Shiloh is just another Terminal living in The Haven, a place that helps all Terminals stay healthy and disease free. The only difference about her is that she can remember things no one else seems to, like the people who get taken away and a surgery she went through. With Gideon's, another Terminal, help and a few other friends, Shiloh slowly starts to see that maybe everything Haven is telling them is a lie, and if it is, they need to escape and soon.

THE HAVEN by Carol Lynch Williams is full of some strong areas that I really like and some other areas that I could have gone without. The premise is so cool and interesting, especially when Shiloh discovers what's really going on at The Haven. It's great for medical ethics discussions. The way Shiloh gradually starts to see everything around her in a new light is beautiful, and it makes you want to take a look around your world as well and see beauty in it again.

However, as much as I like the concept, the plot leans on the predictable side. There are only a couple surprising twists, while I felt others could have been guessed early on. The romance between Shiloh and Gideon, while adorable at times, is so immediate that I never saw what connected them. Their scenes together are nice, some really sweet, but I still never understood why exactly they were together.

All in all, it was still an enjoyable and quick read for me. Fans of The Giver would have a strong chance of enjoying THE HAVEN. This one won't go down as one of my favorites, but I still would love to see what else Carol Lynch Williams writes.

Book Summary

For the teens at The Haven, the outside world, just beyond the towering stone wall that surrounds the premises, is a dangerous unknown. It has always been this way, ever since the hospital was established in the year 2020. But The Haven is more than just a hospital; it is their home. It is all they know. Everything is strictly monitored: education, exercise, food, and rest. The rules must be followed to keep the children healthy, to help control the Disease that has cast them as Terminals, the Disease that claims limbs and lungs—and memories.

But Shiloh is different; she remembers everything. Gideon is different, too. He dreams of a cure, of rebellion against the status quo. What if everything they’ve been told is a lie? What if The Haven is not the safe place it claims to be? And what will happen if Shiloh starts asking dangerous questions?