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The Haven
For the teens at The Haven, the outside world, just beyond the towering stone wall that surrounds the premises, is a dangerous unknown. It has always been this way, ever since the hospital was established in the year 2020. But The Haven is more than just a hospital; it is their home. It is all they know. Everything is strictly monitored: education, exercise, food, and rest. The rules must be followed to keep the children healthy, to help control the Disease that has cast them as Terminals, the Disease that claims limbs and lungs—and memories.
But Shiloh is different; she remembers everything. Gideon is different, too. He dreams of a cure, of rebellion against the status quo. What if everything they’ve been told is a lie? What if The Haven is not the safe place it claims to be? And what will happen if Shiloh starts asking dangerous questions?
But Shiloh is different; she remembers everything. Gideon is different, too. He dreams of a cure, of rebellion against the status quo. What if everything they’ve been told is a lie? What if The Haven is not the safe place it claims to be? And what will happen if Shiloh starts asking dangerous questions?
209 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2014
43 people are currently reading
3863 people want to read
About the author
Carol Lynch Williams
40 books392 followersCarol Lynch Williams is the author of more than 30 books for middle grade and young adult readers. Her novels include The Chosen One, Never that Far, Messenger and Never Said. Her most recent book is the novelization of the movie Once I Was a Beehive. Carol has an MFA from Vermont College in Writing for Children and Young Adults and teaches creative writing at BYU. She runs Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers, a week-long writing conference for the not-faint-of-heart writer (www.wifyr.com). As well she is a mentor for those who want to write for kids and teens. Her best creative effort, however, are her five daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
February 7, 2014
There's one BIG reason why I didn't like this book and it's also a huge spoiler. Basically, The Haven is a far less complex, often boring version of another novel. This other novel is an extremely well-known adult book that many people will have read or at least know about. I also think that most, if not all, of those who have read this other book will find it difficult to like The Haven.
If you do want to know what that book is:
If you do want to know what that book is:
February 13, 2014
Discussion review with Jennilicious.
Jenni: Ok, Giselle, The Haven, what did you think?
Giselle: Well I'm going to admit that my 3 star rating surprised me because I almost DNFed this one during the first 30%. It was so full of typos and annoying capitalizations that I found SO ANNOYERZ. Like: "If they bother you, come to the Nurse’s Station for a change in your Tonic." It kept jarring me out of the story. Did you notice that? Maybe I was nitpicking because nothing was keeping my mind from roaming.
Jenni: I did notice the capitalizations, but I found that it was always a place in the Haven or the name of a product inside the place that was capitalized so I kind of got into the groove of it and was able top get used to it pretty quickly. I figured that was just how things were handled in this place, everything was branded. What really bothered me was the missing words and misused punctuation. Now, I know we are reading uncorrected proofs, but I don’t think I have ever come across one that was so jarring to me I almost couldn’t read it. Happy to report that in the second half that died down a lot or maybe I just got used to it.
I think my rating would boil down to about a 2. The reason for that is that I felt that there was really no plot for much of the novel. They talked of escape but never even touched upon how they were planning on doing that. At about 60% it was still just Shiloh finding stuff out about the world inside the Haven and outside, and nothing was actually HAPPENING. Did that bother you?
Giselle: Not as much, but I agree it was sluggish at first. I'm thinking it was meant to keep us on our toes, guessing what the Haven was really about and being cryptic and all. I was still expecting them to escape and the actual plot would start there, though. Although, once we find out the purpose of the Haven hospital, I got quite interested in the story. It was kind of freakishly fascinating.
Jenni: Yes! The purpose behind the place was one thing that I found very cool about the novel, it was unlike anything I have seen touched upon in books before, very horror-movie-ish. I also liked how the way Shiloh viewed the world changed throughout the story, the way she processed seeing things that were completely foreign to her was interesting and garnered a laugh from me here and there.
Giselle: Haha yes, especially when it came to touching and kissing etc. On that note, what did you think of the romance? I found the side characters kept blending into one another, so for a while I couldn't keep straight who was the love interest. I kept mixing him up with the guy in the wheelchair. More characterization could have been used here, especially with the slow pacing.
Jenni: I didn’t mix them up, but I didn’t get any feeling that the crush was anything but superficial. Maybe it was because we were getting the details through Shiloh’s mind and she was pretty numb to it all, but even once she was opened up to romance it never felt like a real romance to me. The characterizations were definitely lacking, I didn’t feel like we got a strong feel for any of the characters that ended up being pretty important at the end of the book.
I guess I kind of felt like Shiloh, I felt numb to this book, and like none of it came to matter to me because nothing happened and I didn’t get to really know anyone.
Giselle: Yes - superficial is the perfect description! Maybe that's the point - that we were meant to feel the same detachment that Shiloh was conditioned to feel? Buuut this caused the whole story, especially the twists, to lack excitement - though I still found much of it interesting, if that makes sense. When we find out the twist, I was more like "Oh ok. Ouch." instead of "OMG", you know? I wasn't emotionally invested in it the way the book/plot/ending was surely hoping to make me.
Jenni: I agree.. ha! Look at us agreeing, funny that in our very first discussion review we feel much the same about the book. I think the idea behind this book was very cool and unique but it just missed the mark in so many areas that I can’t call it a success. Makes me sad because I have LOVED the 3 other books I have read by Williams. Don’t let this deter you from her books, Giselle!
Giselle: It sounds like she's better with contemporaries. I loved the grotesque nature of The Haven as well as its originality. Its weakness is that it tried to be an emotional character driven story, but with their closed-off personalities and lack of distinct voices, it didn't quite make it.
Also, our next discussion review should be for a book we disagree on, we have to show our friends how vicious we get!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Jenni: Ok, Giselle, The Haven, what did you think?
Giselle: Well I'm going to admit that my 3 star rating surprised me because I almost DNFed this one during the first 30%. It was so full of typos and annoying capitalizations that I found SO ANNOYERZ. Like: "If they bother you, come to the Nurse’s Station for a change in your Tonic." It kept jarring me out of the story. Did you notice that? Maybe I was nitpicking because nothing was keeping my mind from roaming.
Jenni: I did notice the capitalizations, but I found that it was always a place in the Haven or the name of a product inside the place that was capitalized so I kind of got into the groove of it and was able top get used to it pretty quickly. I figured that was just how things were handled in this place, everything was branded. What really bothered me was the missing words and misused punctuation. Now, I know we are reading uncorrected proofs, but I don’t think I have ever come across one that was so jarring to me I almost couldn’t read it. Happy to report that in the second half that died down a lot or maybe I just got used to it.
I think my rating would boil down to about a 2. The reason for that is that I felt that there was really no plot for much of the novel. They talked of escape but never even touched upon how they were planning on doing that. At about 60% it was still just Shiloh finding stuff out about the world inside the Haven and outside, and nothing was actually HAPPENING. Did that bother you?
Giselle: Not as much, but I agree it was sluggish at first. I'm thinking it was meant to keep us on our toes, guessing what the Haven was really about and being cryptic and all. I was still expecting them to escape and the actual plot would start there, though. Although, once we find out the purpose of the Haven hospital, I got quite interested in the story. It was kind of freakishly fascinating.
