Sixteen year old Cass Sawyer wakes up in the woods with a head injury. She has no recollection of what happened.
But she recognises where she is. The Haven. The idyllic, off-grid retreat her parents claimed would heal their broken family.
As Cass searches the now deserted buildings, memories begin to trickle through.
Her father’s erratic behaviour. Her mother’s pleas that they go back to town. The Haven’s charismatic, free-spirited leader. The strange girls that hang on his every word.
And a nagging feeling: that Cass has done something terribly wrong.
What happened at The Haven? Where is Cass’s family?
And will they ever escape?
The child rape warning is for forced oral sex with a sixteen year old.
This has a great blurb, and I thought I was really going to enjoy it. Sadly, the writing style didn't suit me; I've never been a fan of stories told in two timelines, which this one is, and even at the end when they merge there are a lot of unanswered questions. Plus, I hated where the author chose to end the story, though I'm sure some people will love it.
I felt that Cassia fell for Mo ridiculously quickly; I know that some people are excellent manipulators, but for him to single her out and get her under his spell in two hours really strained my belief. Her father I find easier to believe as he was clearly not right to start with, so Mo was exploiting something that was already there, and over a longer period of time. I also found it odd that a character I won't mention for spoiler reasons was so careful with Cass after she was injured, but did nothing about the massive bleeding wound in her head?
There's a great plot here, but between the double timeline and the inconsistencies, I couldn't find it. I'd try other books by the author because I think it could just be this book that didn't suit me, and I do think other readers will enjoy it very much.
The Haven publishes on the 21st of March, 2024. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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