Monday, March 17, 2014

The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams -- OPTIONAL

Williams, Carol Lynch The Haven, 224 pgs. St. Martin's Griffin, 2014. $18.99. Language: G (0 swears); Sexual Content: PG; Violence: PG-13.

Shiloh is a Terminal -- a girl raised in an institute so she can be sheltered from the scary and disease-ridden outside world until she eventually dies. Or so she's been told her whole life. But when she learns that everything is a lie, she must decide whether to save herself and the other residents of Haven Hospital and Halls, or return her former state of drug-riddled ignorance and dullness.

While The Haven may appeal to fans of dystopian novels, in all honesty the main emotion I felt while reading it was frustration. The plot moved very slowly and was filled with flashbacks, dream sequences, and discussions about the world, but very little action. Because the resistance group had no solid plan, it was hard to feel any suspense about whether or not they would accomplish their nebulous goals. The big twists were obvious -- well, to everyone but the characters themselves. Shiloh was reluctant to an extreme; throughout the entire book it felt as if she were being dragged from scene to scene. Then, during the big climax, all she could think about was whether or not her love interest would kiss her. All in all, a slow-moving and not particularly original (but short) read.

MS, HS -- OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Caryn

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