Jenni: Yes! The purpose behind the place was one thing that I found very cool about the novel, it was unlike anything I have seen touched upon in books before, very horror-movie-ish. I also liked how the way Shiloh viewed the world changed throughout the story, the way she processed seeing things that were completely foreign to her was interesting and garnered a laugh from me here and there.
Giselle: Haha yes, especially when it came to touching and kissing etc. On that note, what did you think of the romance? I found the side characters kept blending into one another, so for a while I couldn't keep straight who was the love interest. I kept mixing him up with the guy in the wheelchair. More characterization could have been used here, especially with the slow pacing.
Jenni: I didn’t mix them up, but I didn’t get any feeling that the crush was anything but superficial. Maybe it was because we were getting the details through Shiloh’s mind and she was pretty numb to it all, but even once she was opened up to romance it never felt like a real romance to me. The characterizations were definitely lacking, I didn’t feel like we got a strong feel for any of the characters that ended up being pretty important at the end of the book.
I guess I kind of felt like Shiloh, I felt numb to this book, and like none of it came to matter to me because nothing happened and I didn’t get to really know anyone.
Giselle: Yes - superficial is the perfect description! Maybe that's the point - that we were meant to feel the same detachment that Shiloh was conditioned to feel? Buuut this caused the whole story, especially the twists, to lack excitement - though I still found much of it interesting, if that makes sense. When we find out the twist, I was more like "Oh ok. Ouch." instead of "OMG", you know? I wasn't emotionally invested in it the way the book/plot/ending was surely hoping to make me.
Jenni: I agree.. ha! Look at us agreeing, funny that in our very first discussion review we feel much the same about the book. I think the idea behind this book was very cool and unique but it just missed the mark in so many areas that I can’t call it a success. Makes me sad because I have LOVED the 3 other books I have read by Williams. Don’t let this deter you from her books, Giselle!
Giselle: It sounds like she's better with contemporaries. I loved the grotesque nature of The Haven as well as its originality. Its weakness is that it tried to be an emotional character driven story, but with their closed-off personalities and lack of distinct voices, it didn't quite make it.
Also, our next discussion review should be for a book we disagree on, we have to show our friends how vicious we get!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
February 14, 2014
Initial reaction: Overall: very dull, lifeless narrative despite its intentions. I could not feel for the characters or the overarching story at all, sadly. Hopefully I can explain more in the forthcoming review.
Haven't decided if this is going to be 1 or 1.5 stars.
Full review:
This is one of those times where I get what the narrative was trying to do, but felt it didn't execute the idea very well. I know there are some people who are comparing this to another well-known adult novel that I'm not going to say for spoiler's sake, but thankfully I won't have to draw that comparison because...well, I haven't read that novel yet.
(Those of you who are fans of said novel can proceed to descend upon me with your harisens of choice. For the record though, I do plan on reading that novel eventually, and I've heard it was a beautiful one, though I think even among my reading circles, there's a division of opinions about its impact and theme.)
Comparisons aside, I went into this novel blind, not really knowing what to expect from it. From the get-go, I had so much trouble. First problem was the vague worldbuilding - I couldn't make head for tails what a Terminal was versus a Whole at first, only that I knew the protagonist was stuck in this controlled facility where other Terminals were contained within, separate from regular society. It's a dystopian realm, but it was EXTREMELY vague, dull and the emotional resonance seemed...off. I later found out why that was.
When you have a protagonist that's supposed to have awkward emotional resonance (or lack thereof) for whatever reason, that doesn't mean the narrative itself has to be dull, awkward, and emotionless. That's exactly the vice that "The Haven" commits throughout, and I don't think through the course of the story it got any better than where it started. By the time the narrative concluded, I wasn't really taken by either the collective cast of characters and their plights nor better informed for the world it established. I was terribly bored, lost within vague details, and even when the major revelation came about - it was really nothing new to me at all. Had no strong sentiments about it either way.
That is a really bad sign considering what this novel was trying to aim for, but I can't say because *spoilers*.
And it's meant to be a heavy revelation. I get that, but I didn't feel it - at all. If anything, I think I saw it coming mainly because I'm used to reading narratives like this in sci-fi where the measure crosses ethical/morality lines. Even for a YA work, I thought this was too watered down. It could've gone so much further than what it did.
Another problem with that particular revelation was that it took too long for the reveal. This book has pacing issues for the respective conflict as well the overarching plot. There was no reason why that revelation couldn't have come at a sooner point than what it did. I was tempted to DNF this several times because of just how slow it progressed. It was a little better once the twist was revealed, but not by that much, and in the end - I didn't feel like I came out of this novel with any kind of strong impressions. Not about the characters (whose names even now, I have a hard time remembering. I know Shiloh was the confused protagonist who just wanted to keep to herself and not risk herself to be any trouble, her friend was Abigail, the boys Daniel and Gideon were both seen to be trouble in Shiloh's eyes, etc.)
It's my first experience with reading Carol Lynch Williams, but it's not going to be the last time. I'm hoping that some of her other narratives strike me better. But I think this narrative, as a whole, missed its respective mark.
Overall score: 1/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher St. Martin's Press.
Haven't decided if this is going to be 1 or 1.5 stars.
Full review:
This is one of those times where I get what the narrative was trying to do, but felt it didn't execute the idea very well. I know there are some people who are comparing this to another well-known adult novel that I'm not going to say for spoiler's sake, but thankfully I won't have to draw that comparison because...well, I haven't read that novel yet.
(Those of you who are fans of said novel can proceed to descend upon me with your harisens of choice. For the record though, I do plan on reading that novel eventually, and I've heard it was a beautiful one, though I think even among my reading circles, there's a division of opinions about its impact and theme.)
Comparisons aside, I went into this novel blind, not really knowing what to expect from it. From the get-go, I had so much trouble. First problem was the vague worldbuilding - I couldn't make head for tails what a Terminal was versus a Whole at first, only that I knew the protagonist was stuck in this controlled facility where other Terminals were contained within, separate from regular society. It's a dystopian realm, but it was EXTREMELY vague, dull and the emotional resonance seemed...off. I later found out why that was.
When you have a protagonist that's supposed to have awkward emotional resonance (or lack thereof) for whatever reason, that doesn't mean the narrative itself has to be dull, awkward, and emotionless. That's exactly the vice that "The Haven" commits throughout, and I don't think through the course of the story it got any better than where it started. By the time the narrative concluded, I wasn't really taken by either the collective cast of characters and their plights nor better informed for the world it established. I was terribly bored, lost within vague details, and even when the major revelation came about - it was really nothing new to me at all. Had no strong sentiments about it either way.
That is a really bad sign considering what this novel was trying to aim for, but I can't say because *spoilers*.
And it's meant to be a heavy revelation. I get that, but I didn't feel it - at all. If anything, I think I saw it coming mainly because I'm used to reading narratives like this in sci-fi where the measure crosses ethical/morality lines. Even for a YA work, I thought this was too watered down. It could've gone so much further than what it did.
