refusal to date the boy of their dreams. And riding the motorcycle of hers.
Until unapologetically bold Daisy King, The Derby Queen, befriends Paul, hip checks her way into Haven’s world, and just might be the girl who knocks Haven off the treadmill of her parents’ sky-high expectations and into a life that includes kitchen kisses, confiscated cell phones, detentions, suspensions, and a posse of friends who embrace Paul.
Who has his own parental expectations to defy…
Can Haven dare to believe she can be loved as-is, defy expectations, redefine success, and not be everybody’s Haven but her own in this third Willamette High novel about community, coming of age, coming out, and coming to terms with being human?
Albeit a fresh-faced, basketball shorts and flip flops wearing babe who could carry someone out of a burning building and doesn’t understand other girls.
At seventeen she’s never given her parents a moment’s anxiety, except for her stubborn refusal to date the boy of their dreams. And riding the motorcycle of hers.
Until unapologetically bold Daisy King, The Derby Queen, befriends Paul, hip checks her way into Haven’s world, and just might be the girl who knocks Haven off the treadmill of her parents’ sky-high expectations and into a life that includes kitchen kisses, confiscated cell phones, detentions, suspensions, and a posse of friends who embrace Paul.
Who has his own parental expectations to defy…
Can Haven dare to believe she can be loved as-is, defy expectations, redefine success, and not be everybody’s Haven but her own in this third Willamette High novel about community, coming of age, coming out, and coming to terms with being human?
- GenresYoung Adult
307 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 29, 2025
4 people want to read
About the author
Bebe Duncan
3 books10 followersBebe Duncan is the author of contemporary young adult novels in the Willamette High series, Alice in Black, Pet Shop Girl, and Everybody's Haven, set in Portland, Oregon.
Her realistic fiction focuses on social and family issues that teens face, from a first-person perspective, and on developing characters with challenges that resonate with readers.
Long a writer of narrative nonfiction, she was reintroduced to YA by her daughter, and the sense of immediacy, the emotions portrayed, and the action in that genre inspired her to start noveling stat.
She lives in Portland with her family and two humongous goldfish named Richard and Blanche.
When she’s not immersed in nouns and verbs or reading aloud as she edits, she revels in crime shows, YA fiction, WNBA games on TV, and walking a zillion miles a day.
Her realistic fiction focuses on social and family issues that teens face, from a first-person perspective, and on developing characters with challenges that resonate with readers.
Long a writer of narrative nonfiction, she was reintroduced to YA by her daughter, and the sense of immediacy, the emotions portrayed, and the action in that genre inspired her to start noveling stat.
She lives in Portland with her family and two humongous goldfish named Richard and Blanche.
When she’s not immersed in nouns and verbs or reading aloud as she edits, she revels in crime shows, YA fiction, WNBA games on TV, and walking a zillion miles a day.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 21, 2026
It took me a while to get into this one (and honestly, by the end, I still wasn't sure I was properly engaged rather than just wanting to get it done and over with). There are some important themes in here about the expectations from your family as a young person, rebelling a bit, taking care of a sibling with neurodiversity, and coming to terms with your own sexuality and gender expression.
Unfortunately, I don't feel that we go too deep into any of those interesting aspects of life as a young person, or at least not deep enough for my engagement. A massive part of Haven's life is balancing her relationship with her parents and their expectations versus always playing second fiddle to her brother, who is treated like a fragile child, but we don't really get into this very much. A lot of time is instead spent listening to pointless slurs (these are your friends?), hearing about a secondary storyline about the running coach ranting about Haven quitting the team (harassment?), or constantly fighting with and making up with Daisy. It all feels far too messy for coherence and doesn't dive deep enough into any issues to make it a worthwhile read for me, unfortunately.
Unfortunately, I don't feel that we go too deep into any of those interesting aspects of life as a young person, or at least not deep enough for my engagement. A massive part of Haven's life is balancing her relationship with her parents and their expectations versus always playing second fiddle to her brother, who is treated like a fragile child, but we don't really get into this very much. A lot of time is instead spent listening to pointless slurs (these are your friends?), hearing about a secondary storyline about the running coach ranting about Haven quitting the team (harassment?), or constantly fighting with and making up with Daisy. It all feels far too messy for coherence and doesn't dive deep enough into any issues to make it a worthwhile read for me, unfortunately.
