Review: Haven by Beverly Patt

Book: Haven by Beverly Patt

Genre: YA

Rating: A

For: ARC Reading Challenge (though I didn't really have an ARC of this book)

From: mailed to me by the author

This book was mailed to me several months ago with hopes that I would someday read and review it. So finally, with the ARC challenge to encourage me to get moving along, I stuck in between a bunch of other "I really need to read this now" books.

And I'm so glad I did! Why did I wait so long? I hate it when that happens!

This is the story of Rudy, who lives close to Haven, a home for displaced kids. Every Christmas his family invites one of these kids to their house for the day so they can have a nice "at home" Christmas experience. This year is no different... except that it is, because this year he meets Latonya.

She asks him some hard questions like "Why didn't you get the ATV that you wanted for Christmas?" This makes him think, yet again, about his dad, and why does he act so weird around him. Then he gets kinda mad, and then he ends up in trouble, right on Christmas Day!

Later, he gets a phone call from Latonya and she has a deal to make with him. And thus begins the adventure that is this book.

I loved what this book said about the relationship between fathers and sons, and between friends. And what does it mean to be truly loyal to your friend? I totally fell in love with Rudy, and his friend Stark too. I felt completely connected to them. Though I loved her too, I could have gotten to know Latonya a bit better I think.

Anyway, it's a wonderful, heart warming book. One that makes a statement without getting too preachy. It had me in tears at the end, something I totally didn't see coming. (I knew what the story would bring, but the tears I didn't predict.)

Bottom line: I loved it! I'm glad I got the opportunity to read it and tell you all about it!

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For more on Beverly Patt, check out her website here.