Another problem with that particular revelation was that it took too long for the reveal. This book has pacing issues for the respective conflict as well the overarching plot. There was no reason why that revelation couldn't have come at a sooner point than what it did. I was tempted to DNF this several times because of just how slow it progressed. It was a little better once the twist was revealed, but not by that much, and in the end - I didn't feel like I came out of this novel with any kind of strong impressions. Not about the characters (whose names even now, I have a hard time remembering. I know Shiloh was the confused protagonist who just wanted to keep to herself and not risk herself to be any trouble, her friend was Abigail, the boys Daniel and Gideon were both seen to be trouble in Shiloh's eyes, etc.)
It's my first experience with reading Carol Lynch Williams, but it's not going to be the last time. I'm hoping that some of her other narratives strike me better. But I think this narrative, as a whole, missed its respective mark.
Overall score: 1/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher St. Martin's Press.
August 14, 2017
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1.5/5 Stars
For Shiloh and her friends at The Haven Hospital & Halls, the outside world is a terrifying place. The Haven provides protection to Terminals who reside there after the Disease threatened their bodies. But when Shiloh begins to discover that things may not be as they seem, she plans to escape with the help of Gideon, Daniel and Abigail.
Although a very quick read, the story line was very predictable and there wasn't much of a plot. The world building was under developed and very vague. Half the time I wasn't 100% sure what was even going on. I didn't connect to any of the characters and didn't feel like I got to know them at all. The idea for the book was interesting, but I think it wasn't executed as well as it could have been.
1.5/5 Stars
For Shiloh and her friends at The Haven Hospital & Halls, the outside world is a terrifying place. The Haven provides protection to Terminals who reside there after the Disease threatened their bodies. But when Shiloh begins to discover that things may not be as they seem, she plans to escape with the help of Gideon, Daniel and Abigail.
Although a very quick read, the story line was very predictable and there wasn't much of a plot. The world building was under developed and very vague. Half the time I wasn't 100% sure what was even going on. I didn't connect to any of the characters and didn't feel like I got to know them at all. The idea for the book was interesting, but I think it wasn't executed as well as it could have been.
March 4, 2019
If The Hunger Games, the Uglies series, and Never Let Me Go had a baby, it would be this book. It’s a super cool concept, and Carol Lynch Williams does a decent job of tackling it. I just think there were a lot of themes that could’ve been given more time and attention if this were split into a series (I haven’t actually looked into it to see if this is a series...or at least two books). There was also a ton of telling, not showing, which can sometimes feel like the author underestimates the readers.
Ultimately, The Haven is an interesting book that I was able to tackle in a single night. While the topic is fascinating, it also feels like something we’ve already seen with Never Let Me Go. So if Never Let Me Go were for kids.
Ultimately, The Haven is an interesting book that I was able to tackle in a single night. While the topic is fascinating, it also feels like something we’ve already seen with Never Let Me Go. So if Never Let Me Go were for kids.
February 6, 2014
These type of reviews are so very hard to write, mainly because with a stunning cover and synopsis full of endless possibilities and so much promising hope, you never know what to say after you have read it and feel a little let down after the story is over.
I think like the synopsis, this story did have a whole lot of promise, but in reality it just ended up feeling disjointed, confusing and a little disorienting.
The Disease was never fully explained nor was the world building anything I hoped it would be. I think maybe if things would have been laid out and presented better and more detail and important information added, this really could have been a good read. But sadly, it was.
I really am not sure how to completely feel about it nor what to say other than maybe this just wasn't the read for me.
I think like the synopsis, this story did have a whole lot of promise, but in reality it just ended up feeling disjointed, confusing and a little disorienting.
The Disease was never fully explained nor was the world building anything I hoped it would be. I think maybe if things would have been laid out and presented better and more detail and important information added, this really could have been a good read. But sadly, it was.
I really am not sure how to completely feel about it nor what to say other than maybe this just wasn't the read for me.
Read
November 4, 2021This was A really good book and I recommend this book to 7th and 8th graders.
September 11, 2018
This is a powerful and emotional book about a a cruel hospital that keeps children locked away from the world and any sort of human experiences, after taking one of their body parts or organs for others to use. Haven Hospital is the only home they've ever known, and it doesn't match the saying "Home Sweet Home". Everything is strictly monitored; education, excercise, food and rest. And the rules are strict as well; female terminals (girls) cannot interact with male terminals (boys) and vice versa, they must take a tonic every night to help them sleep better (although all the tonic does is suck all the emotion out of your body), human contact like hugging or patting the back is not allowed and the strictest rule of all is is to NEVER go over the barrier wall to take a glimpse at the outside world.
Shiloh and Gideon are two unique terminals who want to break free from Haven Hospital to see and experience the real world, and real emotions.
I couldn't get myself to put the book down because of how amazing it was; so I really hope you enjoy it as well.
Shiloh and Gideon are two unique terminals who want to break free from Haven Hospital to see and experience the real world, and real emotions.
I couldn't get myself to put the book down because of how amazing it was; so I really hope you enjoy it as well.
March 29, 2014
I loved this book. This book is very similar to The island movie that was released in 2005. The main difference is that instead of adults in a controlled environment, it's children and teenagers. I loved Shiloh, she was very sweet and kind. You don't realize how bleak and boring her world is until she stops taking the tonic. She notices things like colours, smells, how much she's eating for lunch and breakfast and other things. When she does stop taking the tonic, you as a reader start noticing things that were foggy in the beginning. For example, you hear a lot of her friends talk in class and stuff, but without the tonic in her she notices friends missing limbs, and a boy who is blind. It's kind of scary for Shiloh because in the beginning she knew her friends were like this, i guess she just wasn't really "seeing" it. I really liked Abigail too, she was a very sweet friend to Shiloh, and she was curious and liked to sneak around. I thought the ending to the book was a bit fast but it ended nicely, with the hopes for a second book.
March 31, 2019
Full review to come on Monday.
February 27, 2014
Picture this...
You're snuggling down, getting cozy, ready to start reading that new book that you are really excited about and are hoping for a really great experience. Then you start it and it doesn't start out the way that you had anticipated. But you keep going, thinking hoping that it will get better. But it doesn't, and as you go it gets bad, really bad. This is what happened to me as I read The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams. I was excited to read this one. It sounded interesting and I was eager to step out of my comfort zone with The Haven. But I just did not enjoy this one at all.
The next bit is going to be a bit spoiler-y so beware.
Now in all fairness I only got sixty pages into this one before I gave up. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't stand the protagonist- Shiloh, I thought she as incredibly annoying. She had no spunk, she was scared and I get that, but I couldn't get passed it. She was to cautious and unwilling to take chances. I found that I need more in my main characters. They need to be independent and have a unique thought. In the pages that I read, I did not get this from Shiloh.
What really irritated me about The Haven, was the fact that it felt like a plot that had been done before. The whole thing was very much like the movie The Island (starring Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor), or the book Never Let Me go by Kazuo Ishiguro. For me, this novel did not feature an original idea- which would have been fine had it not been so painfully obvious. I knew what was happening ten pages in.
