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ceruleanseas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Outing, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Body shaming
Moderate: Misogyny, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Blood
hannahrhian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Animal death, Blood, and Emotional abuse
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
I love Donoghue’s ability to tell stories and she’s one of my auto buy authors. Of the 3 books I’ve read so far from her, I’ve loved all of them! Donoghue does a great job of building this historical world, painting vivid imagery of the day to day survival of these monks.
The characters are well written, as we get a glimpse into all 3 of their thoughts, emotions, and motives. They each have their own distinct voices and I loved getting to know them and see them evolve throughout the course of the story!
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Animal death, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Sexism and Transphobia
hmatt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Medical content, Vomit, Body shaming, Confinement, Homophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Blood and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Self harm
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Author: Emma Donoghue
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: August 23, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Patient • Timely • Riveting
📖 S Y N O P S I S
In seventh-century Ireland, three men vow to leave the world behind. They set out in a small boat for an island their leader has seen in a dream, with only faith to guide them. What they find is the extraordinary island now known as Skellig Michael. The steep, rocky terrain and bare island is unforgiving, and the three must band together in order to survive.
💠T H O U G H T S
Emma Donoghue is an auto-buy author for me, so it will be no surprise that Haven was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. If you'd have asked me if a book based in religion set in 600 AD would interest me, my first impulse would have been to say no. Yet, Donoghue has a way of taking the most uninteresting plot and making it shine.
The strength is in the evocative writing style and the vivid island atmosphere. This is a slow-moving narrative, where not a whole lot happens, yet I was captivated by the journey of these three characters. It is a story of faith and devotion, while also raising issues of gender, survival, and needs versus wants.
Haven was definitely not my favourite Emma Donoghue book, yet one of the reasons I love her writing is that each book is so different from the last. Don't let the synopsis keep you from picking up was is at its heart a story of isolation, spirituality and survival.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Emma Donoghue devotees
• readers who enjoy isolated stories of survival
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"To travel is to turn the pages of the great book of life."
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Body shaming
teresareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Blood and Animal death
Moderate: Transphobia and Religious bigotry
tamara_joy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Body shaming
alylentz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
Minor: Child death