Karen Miller
(Puffin)

Love really is forever in this new supernatural teen novel. Haven is sixteen and has always had visions, visions about herself as a young lady called Constance Whitman and about her lover, a handsome young man named Ethan. She knows everything about New York, despite the fact that she has never stepped foot there. Controlled by her fanatical Christian grandmother and the local clergyman, she has been trained to repress these visions. But when she catches a glimpse of playboy Iain Morrow on the television, something stirs inside: she knows him, and even though he looks nothing like him, she knows he is Ethan. Only then does her mother decide to secretly hand her over notes from her long-deceased father recording all the visions she had during her early childhood. Haven then knows she has to find the truth; her father’s unsent letters were aimed at the mysterious Ouroboros Society, based in New York, and as this is also where Ian lives and that he undoubtedly holds the key to the mystery, she decides this where she needs to go. Once in the Big Apple, she finds herself embroiled in a mystery much, much darker that she could have anticipated.

I really enjoyed this book, and was gripped from the beginning. I liked the pace for a start: it is a real thriller, and although the romance plays a really important part, it is not as central as it is in so many other supernatural teen books. Also, it is not a perfect love story, and they are not perfect partners, which is quite refreshing! At last here is a couple who have differences like regular couples do! Haven is a strong female lead, who struggles to balance her barely controlled attraction to Iain/Ethan with her feeling that he is not to be trusted. I enjoyed following her journey not only to unlock Constance’s past but also to discover herself. Just like her, I was kept on my toes the whole time, not knowing who to trust until the very end. I knew Adam was fishy from the start but the final revelation about his character was unexpected and cleverly managed. A great villain always makes a novel much more interesting and this villain certainly does that! I think Miller did really well with characterisation in general and in particular with her baddies; they are all as hateful as each other! The flashbacks into Haven and Iain’s previous lives (through their visions) give the story an extra layer, giving insight how the characters lives are intertwined. Also this allows us to dip into several eras. This historical side of the story is particularly successful I thought, and reminded me of Blue Bloods. But the novel stands alone for its own originality, and this is to be applauded in a market overflowing with supernatural teen romance (it is unfortunate therefore that the cover misleads us into thinking it is another Twilight clone).

The ending leaves enough loose ends to hint that there might be more on the way, and I will certainly welcome a sequel!

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