In the end I chose not to finish The Haven. I found that I had no desire to read it, and that meant that I didn't read at all. It took me a full week to read the first sixty pages and it totally put me in a slump.
I don't think that The Haven is a bad book, it just wasn't for me. I think it would be a great read for young readers, ages 10-12. I am not sure if that is the targeted audience, however, I think that's who should read it.
~Happy Reading Everyone!
Find this review and others at Just Another Story
You're snuggling down, getting cozy, ready to start reading that new book that you are really excited about and are hoping for a really great experience. Then you start it and it doesn't start out the way that you had anticipated. But you keep going, thinking hoping that it will get better. But it doesn't, and as you go it gets bad, really bad. This is what happened to me as I read The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams. I was excited to read this one. It sounded interesting and I was eager to step out of my comfort zone with The Haven. But I just did not enjoy this one at all.
The next bit is going to be a bit spoiler-y so beware.
Now in all fairness I only got sixty pages into this one before I gave up. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't stand the protagonist- Shiloh, I thought she as incredibly annoying. She had no spunk, she was scared and I get that, but I couldn't get passed it. She was to cautious and unwilling to take chances. I found that I need more in my main characters. They need to be independent and have a unique thought. In the pages that I read, I did not get this from Shiloh.
What really irritated me about The Haven, was the fact that it felt like a plot that had been done before. The whole thing was very much like the movie The Island (starring Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor), or the book Never Let Me go by Kazuo Ishiguro. For me, this novel did not feature an original idea- which would have been fine had it not been so painfully obvious. I knew what was happening ten pages in.
In the end I chose not to finish The Haven. I found that I had no desire to read it, and that meant that I didn't read at all. It took me a full week to read the first sixty pages and it totally put me in a slump.
I don't think that The Haven is a bad book, it just wasn't for me. I think it would be a great read for young readers, ages 10-12. I am not sure if that is the targeted audience, however, I think that's who should read it.
~Happy Reading Everyone!
Find this review and others at Just Another Story
January 3, 2015
This book starts off a little slow and quickly reminds you of a few movies and popular books that are out there. With that said, the plot does pick up, as Shiloh is introduced to Gideon, and carries you quickly through this one-sitting read.
Overall the storyline is predictable, but interesting enough to keep reading to confirm those suspicions. The main characters, Shiloh and Gideon, are likable but lack real depth and there's not enough background, feels or swoon to keep you emotionally attached as a reader. I think the book would've benefited from a straight third person narrative or duel point-of-views, in order to expose Gideon's back story since he's able recall more memories from the past than Shiloh. The same goes for the secondary characters, Daniel and Abigail, we just never really form an attachment to the duo.
World building... This is set in a future Earth world. However, there are some questions about what is and isn't available in the world vs. what's available at The Haven. The Haven itself is using a couple of advanced medical technologies yet we're not clear on the current electronic communications. At certain points bits are revealed but usually chapters too late.
As the plot moves on, betrayals are revealed along with surprise assistance for The Cause. These add some needed twists and turns, but are underdeveloped with a feeling of incompleteness as the novel comes to a close. With 224 pages, the ending is wrapped up quickly, almost too easily, and leaves questions behind.
I really did enjoy this book, despite my criticisms. Honestly, I was found wanting more answers as it ended. I can see this being more of a middle grade or early high school read. The simple plot and lower page count is better suited for the age group.
Overall the storyline is predictable, but interesting enough to keep reading to confirm those suspicions. The main characters, Shiloh and Gideon, are likable but lack real depth and there's not enough background, feels or swoon to keep you emotionally attached as a reader. I think the book would've benefited from a straight third person narrative or duel point-of-views, in order to expose Gideon's back story since he's able recall more memories from the past than Shiloh. The same goes for the secondary characters, Daniel and Abigail, we just never really form an attachment to the duo.
World building... This is set in a future Earth world. However, there are some questions about what is and isn't available in the world vs. what's available at The Haven. The Haven itself is using a couple of advanced medical technologies yet we're not clear on the current electronic communications. At certain points bits are revealed but usually chapters too late.
As the plot moves on, betrayals are revealed along with surprise assistance for The Cause. These add some needed twists and turns, but are underdeveloped with a feeling of incompleteness as the novel comes to a close. With 224 pages, the ending is wrapped up quickly, almost too easily, and leaves questions behind.
I really did enjoy this book, despite my criticisms. Honestly, I was found wanting more answers as it ended. I can see this being more of a middle grade or early high school read. The simple plot and lower page count is better suited for the age group.
March 22, 2014
I won this book in an ARC giveaway on Goodreads.
I want to start off by saying that yes this book has a very similar story line to other well known novels. However, I have not read any of those stories so I found the twist to be pretty interesting. I have read quite a reviews for this book that complain about the fact that the narration is disinterested and boring. THAT IS THE POINT OF THE NARRATION! Shiloh is under the heavy influence of Tonic which causes her to be boring. While that may not be the best way to start out novel, I thought that Carol Lynch Williams did a great job of making the narration more interesting and emotion filled as the Tonic worked its way out of Shiloh's body.
I thought Gideon was a very interesting character and i found myself rooting for Shiloh and Gideon from the start. Abigail and Daniel were good secondary characters but I really didn't develop any emotional attachment to them.
I was a little disappointed by the ending in that it felt rushed. There is an obvious opening for a second novel, but I felt like a revolution was about to begin and then there was no real start to it at all. yes, they escaped and they found Shiloh's home, but they never even had a conversation.
I gave this book four out of five stars because although it took me awhile to get into it (and over look the numerous typos) I was left wanting more. I wanted to continue the book and was mad that i ahd to put it down.
I want to start off by saying that yes this book has a very similar story line to other well known novels. However, I have not read any of those stories so I found the twist to be pretty interesting. I have read quite a reviews for this book that complain about the fact that the narration is disinterested and boring. THAT IS THE POINT OF THE NARRATION! Shiloh is under the heavy influence of Tonic which causes her to be boring. While that may not be the best way to start out novel, I thought that Carol Lynch Williams did a great job of making the narration more interesting and emotion filled as the Tonic worked its way out of Shiloh's body.
I thought Gideon was a very interesting character and i found myself rooting for Shiloh and Gideon from the start. Abigail and Daniel were good secondary characters but I really didn't develop any emotional attachment to them.
I was a little disappointed by the ending in that it felt rushed. There is an obvious opening for a second novel, but I felt like a revolution was about to begin and then there was no real start to it at all. yes, they escaped and they found Shiloh's home, but they never even had a conversation.
I gave this book four out of five stars because although it took me awhile to get into it (and over look the numerous typos) I was left wanting more. I wanted to continue the book and was mad that i ahd to put it down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2014
I won this book through the first reads giveaway. I started reading it last night and couldn't put it down. I have never read a book quite like this one. The characters were very well developed and you couldn't help but to care for them. I would recommend this book any YA fan. It will keep you guessing and on your toes. You won't be able to put it down.
March 24, 2018
This is a great book for tweens / young teenagers. It's never too young to start reading dystopian fiction. I enjoyed the story, but had the whole thing figured out within the first chapter....
