*Review* : Haven - Kristi Cook

Book Review of Haven - Kristi Cook

Released : 22nd February 2011
Finished : 8th February
Series : Stand alone (So Far!)
Source : Galley Grab/Simon and Schuster
Plot : 4.5/5
Cover : 3.5/5
Page Turner : 4.5/5
Characters : 4.5/5
Ending : 4.5/5
Over-all Rating -

One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future.

But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there--every student, every teacher--has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend--Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven. 

Rest of Blurb here

This cover never grabbed my attention but it’s one of those covers that when you look at it the more you start to like it, and l do like it now. I think it suits the book well and sometimes covers have nothing to do with a book so this is refreshing that this cover does. Saying that l don't love the colours which is why it's only a 3.5.

Anyway onto the actual book and my opinion.

The blurb tells you a lot about this book and l worried about how many more things could come up in this book which weren’t already told in the blurb. I do feel blurbs sometimes give so much away. Anyway just let me say, the blurb doesn’t tell you the HALF of it!!!
I have to admit, 50 pages into this book l WAS enjoying it but found myself a bit nervous that it was going to be too much like other books and not stand out. Boarding school, girl with passed away family, secrets, the nerd at her old school. Then suddenly everything changed, the storyline took to a whole new level! As l got further into this book l was very pleasantly surprised, Kristi really made her unique thoughts and her take on the paranormal world known in this book. WOW was l nicely surprised. Things came from nowhere and twists on the paranormal world which  l am so used to reading about were changed. Simple things about the different ‘paranormal’ creatures which are common in lots of paranormal books were twisted and changed in this book to make a new world. That alone made me fall in love with this book. It’s so refreshing, Kristi ideas are truly amazing!

This book is not just a refreshing read but a very fast paced book with great characters in which are developed the more you get into the book. Even though it’s around 400 pages this isn't too long at all, the pages really whizzed by because Kristi constantly brings something new into the story. In some places it will mention about a character going to do something but then will skip forward in time and explain what happened in a few sentences. This may sound stupid but l always think these are thought out books to have so much going on and to make something which could be a chapter long into a few lines! 

Over-all l would strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal, its a fast paced book with great twists. Kristi is really an author to watch out for and l will be excited to read any books which she releases in the future.
 l work hard to make my reviews non spoiler reviews. Please email/comment me if you feel a review has a spoiler in it.
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My Next Read :

XVI - Julia Karr
Other reviews :

Radiance - Alyson Noel (My Bookish Ways)

Almost True - Keren David (Wondrous Reads)