First let me say that this book embraces every cliche that is currently popular in supernatural fiction. Vampires? Check. Teenage girl who seems to be fairly average (except for an uber cool power) and yet attracts the guy who never has been interested in anyone else? Check. Werewolves? Check. Vampire slayers-including one with a forbidden love for a vampire? Double check. The list goes on and on.
However, it's because of these things that I have to say that I adored this book. With each page, the train wreck seemed to grow, causing me to giggle insanely and need to read on. Even if the author probably didn't try to provoke this reaction in the reader, I give her kudos for writing a book that provided me with an entertaining read. ( )

The only reason I am giving this book 4 stars and not 5 is because there were just way too many similarities to most other vampire stories that I have read. Without giving away too much; Violet is a wonderful character and her visions are almost reminiscent of Alice (Twilight). The mind reading from Aidan brings in Edward. Don't get me wrong, I loved the story, and couldn't stop reading once I started. I was up till almost 4 in the morning just to finish it.
The love story between Violet and Aidan, is just like every other vampire human love story, and that fact that at times he wants so much more but apparently has Iron Clad control (Edward) and refuses to let things go farther than he can handle. There were so many similarities between Haven and Twilight, Buffy, Evernight and even some Vampire Diaries thrown in there, I almost forgot that I was reading an entirely different story altogether. The similarities don't really take anything away from the story, but if you are wanting something new then this might not be the book for you.
The gifts of the other students add another element to the story, and come in handy in more ways than one throughout the book. Violet's friends really stick by her and show what a true friend is, even in a world of "freaks" The ending leaves something to be desired, I wish there were more to read and I am really hoping for a sequel.
( )

When her stepmother accepts a prestigious new job 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 actually have seizures, but psychic visions. Visions that are usually violent or dangerous and always involve someone close to her.

Violet hopes to have a fresh start at her new, beautiful, elite school outside of New York City. What she doesn't know 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 compared 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 its synopsis if you ask me!!)

Paranormal books set in boarding schools start out made of awesome for me and either go up or down from there so I do have to admit that I started this book with high expectations . . . and it mostly 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 some intrigue--which I loved.

I missed some of the development between Violet and her romantic interest in the book. I would have liked to see more chemistry, I guess between them but I think some of that had to be left out for the rest of the story so I can easily forgive it. (I think I also have super high standards in that arena after reading a few books that really blew me away there!)

I also don't know if it was the layout of the eGalley but sometimes (time) transitions seemed to happen just one paragraph to the next with no breaks which was a little confusing . . . (if I see a finished copy I will try to check on that!)

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

8/10


Read thanks to Simon & Schuster's Galley Grab

Violet never has been the same as other kids. Most of the time, she is the one looked at oddly. All her life, Violet has received visions of the future, visions unable for her to prevent from happening. Her friend's broken wrist. Her grandmother's hurt hip. Whenever she tries to warn anyone, she is brushed aside as unstable. Then she finds Winterhaven boarding school, where everyone has psychic gifts just like her. On her first day there, she meets Aidan Gray: the most mysterious and the most alluring boy in the school. From the start, the two have a special connection, but Violet doesn't know what it is. Then she discovers the dark secret that Aidan hides, and her own unknown secret that could rip them apart. Travel with Violet and her friends as they delve into the secrets surrounding Aidan, Violet, and the school on a journey that could be fatal.
This story is a very intriguing fantasy story filled with cliches. However, it is made up for with the intensity of the plot and its realistic quality. Kristi Cook does an amazing job bringing suspense into the plot, withholding just enough information to give us a surprise at the end. I wish I could write like that! The emotions that Violet feels are very akin to any teenage girl going through what happens to her. Because of the language used in this book, I would recommend it to readers 13 and up, While the "new girl" thing can be rather overused, Kristi Cook puts a nice twist into it, making Winterhaven a psychic place. I'm definitely going to read the next book!

I liked Kristi Cook's debut novel Haven. Haven seemed to be a combination of a lot of elements that I really liked from other books. The MC Violet has a gift, although it doesn't seem like much of a gift to her since she has absolutely no control over how it affects her and while she just wants to fit in, her "gift" continues to make her stand out and not in a good way. When her step-mother decides to move to NY, Violet thinks that maybe things could be different. She feels drawn to Winterhaven, a private school, where she hopes she can finally find a place for herself. Turns out that Winterhaven is hiding some secrets as well, such as, all of the students there are "gifted" in one way or another, and some of the students just may not be what they seem at all. While Winterhaven's classes are just normal acadamia and don't really address the student's special abilities, Violet has a tutor that trys to help her gain some control over her gift, or at least learn how to utilize it more effectively. In the mean time, Violet is thrilled to find herself part of a lively group of girls and even drawing the attention of the most mysterious boy at school. Just as Violet thinks that she's finally found all that she's been hoping for, things seem to veer far off course and she finds herself part of some prophetic paranormal showdown and nothing is what she thought it was.

I really enjoyed reading about the school. Winterhaven and the students were what fascinated me most about Haven. The different gifts and the ways in which they were used was really well thought out and intriguing. I thought that the characters were likable enough but could have had a bit more depth. I was a bit disappointed about Violet's love interest Aiden, but that is only because I didn't expect Haven to go in that direction and that wasn't really the kind of book I wanted to read. There was, of course, the immediate obsessive attraction, boy sees girl, boy can't stay away even though he tries to for her own sake. Those were the few eye-rolling elements for me. However, the plot was entertaining and kept me involved in the story.

While I would not describe Haven as a fast-paced page turner, it moved along at a steady enough pace to prevent me from wanting to put the book down. I liked the characters but wanted to understand them a little more. The plot was interesting if not entirely original, there were some unusual twists here and there. Overall, I think this was a solid debut novel from Kristi Cook and I look forward to reading more from this author. ( )