September 9, 2016
For the teens at The Haven, the outside world, just beyond the towering stone wall that surrounds the premises, is a dangerous unknown. It has always been this way, ever since the hospital was established in the year 2020. But The Haven is more than just a hospital; it is their home. It is all they know. Everything is strictly monitored: education, exercise, food, and rest. The rules must be followed to keep the children healthy, to help control the Disease that has cast them as Terminals, the Disease that claims limbs and lungs—and memories. But Shiloh is different; she remembers everything. Gideon is different, too. He dreams of a cure, of rebellion against the status quo. What if everything they’ve been told is a lie? What if The Haven is not the safe place it claims to be? And what will happen if Shiloh starts asking dangerous questions?
Dystopia [dis-toh-pee-uh]; noun;
A society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.
(-Dictionary.com)
Dystopian novels are notorious for the angst and anxiety in the characters and their world. Dystopians are not pleasant and light-hearted. In fact, a majority of the conclusions in dystopians result in tears and Tumblr posts stacked with gifs portraying sobbing readers. But hey, that’s what dystopians are for! Those being said, consider The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams a breath of fresh air. Short, lighter weight and an enjoyable read, it is an immediate contrast to a majority of YA dystopians on the shelves today.
Written in first person, the book is the record of Shiloh, a girl living in Haven Hospital & Halls and unknowing fallacy. She is a Terminal, one affected by the Disease that claims limbs, organs, and memories. However, Shiloh has her memories intact. At first, she is timid, obedient, restrained, and scared. She is unsure of herself, of what to think, and she doesn’t have it all figured out. I immediately empathized with her, because when a character has imperfections it is natural to admire and support them. I grew to love Shiloh more as her character grew; she developed a personality, became self-reliant, experienced emotions, and in the end she embraced her humanity and soul completely. Shiloh went from questioning what “face contortions”, laughing, crying, and kissing were to adopting those common passionate human actions.
Along the journey, we have Abigail, Shiloh’s best friend. If it wasn’t for Abigail, Shiloh would have never stopped taking the Tonic that suppressed her humanity. She would never have developed any emotions or understanding of what makes you human. They look out for each other. I found the story of them boosting each other and peering over the wall to see what was beyond profound. It showed how deep their friendship was and how alike they were. I appreciated that Williams included some backstories to make a stronger impact on the book.
Another great character is Gideon. Gideon is Terminal who secretly refuses the Tonic, resulting in his divergence from the others. He is honest, sincere, and sweet to Shiloh, which eventually leads to their flourishing romance. I loved the role he played into making Shiloh break free. He made her question everything she believed, “right, because if we loved each other, we might fight back”. She experienced new sensations when with him, “I had never been touched like this” “I never felt this way” especially when they first kissed “But this was not getting your life sucked from you. My legs turned to oil and I had a hard time standing. I needed to lean into Gideon”. Gideon played a major part in Shiloh’s transformation.
Aside from the incredible central characters, I valued the writing. The writing was smooth and flowed nicely with the story. Although, I felt that the ending was too abrupt. At first, the book can be confusing; I had to hang in there for a bit before I grasped the world and the concept. Moreover, I feel that there were some holes in the story and aspects to the plot that weren’t explained thoroughly and the world felt a tad under-developed. However, what was explained well I understood and thought were unique and intriguing ideas. In the end, I could piece the whole thing together to see the bigger picture.
Symbolisms: (Maybe the curtains were blue, or maybe they were the physical emblem of the character’s sorrow and misery in the darkest period of their life and they used it to block away any hope and brightness from the outside world.)
The seasons- the book starts in the winter, a lethargic period with no life, energy, or emotion, Shiloh is incapable of comprehending beauty or sentiment at this time, just like winter. She is soulless and empty like winter. As the season and book progresses, winter wanes and spring draws near, dormant life is sprouting. Shiloh’s emotions fully awaken and appreciate spring’s beauty. The book ends with the warm seasons in full sway and her character has fully developed with the thriving blooms of summer.
The Tonic- the Tonic is the color red. Red often signifies energy, strength, determination, passion, and love. Ironically, the Tonic suppresses all of these emotions when a Terminal takes it. “The Tonic kept shades over my eyes so I couldn’t see”. The Tonic is responsible for all of the Terminals detached personalities, they passively ingest it to stop them from dreaming, to change their memories, and to mute their emotions.
I truly enjoyed this book, from the writing, the characters, and the idea. I prefer it to remain a stand-alone, the author did a decent job in resolving the story, although I do still have questions. Although short, the book held a lot of depth and was truly a moving story that one will remember as that rare, mild, dystopian.
Dystopia [dis-toh-pee-uh]; noun;
A society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.
(-Dictionary.com)
Dystopian novels are notorious for the angst and anxiety in the characters and their world. Dystopians are not pleasant and light-hearted. In fact, a majority of the conclusions in dystopians result in tears and Tumblr posts stacked with gifs portraying sobbing readers. But hey, that’s what dystopians are for! Those being said, consider The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams a breath of fresh air. Short, lighter weight and an enjoyable read, it is an immediate contrast to a majority of YA dystopians on the shelves today.
Written in first person, the book is the record of Shiloh, a girl living in Haven Hospital & Halls and unknowing fallacy. She is a Terminal, one affected by the Disease that claims limbs, organs, and memories. However, Shiloh has her memories intact. At first, she is timid, obedient, restrained, and scared. She is unsure of herself, of what to think, and she doesn’t have it all figured out. I immediately empathized with her, because when a character has imperfections it is natural to admire and support them. I grew to love Shiloh more as her character grew; she developed a personality, became self-reliant, experienced emotions, and in the end she embraced her humanity and soul completely. Shiloh went from questioning what “face contortions”, laughing, crying, and kissing were to adopting those common passionate human actions.
Along the journey, we have Abigail, Shiloh’s best friend. If it wasn’t for Abigail, Shiloh would have never stopped taking the Tonic that suppressed her humanity. She would never have developed any emotions or understanding of what makes you human. They look out for each other. I found the story of them boosting each other and peering over the wall to see what was beyond profound. It showed how deep their friendship was and how alike they were. I appreciated that Williams included some backstories to make a stronger impact on the book.
Another great character is Gideon. Gideon is Terminal who secretly refuses the Tonic, resulting in his divergence from the others. He is honest, sincere, and sweet to Shiloh, which eventually leads to their flourishing romance. I loved the role he played into making Shiloh break free. He made her question everything she believed, “right, because if we loved each other, we might fight back”. She experienced new sensations when with him, “I had never been touched like this” “I never felt this way” especially when they first kissed “But this was not getting your life sucked from you. My legs turned to oil and I had a hard time standing. I needed to lean into Gideon”. Gideon played a major part in Shiloh’s transformation.
Aside from the incredible central characters, I valued the writing. The writing was smooth and flowed nicely with the story. Although, I felt that the ending was too abrupt. At first, the book can be confusing; I had to hang in there for a bit before I grasped the world and the concept. Moreover, I feel that there were some holes in the story and aspects to the plot that weren’t explained thoroughly and the world felt a tad under-developed. However, what was explained well I understood and thought were unique and intriguing ideas. In the end, I could piece the whole thing together to see the bigger picture.