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December 27, 2025Everybody’s Haven by Bebe Duncan is the third installment in the Williamette High series. This story follows Haven Alexander as she goes through her uneasy world. She’s narrating her story as it opens, and she’s pulled into attending a SlutWalk march with Alice, her best friend. There are conflicting ideologies, crowds chanting, colors everywhere. The chaos of the march, the commentary, and Haven’s anxiety and level of discomfort, sets the tone for how she deals with sexuality, identity, and public perception throughout the narrative.
The pacing from the very beginning is engaging, inviting, and quick. From the outset, the characters’ personalities are evident: Alice is well-meaning but pushy; her boyfriend Finn is supportive but awkward; and Daisy is the roller-derby girl who is confrontational and bold but challenges Haven’s reservations and discomfort. Haven is guarded but has strong opinions, while she struggles with her own rigid beliefs and identity. Going back to the scene and discussion they are having at SlutWalk, Raven is really struggling with why people dress provocatively if they don’t want to be violated. This prompts a very interesting discussion that also brings readers into the conversation. When she jumps on her motorcycle, this shows just how quickly she couldn’t wait to get away from the things that challenge her discomfort and viewpoint. The escape is exhilarating.
As the story moves forward, Haven gets into her big sister role, hoping her neurodiverse brother Paul doesn’t get overwhelmed in his senior year. She remembers the last time he hurt a paraeducator. I feel like I’m right inside the tension that comes with loving a family member who needs support. Bebe Duncan did a great job addressing this in a gentle way through Haven’s narration. I also enjoyed how Duncan exposed readers to Haven’s social world throughout the story, especially after she meets Daisy at SlutWalk and now runs into her in her classes. Duncan addresses how harshly judgmental and unmerciful people can be toward others, even though Daisy is unapologetically herself despite the name-calling. Haven even finds herself bothered by Knox and Laurie relegating Daisy to a category of “not like us.” This hints at Haven possibly beginning to see things from a different perspective outside of her usual guarded “not trying to stand out” tendencies.
Duncan slowly peels back Haven’s layers rather than allow her identity to explode. The only one who doesn’t accept Haven’s mask at face value is Daisy as the narrative begins to shape their encounters and Haven’s struggles. One of the most defining moments and one of my favorite chapters in the story is Haven’s clothing store meltdown. I felt Haven’s frustration and pain as her mom brought clothes to her that she felt were feminine, pastel, appropriate or socially acceptable. Her mom is trying to dress the girl she wants Haven to be instead of accepting Haven as she is and for her own style.
Gradually, Duncan reveals Haven’s emotional crisis by using Daisy who doesn’t allow Haven to hide. She asks all the uncomfortable questions like why she fears being labeled, or why she freezes around intimacy. I get the feeling that Haven already knows she’s in her own category, but she’s afraid of being defined by her peers and her mom as “not like us” or “not acceptable.” This story really does well touching on identity struggles. It’s raw, it’s emotional, it’s claustrophobic, especially surrounding Haven. She brings Daisy’s character out even more as the emotional catalyst for Haven.
Everybody’s Haven is a story that explores sexuality, identity struggles, family obligations, and internalized fears while fighting for the courage to be seen. Haven’s character will resonate with many readers, because of her slow emergence through reflection, suppression, performative behavior to please others, denial, and eventually truth.
The pacing from the very beginning is engaging, inviting, and quick. From the outset, the characters’ personalities are evident: Alice is well-meaning but pushy; her boyfriend Finn is supportive but awkward; and Daisy is the roller-derby girl who is confrontational and bold but challenges Haven’s reservations and discomfort. Haven is guarded but has strong opinions, while she struggles with her own rigid beliefs and identity. Going back to the scene and discussion they are having at SlutWalk, Raven is really struggling with why people dress provocatively if they don’t want to be violated. This prompts a very interesting discussion that also brings readers into the conversation. When she jumps on her motorcycle, this shows just how quickly she couldn’t wait to get away from the things that challenge her discomfort and viewpoint. The escape is exhilarating.
