Thursday, November 2, 2017

Book Review: Haven by Mary Lindsey

Haven by Mary Lindsey
Blurb:
"We all hold a beast inside. The only difference is what form it takes when freed."


Rain Ryland has never belonged anywhere, He’s used to people judging him for his rough background, his intimidating size, and now, his orphan status. He’s always been on the outside, looking in, and he’s fine with that. Until he moves to New Wurzburg and meets Friederike Burkhart.

Freddie isn’t like normal teen girls, though. And someone wants her dead for it. Freddie warns he’d better stay far away if he wants to stay alive, but Rain’s never been good at running from trouble. For the first time, Rain has something worth fighting for, worth living for. Worth dying for. 

My Review:
After a lifetime of living on the streets and in shelters, Rain Ryland is being sent to live with an aunt he never knew existed in the small town of New Wurzburg after his mother's fatal drug overdose.

Moving away from Houston, Rain thinks he's leaving danger and gangs behind for a boring life in the country but there is nothing boring about New Wurzburg. New Wurzburg is the home of creatures Rain could have never believed really existed. And the girl he's interested in, Friederike Burkhart? She's one of them. 

As Rain gets wrapped up in life in New Wurzburg and Freddie's unusual life and tries to help her figure out if Freddie's father's death was truly an accident (or murder), Rain begins to understand that his ending up in New Wurzburg was no accident. His destiny has been entwined with Freddie's and New Wurzburg since before he was born. 

Will Rain survive the changes that are to come? Will Freddie accept a relationship with him? Or will they both perish at the hands of a power hungry enemy?

I dove into Haven semi-blind. I had an idea what the book was about but I didn't read the book flap before diving in and I found that I really enjoyed this book. I don't read many books told solely in the male perspective and usually you see the girl falling for the supernatural guy instead of the other way around so this book was really refreshing. It reminded me in a way of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl where we see the world through Ethan's eyes. 

As a main character I really liked Rain. He was very well developed for a teenage boy character. So often I read (and want to gag over) sappy male characters that are all gaga for love but this book showed Rain as desiring Freddie in physical ways as well as emotional ones which is more realistic to me. My only complaint about Rain at the beginning of this book is he says "Whatever" way too many times. It got a little annoying after a while.

I also really liked Freddie. She was strong, tough-as-nails, and completely bada$$. She has some trust issues, but who wouldn't with everything going on in her life and the secrets she keeps and it was fun watching her relationship with Rain blossom. The secondary characters also rounded out the story really well and I loved the world building. 

Overall, I was really craving a good werewolf book after I finished reading/binge watching Bitten (by Kelley Armstrong) and Haven was exactly what I was hoping for. It was unique, it stuck to the theme, and perfectly fit this time of year.


My Rating:
★★★★★
5 of 5 Stars!

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