Symbolisms: (Maybe the curtains were blue, or maybe they were the physical emblem of the character’s sorrow and misery in the darkest period of their life and they used it to block away any hope and brightness from the outside world.)
The seasons- the book starts in the winter, a lethargic period with no life, energy, or emotion, Shiloh is incapable of comprehending beauty or sentiment at this time, just like winter. She is soulless and empty like winter. As the season and book progresses, winter wanes and spring draws near, dormant life is sprouting. Shiloh’s emotions fully awaken and appreciate spring’s beauty. The book ends with the warm seasons in full sway and her character has fully developed with the thriving blooms of summer.
The Tonic- the Tonic is the color red. Red often signifies energy, strength, determination, passion, and love. Ironically, the Tonic suppresses all of these emotions when a Terminal takes it. “The Tonic kept shades over my eyes so I couldn’t see”. The Tonic is responsible for all of the Terminals detached personalities, they passively ingest it to stop them from dreaming, to change their memories, and to mute their emotions.
I truly enjoyed this book, from the writing, the characters, and the idea. I prefer it to remain a stand-alone, the author did a decent job in resolving the story, although I do still have questions. Although short, the book held a lot of depth and was truly a moving story that one will remember as that rare, mild, dystopian.
June 9, 2017
I purchased Haven at the same time as Silver, and I honestly think Haven is even better. Rather than horror and suspense, Haven builds tension through mystery. Rather than throwing off the curtain all at once, small pieces of the truth are revealed in bits. This, in my opinion, is a better way to do plot twists. While shocking reveals can work sometimes, like in The Empire Strikes Back, I personally prefer letting the reader figure out what's going on and then confirming their suspicions. All in all, I certainly enjoyed Haven, and would recommend it.
May 9, 2020
It was good...in parts. The premise was interesting enough, though anything that is remotely resembling a "medical thriller" is a bit too gruesome. And while in this case, the plot wasn't "gruesome" , it still made me a bit queasy at the idea of replacing body parts with those of clones.
July 29, 2014
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: This book was enjoyable and fast-paced but overall not my style.
Opening Sentence: They came during lunch.
The Review:
In Haven Hospital, strange things are happening. When people are brought out of lunches, they come back without limbs. Every morning and night they drink a tonic. And everyone moves in slow, monotonous steps. But Shiloh is waking up, and the truth will be so horrible she might wish to be stupid and unknowing once again.
The Haven was an extremely quick read for me, so this will probably be a very short review. I’m first going to talk about the characters. Shiloh, at first, made me cringe. She was a stickler to the rules and was in pain so much of the time I was irritated. As the book progressed she developed, becoming braver, and the reason she had been so annoyingly pained became apparent. Since the story was very fast-paced, it started off running and she met the love interest within chapters. I was not a fan of the romance. The guy came on too strong, and it was almost creepy at the insta-love he seemed to have aquired for her. Some of the smaller characters like her friend Abigail had more charm and I did really enjoy the teacher at Haven Hopsital.
The things they did at the hospital were seriously messed up. The idea held an eerie fascination in my mind, helping me to speed through the book. The plot was original and unique. When I started this with the synopsis in mind I was wary — it sounded like many other books. And while I can find similarities, I was pleased with the originality of The Haven.
The sudden twist at the end didn’t really affect me much. The characters weren’t very relatable, which made sense considering they were in an entirely different situation, but I still couldn’t connect. I didn’t care much what happened to certain characters and didn’t feel much emotion. I think it’s the shortness of the story that made me not really connect, considering I didn’t get enough time with them. 200 pages is not much and 200 pages is what I got with somewhat bigger print.
For some reason this book, while exciting and hooking me almost immediately, wasn’t my cup of tea. Maybe it was the writing style. It was dark and interesting but any imagery was brief. Sometimes I would be reading fast and miss one sentence, then have to reread the whole page to find when something happened. Maybe it was the characters, who were entirely unrelatable, or the shortness of the novel overall. Whatever it was I was left with an overall “eh” feeling and it took me a long time to write this review because of my lack of things to say. I will give it this, The Haven is a cool idea that is so much more exciting than the synopsis implies. The science stuff could have been explained more thoroughly but the idea of what was being done was really surprising.
Notable Scene:
“So here it is. If you’re not obediant-” Principal Harrison tapped on the desk again, his face that grotesque contortion. “-we take matters into our own hands. Is that clear?”
Something cool slid over my skin.
FTC Advisory: St. Martin’s Griffin/Macmillan provided me with a copy of The Haven. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: This book was enjoyable and fast-paced but overall not my style.
Opening Sentence: They came during lunch.
The Review:
In Haven Hospital, strange things are happening. When people are brought out of lunches, they come back without limbs. Every morning and night they drink a tonic. And everyone moves in slow, monotonous steps. But Shiloh is waking up, and the truth will be so horrible she might wish to be stupid and unknowing once again.
The Haven was an extremely quick read for me, so this will probably be a very short review. I’m first going to talk about the characters. Shiloh, at first, made me cringe. She was a stickler to the rules and was in pain so much of the time I was irritated. As the book progressed she developed, becoming braver, and the reason she had been so annoyingly pained became apparent. Since the story was very fast-paced, it started off running and she met the love interest within chapters. I was not a fan of the romance. The guy came on too strong, and it was almost creepy at the insta-love he seemed to have aquired for her. Some of the smaller characters like her friend Abigail had more charm and I did really enjoy the teacher at Haven Hopsital.
The things they did at the hospital were seriously messed up. The idea held an eerie fascination in my mind, helping me to speed through the book. The plot was original and unique. When I started this with the synopsis in mind I was wary — it sounded like many other books. And while I can find similarities, I was pleased with the originality of The Haven.
The sudden twist at the end didn’t really affect me much. The characters weren’t very relatable, which made sense considering they were in an entirely different situation, but I still couldn’t connect. I didn’t care much what happened to certain characters and didn’t feel much emotion. I think it’s the shortness of the story that made me not really connect, considering I didn’t get enough time with them. 200 pages is not much and 200 pages is what I got with somewhat bigger print.
For some reason this book, while exciting and hooking me almost immediately, wasn’t my cup of tea. Maybe it was the writing style. It was dark and interesting but any imagery was brief. Sometimes I would be reading fast and miss one sentence, then have to reread the whole page to find when something happened. Maybe it was the characters, who were entirely unrelatable, or the shortness of the novel overall. Whatever it was I was left with an overall “eh” feeling and it took me a long time to write this review because of my lack of things to say. I will give it this, The Haven is a cool idea that is so much more exciting than the synopsis implies. The science stuff could have been explained more thoroughly but the idea of what was being done was really surprising.
Notable Scene:
“So here it is. If you’re not obediant-” Principal Harrison tapped on the desk again, his face that grotesque contortion. “-we take matters into our own hands. Is that clear?”
Something cool slid over my skin.