As the story moves forward, Haven gets into her big sister role, hoping her neurodiverse brother Paul doesn’t get overwhelmed in his senior year. She remembers the last time he hurt a paraeducator. I feel like I’m right inside the tension that comes with loving a family member who needs support. Bebe Duncan did a great job addressing this in a gentle way through Haven’s narration. I also enjoyed how Duncan exposed readers to Haven’s social world throughout the story, especially after she meets Daisy at SlutWalk and now runs into her in her classes. Duncan addresses how harshly judgmental and unmerciful people can be toward others, even though Daisy is unapologetically herself despite the name-calling. Haven even finds herself bothered by Knox and Laurie relegating Daisy to a category of “not like us.” This hints at Haven possibly beginning to see things from a different perspective outside of her usual guarded “not trying to stand out” tendencies.
Duncan slowly peels back Haven’s layers rather than allow her identity to explode. The only one who doesn’t accept Haven’s mask at face value is Daisy as the narrative begins to shape their encounters and Haven’s struggles. One of the most defining moments and one of my favorite chapters in the story is Haven’s clothing store meltdown. I felt Haven’s frustration and pain as her mom brought clothes to her that she felt were feminine, pastel, appropriate or socially acceptable. Her mom is trying to dress the girl she wants Haven to be instead of accepting Haven as she is and for her own style.
Gradually, Duncan reveals Haven’s emotional crisis by using Daisy who doesn’t allow Haven to hide. She asks all the uncomfortable questions like why she fears being labeled, or why she freezes around intimacy. I get the feeling that Haven already knows she’s in her own category, but she’s afraid of being defined by her peers and her mom as “not like us” or “not acceptable.” This story really does well touching on identity struggles. It’s raw, it’s emotional, it’s claustrophobic, especially surrounding Haven. She brings Daisy’s character out even more as the emotional catalyst for Haven.
Everybody’s Haven is a story that explores sexuality, identity struggles, family obligations, and internalized fears while fighting for the courage to be seen. Haven’s character will resonate with many readers, because of her slow emergence through reflection, suppression, performative behavior to please others, denial, and eventually truth.
Review of advance copy
Everybody's Haven - 4/5 stars
*This was sent to me by Bebe Duncan and Pettygrove Press via BookSirens for an honest review; thank you so much for the opportunity*
Trigger/ Content Warnings
Brief discussions of sexual assault and sexual harassment
Queerphobia (including internalised as well as slurs and microaggressions)
Ableism (including slurs)
Brief description of epileptic seizure leading in hospitalisation
Very brief mention of self harm and suicide (including substance abuse)
Parentification of child
Very brief discussions of islamophobia/xenophobia
Review
This story follows Haven as she is launched into a journey of self discovery and acceptance by Daisy, "The Derby Queen" who ends up not only befriending Haven's autistic brother Paul but also becoming closer with Haven. At the start of this book, I honestly hated Haven. I thought she was annoying with her internalised misogyny and queerphobia. Her attitude at the Slut Walk made a horrible first impression of the character and it almost made it hard for me to root for the romance due to how awfully she acted then. Honestly, I almost DNF-ed the book after the first few chapters because of that and as I did not care for long motorcycle descriptions and Haven's overall internal monologue. But I'm so glad I stuck with it because this turned out to be a beautifully complex love story. By the end, Haven was much less annoying and Daisy's character was a wonderful balance to Haven!
Paul though was absolutely my favourite character! As someone who is autistic myself, I felt the depictions of autism were overall well written and realistic without being extreme. Every scene with Paul made me smile or cry as I genuinely connected so well with his character. That being said, the use of slurs by other pupils did upset me as whilst I understand they are realistic to teenage vernacular, it still felt kind of unnecessary to use the r slur in this book when it could have maybe been implied rather than outright used a few times.
