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A review by star_sword
Havenfall by Sara Holland
4.0
4/5
I enjoyed this book overall.
First of all, I love how well Maddie's bisexuality was represented. It was just seen as normal and there really wasn't a big deal about it. I don't like when an LGBT+ character's sexuality is presented as some big terrible secret (*cough* Sarah J Maas *cough*) but I had nothing to worry about here. I also loved the little hints about Maddie's sexuality, such as Doc Martens, that were mentioned just a little while before her bisexuality was mentioned. Her uncle and his husband were also well written and I was just loving the great representation. I'm also very glad Tara was sapphic and a love interest because I definitely hoped she would be, because I was very attracted to her (she's a badass with a motorbike, what's not to love?)
The three magical worlds themselves were also well written. They all had their own distinct feel and customs, and they all felt very thought out and well developed. Even at the beginning, they were all presented well so I wasn't confused at all about which one was which.
Maddie's character development was also pretty good. She went from being naïve to actually knowing what to do. I'm excited to see how she'll develop in the next book.
It's a really good opening novel and drew me into the series. It tied its plot off enough that there was sense of conclusion, but there was also just enough left that I can't wait for the next book.
However, it wasn't completely perfect. I felt like the plot was predictable. When Tara came out of the forest injured after Maddie hurt the Solarian, I guessed that the Solarian was Tara. It just felt sort of obvious to me, which wasn't bad, but it made the big reveal a little less exciting for me. However, I did not predict the whole thing with Maddie's brother, so that was a nice surprise.
Overall, I did really enjoy this book. However, my correct prediction did dull it down a little for me, but it was still a really good book.
I enjoyed this book overall.
First of all, I love how well Maddie's bisexuality was represented. It was just seen as normal and there really wasn't a big deal about it. I don't like when an LGBT+ character's sexuality is presented as some big terrible secret (*cough* Sarah J Maas *cough*) but I had nothing to worry about here. I also loved the little hints about Maddie's sexuality, such as Doc Martens, that were mentioned just a little while before her bisexuality was mentioned. Her uncle and his husband were also well written and I was just loving the great representation. I'm also very glad Tara was sapphic and a love interest because I definitely hoped she would be, because I was very attracted to her (she's a badass with a motorbike, what's not to love?)
The three magical worlds themselves were also well written. They all had their own distinct feel and customs, and they all felt very thought out and well developed. Even at the beginning, they were all presented well so I wasn't confused at all about which one was which.
Maddie's character development was also pretty good. She went from being naïve to actually knowing what to do. I'm excited to see how she'll develop in the next book.
It's a really good opening novel and drew me into the series. It tied its plot off enough that there was sense of conclusion, but there was also just enough left that I can't wait for the next book.
However, it wasn't completely perfect. I felt like the plot was predictable. When Tara came out of the forest injured after Maddie hurt the Solarian, I guessed that the Solarian was Tara. It just felt sort of obvious to me, which wasn't bad, but it made the big reveal a little less exciting for me. However, I did not predict the whole thing with Maddie's brother, so that was a nice surprise.
Overall, I did really enjoy this book. However, my correct prediction did dull it down a little for me, but it was still a really good book.