FTC Advisory: St. Martin’s Griffin/Macmillan provided me with a copy of The Haven. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
December 26, 2014
I liked the story better when it was Parts: The Clonus Horror..
I had joked about the Divergent series being similar to that movie, but The Haven is on a completely different level of similar.
I've seen a lot of people comparing it to The Island (a 2005 Michael Bay movie), but even The Island was a rip-off of Clonus. People aren't going far enough back in their comparisons, here.
There was a huge copyright infringement law suit over the similarities between the two movies, where DreamWorks ended up settling with the company that produced Clonus.
The only major difference between Clonus and The Haven is that The Haven contains at least 50% more teenage angst.
I don't feel like putting together coherent sentences about this book at the moment. Instead, please enjoy a list of similar plot points/themes between Clonus and The Haven:
- isolated "school" setting near a city
- "students" are not told the truth about the outside world, and are instead given doctored versions of pre-existing texts and films
- males and females are kept separate from each other
- "students" are pulled away from the rest (in Clonus, they "graduate", in Haven, they're "sick" and need to be saved from an imagined disease), and in most cases are never seen again
- male starts talking to female against the rules
- male realizes that the things the instructors have told them don't quite add up, and that there's something going on
- male finds information on the outside world
- male tells female about his discoveries, and he's determined to run away
- "school" is not really a school, but is a clone farm where wealthy people can have copies of themselves created and raised to help keep the "donor" healthy
- clones are (understandably) horrified to find out they are being farmed for parts
- "donor" of male refuses to let his clone die to keep him healthy
- large, overlaying plot line of political debate over the morality of harvesting organs from clones/whether or not clones count as human beings
There were absolutely no surprises in this book for me.
I don't usually put in this many spoilers, and I don't usually like to hide my reviews because of them, but I just had to get all of that off my chest.
The only reason I gave this book 2 stars instead of 1 was because the book wasn't horribly written, and there were the occasional ideas to separate the two stories, like the idea of the Tonic.
Hmmm...I wonder if shelving this book as "send in the clones" would be considered a spoiler, or ironic...
Screw it. I'm gonna do it.
I had joked about the Divergent series being similar to that movie, but The Haven is on a completely different level of similar.
I've seen a lot of people comparing it to The Island (a 2005 Michael Bay movie), but even The Island was a rip-off of Clonus. People aren't going far enough back in their comparisons, here.
There was a huge copyright infringement law suit over the similarities between the two movies, where DreamWorks ended up settling with the company that produced Clonus.
The only major difference between Clonus and The Haven is that The Haven contains at least 50% more teenage angst.
I don't feel like putting together coherent sentences about this book at the moment. Instead, please enjoy a list of similar plot points/themes between Clonus and The Haven:
- isolated "school" setting near a city
- "students" are not told the truth about the outside world, and are instead given doctored versions of pre-existing texts and films
- males and females are kept separate from each other
- "students" are pulled away from the rest (in Clonus, they "graduate", in Haven, they're "sick" and need to be saved from an imagined disease), and in most cases are never seen again
- male starts talking to female against the rules
- male realizes that the things the instructors have told them don't quite add up, and that there's something going on
- male finds information on the outside world
- male tells female about his discoveries, and he's determined to run away
- "school" is not really a school, but is a clone farm where wealthy people can have copies of themselves created and raised to help keep the "donor" healthy
- clones are (understandably) horrified to find out they are being farmed for parts
- "donor" of male refuses to let his clone die to keep him healthy
- large, overlaying plot line of political debate over the morality of harvesting organs from clones/whether or not clones count as human beings
There were absolutely no surprises in this book for me.
I don't usually put in this many spoilers, and I don't usually like to hide my reviews because of them, but I just had to get all of that off my chest.
The only reason I gave this book 2 stars instead of 1 was because the book wasn't horribly written, and there were the occasional ideas to separate the two stories, like the idea of the Tonic.
Hmmm...I wonder if shelving this book as "send in the clones" would be considered a spoiler, or ironic...
Screw it. I'm gonna do it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2017
I read the book The Haven by Carol Lynch Schroeder. Overall, I thought this was a good book. It was hard to get into it at the beginning, but towards the ending I could not stop reading. This book revolved around a big mystery. The author wrote in a way that made the story very interesting.
Plot
This book was about teenagers who lived in a hospital named The Haven. Everything that the kids did was monitored by the adults. They had to eat a full plate for every meal. The kids could not talk to people of the opposite gender. They had to take a certain medicine multiple times a day. Every day someone got taken away for surgery. When they came back, they had a missing limb or organ. The patients would not remember anything that had happened before their surgery. Everyone at the hospital had a special gift. Shiloh remembered everything that had happened in her life. A few kids, including Shiloh, started a group where they talked about how they could run away. Shiloh had to decide whether she wanted to leave or stay, and continue living her life at the Haven.
Characterization
Shiloh was one of the main characters. She had a special gift that allowed her to remember everything that had happened in the past. In the beginning of the book, Shiloh was exactly what the hospital wanted her to be. She stayed away from boys like she was supposed to. She also took her medicine every day. Towards the end, Shiloh stopped taking her medicine and started talking to boys.
Setting
Most of this book took place in The Haven Hospital. This hospital was important to the story, because if it had taken place anywhere else the story would not work. This book took place in the year 2020, because that is what the book said. I could also tell because of all the advanced technology mentioned in the book.
Recommendation
I think both boys girls would enjoy this book, because it has a little for both genders. There’s some violence for the boys and a little romance for the girls. This book contains a mystery that would be fun for boys and girls. Students in middle school could read this book, since it did not contain any swearing or mature content.
Plot
This book was about teenagers who lived in a hospital named The Haven. Everything that the kids did was monitored by the adults. They had to eat a full plate for every meal. The kids could not talk to people of the opposite gender. They had to take a certain medicine multiple times a day. Every day someone got taken away for surgery. When they came back, they had a missing limb or organ. The patients would not remember anything that had happened before their surgery. Everyone at the hospital had a special gift. Shiloh remembered everything that had happened in her life. A few kids, including Shiloh, started a group where they talked about how they could run away. Shiloh had to decide whether she wanted to leave or stay, and continue living her life at the Haven.
Characterization
Shiloh was one of the main characters. She had a special gift that allowed her to remember everything that had happened in the past. In the beginning of the book, Shiloh was exactly what the hospital wanted her to be. She stayed away from boys like she was supposed to. She also took her medicine every day. Towards the end, Shiloh stopped taking her medicine and started talking to boys.
Setting
Most of this book took place in The Haven Hospital. This hospital was important to the story, because if it had taken place anywhere else the story would not work. This book took place in the year 2020, because that is what the book said. I could also tell because of all the advanced technology mentioned in the book.
Recommendation
I think both boys girls would enjoy this book, because it has a little for both genders. There’s some violence for the boys and a little romance for the girls. This book contains a mystery that would be fun for boys and girls. Students in middle school could read this book, since it did not contain any swearing or mature content.