By contrast, Haven's parents were frustratingly perfect for the narrative. Whilst it would have been wonderful for them to be super supportive of Haven, especially by the end, I understand that is not realistic for a lot of families with queer children and so I felt this was a well written dynamic because of this. Not only did they put too much pressure on Haven to achieve because of Paul's disabilities, they also had very imposing expectations for her in terms of Paul. Their parentification of Haven was evident by them future planning for Haven to be Paul's legal guardian in the event of their deaths, putting a lot of pressure on their teenage daughter to grow up. Then in terms of her relationship with Daisy, not only were they unsupportive of her identity as a lesbian, they were unsupportive of the relationship itself due to rumours, gossip and her appearance. For supposed Christians, they judged Daisy very harshly and Haven by virtue of having the audacity to act on her feelings for Daisy and ruin the perfect image they had created for her. In the scenes at church, it felt like her mum was her PR manager rather than her mother, creating stories to make Haven look good and thus her look good. It felt like her mum especially was living vicariously through her; although her dad also was in his pushing of her to re-join track due to his prior Olympic dreams.
Overall
Overall, I think this is a well written YA book that is perfect for teens and young adults who want a more realistic queer love story. Whilst still having a 'happily ever after' style ending, this book does still hold a lot of complexities in its depiction of queer acceptance which was nice to read!
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"I believed in Daisy, and I believed in us."
*This was sent to me by Bebe Duncan and Pettygrove Press via BookSirens for an honest review; thank you so much for the opportunity*
Trigger/ Content Warnings
Brief discussions of sexual assault and sexual harassment
Queerphobia (including internalised as well as slurs and microaggressions)
Ableism (including slurs)
Brief description of epileptic seizure leading in hospitalisation
Very brief mention of self harm and suicide (including substance abuse)
Parentification of child
Very brief discussions of islamophobia/xenophobia
Review
This story follows Haven as she is launched into a journey of self discovery and acceptance by Daisy, "The Derby Queen" who ends up not only befriending Haven's autistic brother Paul but also becoming closer with Haven. At the start of this book, I honestly hated Haven. I thought she was annoying with her internalised misogyny and queerphobia. Her attitude at the Slut Walk made a horrible first impression of the character and it almost made it hard for me to root for the romance due to how awfully she acted then. Honestly, I almost DNF-ed the book after the first few chapters because of that and as I did not care for long motorcycle descriptions and Haven's overall internal monologue. But I'm so glad I stuck with it because this turned out to be a beautifully complex love story. By the end, Haven was much less annoying and Daisy's character was a wonderful balance to Haven!
Paul though was absolutely my favourite character! As someone who is autistic myself, I felt the depictions of autism were overall well written and realistic without being extreme. Every scene with Paul made me smile or cry as I genuinely connected so well with his character. That being said, the use of slurs by other pupils did upset me as whilst I understand they are realistic to teenage vernacular, it still felt kind of unnecessary to use the r slur in this book when it could have maybe been implied rather than outright used a few times.
By contrast, Haven's parents were frustratingly perfect for the narrative. Whilst it would have been wonderful for them to be super supportive of Haven, especially by the end, I understand that is not realistic for a lot of families with queer children and so I felt this was a well written dynamic because of this. Not only did they put too much pressure on Haven to achieve because of Paul's disabilities, they also had very imposing expectations for her in terms of Paul. Their parentification of Haven was evident by them future planning for Haven to be Paul's legal guardian in the event of their deaths, putting a lot of pressure on their teenage daughter to grow up. Then in terms of her relationship with Daisy, not only were they unsupportive of her identity as a lesbian, they were unsupportive of the relationship itself due to rumours, gossip and her appearance. For supposed Christians, they judged Daisy very harshly and Haven by virtue of having the audacity to act on her feelings for Daisy and ruin the perfect image they had created for her. In the scenes at church, it felt like her mum was her PR manager rather than her mother, creating stories to make Haven look good and thus her look good. It felt like her mum especially was living vicariously through her; although her dad also was in his pushing of her to re-join track due to his prior Olympic dreams.
Overall
Overall, I think this is a well written YA book that is perfect for teens and young adults who want a more realistic queer love story. Whilst still having a 'happily ever after' style ending, this book does still hold a lot of complexities in its depiction of queer acceptance which was nice to read!
