Haven,

I rented this DVD because it said on the back that it was made by the “same team” that brought us Crash. Since Crash has been one of my all-time favorites, I thought I would be treated to the same level of intelligence and excellency – not!

This is basically a 115 minute hip-hop music video with almost a “guest appearance” by Bill Paxton. If Haven was an entry in a camera proficiencies contest it might have won a “Golden Handheld Camera” award. But thousands of smart close-ups, an out-of-breath editing and a gorgeous island a movie do not make.

The story is mind bogglingly simple and trite. Two con artists (in Florida?) evade the feds and jump to the Cayman Islands. Bill Paxton is one of the bad guys who takes to the island his teenage daughter and an obscene amount of cash wrapped around his body.

At that point, the plot snaps and we are introduced a wholly new set of characters consisting of a poor fisherman kid, a beauteous black girl (with strong resemblance to Thandie Newton of Crash) who comes from an upper class family and her jealous brother who would stop at not one thing to stop his sister’s affair with the working-class kid from the defective side of the marina.

This “Caribbean Romeo and Juliet” theme is smothered beneath layer upon layer of drugs, booze, endless partying around swimming pools where everything goes, a lot of cussing and cursing and posturing by an army of preening bling-bling gangstas with too much testosterone for their own good… going round and round in endless wash cycles.

And what happens to the Bill Saxton reputation and her daughter? I think at a heap of point he finds himself at the receiving end of a handgun and agrees to share with his cash.

And the Romeo kid who loves the Juliet girl has a bad thing take place to him yet at the end both main characters have a Socratic conversion and disown all drugs and violence.

So we are left there twisting in the balmy trade winds with no closure in sight but the music keeps blaring in the background if that’s any consolation at all.

I have a feeling, long after the discerning film lovers got up in the middle of this Crash-impersonator and went home, the Haven’s crew were still partying at the Caymans.

Haven

Violet McKenna isn’t a normal girl with normal teenage issues; she has more to contend with than most people could handle. Violet thought she was just crazy when she had a bright imagination of her dad’s murder. Her life started falling isolated when her premonition came true. She’s had flashes of other events too. The problem was not a single soul believed her until she found a new school: Winterhaven.

At Winterhaven, Violet at long last feels like she belongs. She quickly finds a close group friends and discovers that they too have psychic ‘gifts’—as do all the students at Winterhaven. But as soon as she feels settled she discovers the most intriguing and alluring boy she has ever met, and things quickly go awry. As the attraction amid them grows, intense visions of the boy’s death get started to haunt her. In her premonitions the mystery he is unwilling to percentage begins to disclose itself. And to Violet’s horror, she learns that their destinies are intertwined in a critical–and deadly–way.

From BooklistViolet has never fit in—she is the weird girl who has seizures. Only she knows that the seizures are genuinely psychic visions, always violent and always with regards to someone she loves. Now, for the duration of her junior year, she has an chance to commence fresh, and fit in, at Winterhaven, a boarding school in New York where every one has psychic abilities. There she makes new friends, and the cutest guy at the school, Aidan, seems fascinated by her. But then the visions reappear, and this time she sees Aidan in a pool of blood, apparently killed by Violet herself. Cook’s firstborn YA novel reads like a blend of the Gemma Doyle trilogy, the Twilight saga, and Lois Duncan’s thrillers, and it will find a wide audience amid female fans of gothic novels. With a brooding, almost hypnotic atmosphere, the story’s pace is relentless. Even though the reader many times figures out the truth (especially Aidan’s being a vampire) long before Violet does, these discoveries will not take away from the tale’s appeal. Grades 9-12. –Melissa Moore

Review”Cook’s initial YA novel reads like a blend of the Gemma Doyle trilogy, the Twilight saga, and Lois Duncan’s thrillers, and it will find a wide audience amidst female fans of gothic novels” –Booklist

“If you’re looking for a freshening and distinguishable paranormal read, look no further because Haven is the book for you. Filled with interesting plot lines, well-developed, relatable characters, and a swoon-worthy romance, this a book that manages to have it all and more!” –Lauren, goodreads.com

“Haven is a riveting, exhilarating and spectacular new story from a promising debut author that I couldn’t get sufficient of. Days after finishing the book, I still can’t get these characters out of my head. Haven is a book I will read again and again!” –bookscompleteme.com

“Seriously sexy… Hand this one to fans of Gray’s likewise themed Evernight and to all the girls who have broken the bindings on their Twilight books.”–Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“I love love love loved this book. I was hooked from page one. I’d give it 6 out of 5 stars! Haven is a definitive MUST READ and a GOOD CHOICE for READING!” –Wanda, goodchoicereading.com

“X-Men meet’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Twilight… had me hooked, and left me wanting more.

