Book Review: The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams

Title: The Haven
Author: Carol Lynch Williams
Series/Novel: Novel
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Pages: 224
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Year Published: 2014


"For the teens of Haven Hospital and Halls, the outside world, just beyond the towering stone wall that surronds the premises, is a dangerous unknown. It has always been this way, ever since the hospital was established in 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 Shilah starts asking dangerous questions?"

My Rating: 2.5/5

Why is this rating so low Sidny? Because it was a good premise but not well executed. I read alot of dystopian. I know what I like and this book just wasn't meant for me. I found it hard to pay attention and while it was a short I had a lot of trouble reading it. It was supposed to be a quick read but took longer to read then other longer books I had read this month. I hope to read more books like this just written a bit differently with characters i found more interesting. This being said the setting in this series was interesting to me I just wanted more from what I thought I was going to be reading. I wouldn't really suggest this book to anyone, but if anyone probably someone younger than me. So under 21.

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny

Spoiler: The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams

I found that this book was interesting in premise but didn't follow through with the way it was written. I wasn't ok with how like The Island this was. I also wasn't ok with the use of characters or the lack of knowledge about the outside world. Although we know some things about the world based on the internet I just felt no connection to anything. I was interested in the idea of clones, but just disappointed. I did enjoy the slight things throughout the book based on literature and the learning that the Terminals have about things of the Whole. I also thought that that was an interesting premise. Ps what's in the Tonic????

Characters:
Shiloh: She's so strung out on the Tonic that I couldn't relate to her, but I thought it was really interesting how she observed the Terminals after. How she noticed things around her and the way they were being used. Also that she had an out of body experience.

Gideon: I found him hard to trust near the end especially because I found that he was too close with Dr. King.  I also think that it was weird how he stepped away with Ann. I was confused. 

Abigail: She's so strong and I wonder what happens to her.

Daniel: Screw you!

Dr. King: And also you! I understand that he has a God complex. It's scary to think that this could happen and that he honestly seemed to think that he was doing the right thing. I wish that I didn't think it was a possibility, but....

Final Line: "She opened her arms to me."

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny