Review: Haven by Kristi Cook

Haven

Author: Kristi Cook

Publisher: Simon Pulse, 2011

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Goodreads

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.

Only there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye--much, much more. And once she learns the horrible truth, there’s no turning back from her destiny. Their destiny. Together, Violet and Aidan must face a common enemy--if only they can do so without destroying each other first

My Review:

          Violet is a champion fencer and a very smart girl, maybe a bit shy and skittish but that comes from avoiding people most of her life. She has just arrived at Winterhaven (her new school) and is very excited at having an opportunity for a new beginning. A place where no one knows she is a freak. She is in for a shocking surprise when she finds out that she is in a school for ‘freaks’ like herself! Young people with special psychic abilities like telekinesis, clairsentience, astral projection, and clairvoyance like Violet. But is that all there is to the students of Winterhaven? Is clairvoyance all the powers Violet has?

          Add in to the mix the mysterious Aidan Gray, who is the most gorgeous guy in school and seems to have a weird connection to Violet. I always fall for the main love interest, but Aidan didn’t quite do it for me. I think that his connection to Violet could have been worked a little more. Maybe with more sweet moments between them then it would’ve grabbed my heart, twisting it into knots like other pairings do. This pairing just fell short for me. Also, I didn’t want to make this comparison but I just couldn’t get the image of Stefan Salvatore with a chemistry set and lab coat out of my head. You’ll get why when you read it.

          So, anyways, having Violet be a clairvoyant kind of sucked for the ending, since the final battle you already know what it’s going to be about half way through the book. Then the rest is just them preparing for battle, which kind of dragged a bit. And when you finally get to it, the outcome is no surprise either.

          Overall I found the story quite entertaining and cute. Even if I didn’t completely fall in love with it, I still couldn’t put it down.

Favorite Quotes:

“He shrugged, and once again my attention was drawn to his pecs. Somehow I’d never realized how cut his chest was. And if his chest is that sculpted, what about his stomach? I was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to see him without a shirt.

‘I have no idea what’s normal,’ Aidan said, interrupting my lustful thoughts…

…A few lines later

‘Maybe you should take your shirt off,” I offered. It’ll be easier for me to see where the stake goes.” Yeah, that was a good excuse.

~

“To days after our big ‘fight,’ we’d made up. Correction –Aidan had made up. He’d apologized profusely, nearly to the point of groveling –and I’d accepted. How could I not? He was so contrite, and let’s face it, the guy hadn’t had a real relationship in more than a century. I had to cut him a little slack.”