Haven was the perfective mixture of mystery, romance and paranormal. If you’re a Twilight fan, or a Buffy fan, then you’ll love this book. “

–Christy, thereaderbee.com

“With a fast-paced plot line, without disruption unfolding drama, a bit of romantic anticipation and a few well-timed twists, Haven is bound to be a favorite.” –New York Journal of Books

“The pacing and structure of this book are extraordinarily good. The suspense builds and the action gets more intense, as does the anticipation of the development of the kinship amid the main characters.

For me, this is a perfective marriage of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight and Lauren Kate’s Fallen. This book has all our favored qualities, all in one lovely, satisfying package.

Anyone who likes YA paranormal needs to read this. Seriously- now. Go get it.”

–Paula, readinglark.blogspot.com

About the AuthorKristi Cook writes adult novels for Zebra (as Kristina Cook), including To Love a Scoundrel, Unveiled, Unlaced, and Undressed. She likewise writes for Harlequin adult (as Kristi Astor), including A Midnight Clear and Winter’s Desire. Kristi lives in Riverdale, NY. Find her online at kristinacook.com.

Haven Pic

Haven Image

Haven Photo

Haven Picture

Most helpful client reviews

7 of 7 humans found the following review helpful.
Cover doesn’t do the novel justice
By Heather
I almost didn’t read this book because of the cover. The cover gods did not smile on Kristi Cook’s debut novel. But, thankfully, she didn’t need it. Bit’s and pieces of this novel reminded me of dissimilar parts of other books, but it was distinctive in it’s own way. I could see where persons could see where it reminded them of Twilight, but only slightly. Or possibly Fallen. Sort of. It reminded me most of the Eternal Ones. But even so, there was a spun on that, something I’ve never heard of and it would seem an obstacle that would be very hard to overcome. Violet (a standard name this year) is sentiment like a freak because of her visions of things that will take place in the future. Usually bad things. No one believes her. But at Winterhaven, she finds she isn’t a rarity. And she begins to have friends for the introductory time. And a boyfriend. Who blows hot and cold. And who she starts to have visions about. And her visions are never wrong. And he tells her something terrible and she wards off him. Then one terrible night, while wandering the streets of Manhattan when she’s supposed to be visiting her step mother, she finds herself in the middle of the one resourcefulness that has been haunting her since she’s met Aidan. And after that, she has to believe what he’s told her, what she’s seen. There is no denying it.

Hope that’s sufficient to whet your appetite. I can’t tell anymore of the story without giving anything away. I will say that Violet has a good deal of friends with interesting abilities and I was glad the author explained them more totally because I didn’t recognise what they were. Anyone well versed on astral projection? No, me either. But the author is good when it comes to explaining everything we don’t understand. With a lot of interesting new folklore on a being we know a lot about. And we get a lot of science lessons. Yeah, I just kind of let galore of the harder stuff float by. But some of it was genuinely interesting. And where this story is leading, well, there are a couple of threads, are all fantastically interesting and like not one thing I’ve ever read before. So, while it might tickle your mind with a good deal of memories of other books, it actually is fresh and distinguishable and the writing is easy and flows from one chapter to the next. The book is written from Violet’s point of view and there is something called “The Aidan Effect” that is genuinely amusive to read in action. It’s closely four hundred pages long, but it goes by fast. There is a little lag time in sure points, but it picks right back up again. You in truth won’t observe too much.

I can’t recall bad words. There was a lot of lusting, but no actual descriptions of sex. A memory of a heap of kind, but I don’t recognise if it could be called sex. Lots of kissing. I’d say 13 and up would be fine to read this.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Great Boarding School Set Paranormal
By Book Sp(l)ot Reviews
When her stepmother accepts a esteemed new occupation in New York, Violet has two choices, stay with her grandmother in Atlanta where she’s lived her who life or move to New York with Patsy. Worried that her grandmother can’t manage taking her on, Violet decides on New York–and a boarding school: Winterhaven.

The girl that even her friends would half jokingly call a ‘freak,’ Violet has been told she has a seizure disorder. Only Violet knows she doesn’t genuinely have seizures, but psychic visions. Visions that are commonly violent or dangerous and always implicate somebody close to her.