My Links!
Instagram | TikTok | Blog
January 3, 2026
This is a beautifully crafted coming-of-age novel. Haven is the perfect student, the star track and cross-country athlete, the reliable peer leader role model, the ever-supportive sister to a neurodivergent brother, and the perfect daughter (albeit a bit judgmental!) until Ilife’s complexities upend her ‘all perfect’ image, and Haven decides for herself who she is, not who her peers or parents tell her she is. Or who she needs to be. Excellent title: by the end, "Everybody's Haven" becomes her own Haven. And we root for her all along the way.
This first person account is told through Haven, and I appreciate the voice. Here’s an example of Haven in her head: “Yeah, yeah, I did. I totally did, do, can, and will.”
The story takes off immediately with Haven tormented by her secret love for a close female friend, Alice, who has a boyfriend (introduced in “Alice in Black”, the first book in the Willamette High series). From there her story unfolds as she explores an array of confusion surrounding who she’s attracted to, what she cares about, who her friends are, and how to navigate her changing interior life and social life as well as her (perhaps static) parents.
Duncan’s novel is compelling, authentic, and packed with current-day themes that matter. Identity, inclusivity, disability, acceptance, victim blaming, danger of assumptions, tolerance, inherent dignity (UU values), strength, self-discovery, friendship, love. I appreciate the deft handling of themes throughout Haven’s journey of self-awareness, such as the coach wanting to ‘own’ her, her mother wanting to ‘own’ her, Haven realizing she wanted to ‘own’ Daisy. The push/pull with her parents, the inconsistencies as she realizes she doesn’t want to be judged and yet still judges others made it very real. Small detail, but I loved for example, that she “hated” Alice’s Dad, the musician, couldn’t forgive him for parenting in his own imperfect way, whereas his own daughter accepted him. There’s a lovely dance of judgement and acceptance throughout.
The story brings the sport of roller derby alive in an authentic way when Haven meets Daisy, a roller derby “queen” teen who blasts onto the scene with style, confidence and heart. (I would have liked a few more setting details at the rink and in other elements of the story, especially as settings shift. Daisy’s home and mother are particularly memorable because of the rich setting and objects.) The story moves fast, though, and is compelling and tender throughout. (Yes, I cried a few times. ) Characters are well-rounded and fully dimensional. Fine use of objects, like the Ding Dongs and sports and academic trophies and certificates. I appreciate the restraint Duncan takes in filling in the details, i.e. making us wait, to learn the real reason Haven quit track & field, as example. (I think Mark Twain said, "Make them laugh, make them cry, make them wait.")
In short, there’s nothing shallow about this story. I can imagine it being a good friend for teens in the process of figuring life out.
This first person account is told through Haven, and I appreciate the voice. Here’s an example of Haven in her head: “Yeah, yeah, I did. I totally did, do, can, and will.”
The story takes off immediately with Haven tormented by her secret love for a close female friend, Alice, who has a boyfriend (introduced in “Alice in Black”, the first book in the Willamette High series). From there her story unfolds as she explores an array of confusion surrounding who she’s attracted to, what she cares about, who her friends are, and how to navigate her changing interior life and social life as well as her (perhaps static) parents.
Duncan’s novel is compelling, authentic, and packed with current-day themes that matter. Identity, inclusivity, disability, acceptance, victim blaming, danger of assumptions, tolerance, inherent dignity (UU values), strength, self-discovery, friendship, love. I appreciate the deft handling of themes throughout Haven’s journey of self-awareness, such as the coach wanting to ‘own’ her, her mother wanting to ‘own’ her, Haven realizing she wanted to ‘own’ Daisy. The push/pull with her parents, the inconsistencies as she realizes she doesn’t want to be judged and yet still judges others made it very real. Small detail, but I loved for example, that she “hated” Alice’s Dad, the musician, couldn’t forgive him for parenting in his own imperfect way, whereas his own daughter accepted him. There’s a lovely dance of judgement and acceptance throughout.