March 4, 2014
The Haven was established in 2020 to protect Terminals from the Disease. This hospital with its walls and routines shields the children and teens inside from the unknown world outside. Regular tests and daily tonics is all that keeps these children healthy. But they still loose limbs, lungs and other parts and only Shiloh can seem to keep memories. She hides this secret from the doctors and teachers, because she is afraid the Disease may claim her next. When her only friend and a boy named Gideon invite her to help search for a cure, Shiloh must decide will she go against the only routines she has known to possibly leave the Haven and beat the Disease. Is the Haven really a safe place? What are they actually protecting with the walls?
The Haven is a story from the not so distant future where science and medicine continue to be at odds with ethics and morality. Without giving away any secrets about the story it is hard to discuss the true depth of this book. Williams is able to take this currently dicey topic, throw it in the future and bring it to teens and adults in a way that will make readers question their own ideas and values. Since the science and medicine discussed in this book is not too far advanced from current science, it is truly possible to conceive of this story taking place in our lifetime. The Haven is a great science fiction story that will have the reader enjoying a touch of romance, relationship issues and questioning what history has been twisted for the Terminals to study. I highly recommend this book to readers even if science fiction isn’t their usual genre.
The Haven is a story from the not so distant future where science and medicine continue to be at odds with ethics and morality. Without giving away any secrets about the story it is hard to discuss the true depth of this book. Williams is able to take this currently dicey topic, throw it in the future and bring it to teens and adults in a way that will make readers question their own ideas and values. Since the science and medicine discussed in this book is not too far advanced from current science, it is truly possible to conceive of this story taking place in our lifetime. The Haven is a great science fiction story that will have the reader enjoying a touch of romance, relationship issues and questioning what history has been twisted for the Terminals to study. I highly recommend this book to readers even if science fiction isn’t their usual genre.
March 23, 2014
(I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway).
Honestly, I understand that this is an advanced copy and not the final product but I would have rated the book higher if it was not absolutely riddled with grammatical errors. There were probably an average of three a page. The other criticisms of this book I can understand. Yes, this book is extremely similar to...
Honestly, I understand that this is an advanced copy and not the final product but I would have rated the book higher if it was not absolutely riddled with grammatical errors. There were probably an average of three a page. The other criticisms of this book I can understand. Yes, this book is extremely similar to...
July 14, 2015
This is a world of Terminals (apparently ill young people kept in hospital-like facilities) versus Wholes (us). The whys and whats of the Terminals is a mystery throughout the first 100 pages. This fact should have made the story a page turner; however, the Terminals have no personality, no friendships. They just exist and follow orders. So, as much as I wanted to know what the deal was, I could only read a few pages at a time because I was so bored. This 200 page book should have been a two-hour read for me - it took 4 hours. As some of the Terminals band together and begin to fight, the story becomes more interesting, but most teens aren't going to make it to page 100. It's too bad. This was a good premise, good writing (I loved the two other books by Carol Lynch Williams I've read). I plan to give The Haven to a few readers who enjoyed Unwind to see what they think, but it's a nope for Gateway.
August 27, 2016
2.5 stars.
The writing:
Terrible Decent Fantastic
<------------------------------------------>
Haven
Haven comes just a few needles behind decent. The writing wasn't...the best, but it wasn't great, either. I've read books like this before, but I just..felt like this one was super messy. The plot was...OK, I have to say it. The plot was terrible. The reactions were so Fake. Gr.
Anyway, it just wasn't the best book. Like, come on Violet, STOP MOPING ABOUT AIDAN. PLEASe, gimme a break. I don't think she did anything but think about Aidan, mope about Aidan or meet with Aidan. I don't even understand how her friends LIKED HHER SHE WAS SO IUBFULHBDL ANNOYING
Boring? Check. Bland? Check. Aidan-itis (obsess over guy named Aidan, cry over guy named Aidan, nonstop) CHECK.
Aidan, Aidan..
So many plotholes, by the way. This just wasn't for me.
The writing:
Terrible Decent Fantastic
<------------------------------------------>
Haven
Haven comes just a few needles behind decent. The writing wasn't...the best, but it wasn't great, either. I've read books like this before, but I just..felt like this one was super messy. The plot was...OK, I have to say it. The plot was terrible. The reactions were so Fake. Gr.
Anyway, it just wasn't the best book. Like, come on Violet, STOP MOPING ABOUT AIDAN. PLEASe, gimme a break. I don't think she did anything but think about Aidan, mope about Aidan or meet with Aidan. I don't even understand how her friends LIKED HHER SHE WAS SO IUBFULHBDL ANNOYING
Boring? Check. Bland? Check. Aidan-itis (obsess over guy named Aidan, cry over guy named Aidan, nonstop) CHECK.
Aidan, Aidan..
So many plotholes, by the way. This just wasn't for me.
December 17, 2017
This book was very mysterious and interesting. It had me hooked on from the very start. I liked the characters and the plot, but the writing was fairly dull. I was very curious to know what happens at Haven hospital and halls, but I think it could have been portrayed better. What I mean by that is, it should've had some more story behind why Dr.King did what he did. I also thought the book could've had a better ending to it. Like what happens in hindsight when Shiloh meets her family? What happens to Abigail and Daniel? What happens to the other Terminals? Why did Dr.King let them leave so easily? I have all these questions that need to be answered!!! I personally don't think I would recommend this book to anyone 😕
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2014
This is one of those books that will require patience from its reader. I was immediately drawn into the story, but I wasn't sure what was going on.
While Haven was obviously sinister and I didn't trust any of the adults (and, if we're being honest, most of the students), I wasn't sure exactly what was going on and what was happening to the students.
This had absolutely perfect pacing. I never got bored and I didn't figure out what was going on before the main character.
This is one of those books that's perfect for a winter evening or for Halloween (if you can wait that long). It's creepy, but it's not too scary.
Recommended.
While Haven was obviously sinister and I didn't trust any of the adults (and, if we're being honest, most of the students), I wasn't sure exactly what was going on and what was happening to the students.
This had absolutely perfect pacing. I never got bored and I didn't figure out what was going on before the main character.
This is one of those books that's perfect for a winter evening or for Halloween (if you can wait that long). It's creepy, but it's not too scary.
Recommended.
November 30, 2015
The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams was about a "Terminal" named Shiloh who lives in a hospital to stay away from the outside world. At Haven Hospital and Halls terminals do everything they need to to stay healthy. Shiloh remembers everything but Haven Hospital takes her memories away to keep her safe. Shiloh and her best friend Abigail start thinking about the world outside if Haven Hospital and it gets both of them in trouble. After meeting Daniel and Gideon Shiloh starts to think everything the Haven Hospital says and does is a lie. Is the Hospital what it seems to be? if you liked this book you will also like Dark Days by Kate Ormand.
February 11, 2014
Rating - 2.5 I've read a couple very very similar books which didn't bother me since it's a fascinating premise each time it's done. However, The Haven was not quite as cohesive as those others and I was disappointed by the often jumbled and confusing plot and inconsistent characterization, especially nearer to the end. I actually really enjoyed the story but the execution fell short of what it could have been.
October 23, 2013
I'm really not sure what to think of this book, mostly because I also think it was much too short.
Proper review to come closer to release.
Proper review to come closer to release.
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