Violet hopes to have a fresh start out at her new, beautiful, elite school outside of New York City. What she doesn’t recognise is that no one at Winterhaven is going to be calling Violet a freak because Winterhaven is a school for those with psychic abilities.

In more ways than one, Violet is going to find a lot more than she expected at Winterhaven.

I’ve seen Winterhaven equated to Twilight but I think it’s more like Evernight or even Dead Beautiful than Twilight. Also, Amazon once again has mega fun spoilers in it is synopsis if you ask me!!)

Paranormal books set in boarding schools begin out made of awful for me and either go up or down from there so I do have to confess that I started this book with high expected values . . . and it largely met them. I loved the introduction of the school and Violet’s roommate and her friends.

There was some mystery with one or two characters and just what their role both in the story and with other characters was that added galore intrigue–which I loved.

I missed some of the development amongst Violet and her romantic interest in the book. I would have liked to see more chemistry, I guess among them but I think galore of that had to be left out for the rest of the story so I may without apparent effort pardon it. (I think I also have super high standards in that arena after reading a few books that in truth blew me away there!)

I likewise don’t recognise if it was the layout of the eGalley but now and then (time) transitions seemed to take place just one paragraph to the next with no breaks which was a little mixing up . . . (if I see a finished copy I will undertake to check on that!)

The beginning of the book was a fast, engrossing read that genuinely drew me in. Then, a little bit of the middle did go a little slower, but unquestionably stick with it because the ending (and middle/end) in truth gets going again and draws you right back in! Overall, I actually did get enjoyment from this book and hope for more from Kristi Cook!

8/10

(Read thanks to Simon & Schuster’s Galley Grab)

3 of 3 humans found the following review helpful.
An enchanting firstborn book in a new series readers will fall in love with
By Fiktshun
When her stepmother gets a occupation in New York City, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna is forced to choose whether to to go with her or stay with her Grandmother. Although Atlanta is her home, and her Gran her only real family, Violet is inexplicably drawn to Winterhaven, an elite boarding school in Tarrytown, New York.

For the firstborn time since her father’s death she feels like just perhaps things will be okay. Winterhaven is a place where she may start out over, where no one knows when it comes to her premonitions, and she will be capable to fit in and shed her freak status once and for all.

If she had only listened to her gut she would have realized right away that Winterhaven was not a normal school and that her flashes of the future were only one of the galore types of “gifts” that the students possessed – telekinesis, clairsentience and astral projection to name just a few others. Only shape-shifting labeled you an castaway at Winterhaven.

Even in a school filled with the psychically gifted, there was something dissimilar with regards to Aidan Gray. Something that made him stand isolated from all the other students. Something that drew Violet to him. Her friends called it the “Aidan effect,” but it wasn’t just attraction. Even with the intensity of his gaze, from eyes that were more blue than grey, eyes that captivated her, there was something when it comes to him that afraid her.

But when her nightmarish visions, visions that foretold of her father’s death, become when it comes to him, she knows that she ought to do whatsoever she may to modify the course of that future. Even if it means turning her back on her destiny.

***

Haven is an enchanting initial book in this new series and a story that readers will without any delay fall in love with. It has such a wonderful, easygoing flow, making this an unproblemati and wholly agreeably diverting read.

There is a nice mix of personalities amid the characters that the author has created, even altho the focus is on the two main characters – Violet and Aidan. While Haven doesn’t entirely delve into each character’s abilities or background, more than sufficient info is given to get a clear picture of who these secondary characters are. And as this is a series, there is likely to be much more revealed in books to come.

There is also a good span of time in which the book takes place that lets the plot progress naturally. This length of time allows the kinship amid Violet and Aidan to have it is ups and downs in a much more realistic way, without sentiment jam-packed into the typical few weeks that are mutual in a great deal of series books.

It is easy to just relax into this book and let the story take you on it is journey. There are no uttermost highs or lows, no love triangle and no cliffhanger ending, but there is mystery, suspense and a climactic conclusion that will keep you engrossed.

Author Kristi Cook does a terrifi occupation of setting up the world and characters for this series. And nevertheless a lot of matchings with other books in this genre, this is a book that has it is own identity.

With a number of unanswered questions and directions that the story may go in future books, there is likewise still much to learn in regards to Violet and her abilities, Aidan and his past, Violet’s friends and the one thing that all the students at Winterhaven have in common, except Jack.

See all 38 client reviews…