The story brings the sport of roller derby alive in an authentic way when Haven meets Daisy, a roller derby “queen” teen who blasts onto the scene with style, confidence and heart. (I would have liked a few more setting details at the rink and in other elements of the story, especially as settings shift. Daisy’s home and mother are particularly memorable because of the rich setting and objects.) The story moves fast, though, and is compelling and tender throughout. (Yes, I cried a few times. ) Characters are well-rounded and fully dimensional. Fine use of objects, like the Ding Dongs and sports and academic trophies and certificates. I appreciate the restraint Duncan takes in filling in the details, i.e. making us wait, to learn the real reason Haven quit track & field, as example. (I think Mark Twain said, "Make them laugh, make them cry, make them wait.")
In short, there’s nothing shallow about this story. I can imagine it being a good friend for teens in the process of figuring life out.
December 29, 2025
Haven is the second oldest but has the heavy expectations placed upon her that normally define an eldest child. Despite being a high achieving smart jock, her mother continues to push her to be more. Honestly her mother made me mad, she didn’t listen to Haven and would immediately jump to conclusions before Haven had been able to fully speak. With that dynamic I am unsurprised by Havens reticence to trust her parents with certain truths, like, would they even believe her anyways? You’ll have to read to find out :)
Haven’s introverted and shy nature, and sometimes somewhat judgmental thoughts were at times painful for me. When looking at it through the lens of a teen, it makes perfect sense and she had to have those thoughts to overcome them in the story for her character growth. But her love and care for her brother and friends is palpable and definitely encourage the reader to know she’s just learning things and is not a bad person. There are some miscommunication tropes, but hey, she’s a teenager! None of us were particularly great at that early on, we have to learn from mistakes. Everybody’s Haven definitely challenged me to look at my own teen years and identify where some of my emotions, evoked from this story, came from.
If you know a teen possibly struggling with identity or a difficult parent who won’t listen to them, this could be a great book. Haven holds her values even when it’s not easy, and even when those who imparted those values to her are not doing the same. That takes real strength of character and I believe she could be a great role model or friend to a teen. If you’re an adult, I may recommend reading Pet Shop Girl first so you see the outside perspective of Haven before you explore her inside world.
I really enjoyed the story and how it challenged me! Haven is a truly good and wonderful character, thank you for sharing her with the world! Lastly - I LOVE this cover. The whole of it is perfect.
Haven’s introverted and shy nature, and sometimes somewhat judgmental thoughts were at times painful for me. When looking at it through the lens of a teen, it makes perfect sense and she had to have those thoughts to overcome them in the story for her character growth. But her love and care for her brother and friends is palpable and definitely encourage the reader to know she’s just learning things and is not a bad person. There are some miscommunication tropes, but hey, she’s a teenager! None of us were particularly great at that early on, we have to learn from mistakes. Everybody’s Haven definitely challenged me to look at my own teen years and identify where some of my emotions, evoked from this story, came from.
If you know a teen possibly struggling with identity or a difficult parent who won’t listen to them, this could be a great book. Haven holds her values even when it’s not easy, and even when those who imparted those values to her are not doing the same. That takes real strength of character and I believe she could be a great role model or friend to a teen. If you’re an adult, I may recommend reading Pet Shop Girl first so you see the outside perspective of Haven before you explore her inside world.
I really enjoyed the story and how it challenged me! Haven is a truly good and wonderful character, thank you for sharing her with the world! Lastly - I LOVE this cover. The whole of it is perfect.
January 5, 2026
Everybody's Haven is a sweet book that explores the heady topic of otherness (and how to navigate it) that’s challenged every young adult across all generations. Haven, Duncan’s big-hearted MC, is battling it more than many and fights a steady battle within herself throughout the book; her fierce loyalty to and respect for her brother’s neurodivergence – refusing to flatten him into his difference, or let anyone else do so, even their parents; her quiet judgment of those around her who fearlessly let their freak flags fly while she fights to keep hers hidden, even from herself. Through the lens of Haven’s first crushes and clumsy reckonings, Duncan maps a hero’s journey through obligation, conformance, and internalised and external judgments into budding acceptance, of self and others – with Haven’s tenacious growth inspiring change in those around her. Highly recommend this tender coming of age story!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews