Book Review: Haven by Kristi Cook

Haven by Kristi Cook

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publish Date: February 22, 2011

Hardcover, 416 pages
Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal

My Review:
Why I read this: I love the cover, the blurb sounded interesting (I am a sucker for private school settings) and it was getting a lot of positive reviews around the blogosphere.

How is the novel driven: Character and plot are a good balance in this one.


My thoughts: What a fun book.  I love a book that I really like all the characters from the first time they enter the book.  Violet is fun, she is a great character and has always felt out-of-place in her own skin and around others because of the visions that hit her when she least expects it.  So not only does she zone out but she can frequently see when bad things are going to happen to those around her. And this is bad enough but when she tries to tell people they never believe her.  So Violet feels very out-of-place until she sees the brochure for Winterhaven.  It calls to her and when she starts at the school she quickly finds out why.  At Winterhaven, Violet is not alone.  Everyone there has a special ability and finally Violet feels like she is at home.  With  a great roommate, who is a lot of fun herself, CeeCee and several other girls that quickly befriend her, she is part of a group and happy for the first time in a long time.


Add into the mix a handsome, mysterious boy who seems to have eyes only for her (even though he spends a lot of time in the chemistry lab) and Violet is just about in Heaven.  Then the visions start and things get a little weird.  But I won't give any more away - you have to read it.


Fun characters, a plot that sucks you in and great storytelling make Haven one of my favorite YA books this year.  It comes out today so I suggest you get a hold of this one.  I am hoping there will be more in the series.  The book ties itself up well but it also lends itself to a series.  I was impressed with this book - it's light fun yet serious at times too.  It's a very enjoyable read, that I would read again in a heartbeat - I loved being immersed in the world of Winterhaven and the students and teachers there. 

My Rating: 4.75/5.0


About the Book:

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 vivid vision of her dad’s murder. Her life started falling apart when her premonition came true. She’s had flashes of other events too. The problem was nobody believed her until she found a new school: Winterhaven.

At Winterhaven, Violet finally 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 between them grows, intense visions of the boy’s death start to haunt her. In her premonitions the secret he is unwilling to share begins to reveal itself. And to Violet's horror, she learns that their destinies are intertwined in a critical--and deadly--way.

About the Author: 

Kristi Cook writes adult novels for Zebra (as Kristina Cook), including To Love a Scoundrel, Unveiled, Unlaced, and Undressed. She also writes for Harlequin adult (as Kristi Astor), including A Midnight Clear and Winter's Desire. Kristi lives in Riverdale, NY.

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FTC Information: I received this book from Simon and Schuster's Galley Grab program for a honest review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.