I would have enjoyed the book more if it was just Cormac building his garden from nothing and his thoughtful meditations on life.

Slow and quiet story, yet oddly suspenseful as the reader keeps waiting for something to happen, but never does. Very interesting premise, that lacks the emotional depth that other novels from Donoghue have provided. Fans are likely to be disappointed, as I know I was.

2.5 rounded up

I absolutely LOVED this book. Its quiet and incisive examination of how personal theology develops in the face of life, of how extremism brews, and of the perils and positives of religiosity is incredible. I cared so much about what happened to these people, and was deeply moved by the complexity of their mental states.

I feel like Emma Donoghue hasn't had a hit in a while now, I think shes a 1 copy and demand driven decision author for most mid sized systems now.

I thoroughly enjoyed Haven by Emma Donoghue. The author painted a rich landscape as a setting for the story. The characters were well developed and intriguing. I especially enjoyed the character Cormac. I found myself rooting for his survival. Though outside my usual genre, I found the tale interesting and entertaining.

I'll start by saying I love this cover and I was so excited to read more from Emma Donoghue after reading Room. This story did not disappoint! I loved how character driven it was and it really pushed the plot. The writing was effortless and beautiful. I really enjoyed this book!

First, a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's super jarring that this book was written by the author who wrote Room. I wasn't expecting the same sort of book per se, but I guess I wasn't really sure WHAT I was expecting.

Overall, I found this book to be a little like holding your breath but never being able to let it out. I didn't feel like we got to know the characters or the relationship between them well, just sort of surface-level stuff.

At first I thought there would maybe be more conflict and more open "questioning God and divine intervention and this man who is absolutely committed to his LITERAL dream" but not really. There are moments were privately Cormac or Trian give Artt the side-eye, but it isn't until the very end when things boil over.

And even then, it's over in an instant! And while I don't think the ending is entirely unfeasible, it was deeply unsatisfactory.

For me, this is one I wouldn't have picked up after reading reviews, but since I had the ARC and I literally just DNF'd another ARC, I felt morally obligated to try and push through.

Emma Donoghue has always been a great read for me but Haven is a hard one to get connected to.

Three monks are to journey to an island brought about by a calling in a form of a dream that woke up religious scholar Artt. I was there with them in the beginning, Prior Artt, Older monk Cormac and young monk Trian and that slow buzz of anxiety to the remote island with lots of birds and bare with people. But, as the story progress, I seem to be flowing towards a different direction and not at all following the journey with them. I reunited with the trio as their story of survival and belief and faith has wrapped around a secret waiting to reveal.

The book was fast paced I would say but dragging in the turn around of events. It has lots of thoughts to ponder within the lines of the beautiful writing. Characters are very insightful, and unique from each other.

Special Thank You to Little Brown and Company via Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an Advance e-copy in exchange of my honest review.

Haven is a historical fiction about three men and their journey to find a home for a new monastery that was seen in a dream by their leader, Artt. This was a new direction for Emma Donoghue and a very detailed and well put together piece. It just wasn't for me, as I am not one to enjoy reading about religion. The storyline was also too slow to start and didn't really get to a place that interested me. I do enjoy the author's writing and will continue to read her books. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in religion and historical fiction.

Haven was well written, but was difficult for me to finish. The development was slow for my taste and I didn't connect with the characters. I have loved Emma's other writing so I will definitely seek out her next title.

After reading and loving Room, I looked forward to picking this one up. This was a pleasure to sit down and read.

I have loved every book I’ve read by this author and this book was no exception. I loved this story and could not out it down. Yes, it’s slow and very character-driven but that’s what gave it such a draw. It’s the story set in the 7th century of three monks who set out off the coast of Ireland to find an island to settle and eventually set up a future monastery. Their leader decides on an inhospitable rock island that offers little except an abundance of seabirds and the other two, one a young man and the other a older man, have to obey even though they are very skeptical. This becomes a survival story much like a cross between Alone and Naked & Afraid. I really appreciate all the research that must have been done to write this book. Loved this book!!

This one was a slow start and I put the book down several times moving on to something new. Since I have always liked Emma Donoghue books, I finally decided to listen to the book. I’m glad I did! The narrator was easy to listen to and made the book more interesting. Give it a listen!
Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me the early read of another great Donoghue book!

Although Ive been a fan of Emma Donoghue's work, this book is quite different.
It is about survival and faith. I don't recommend

DNF. BUT WHY. I love Emma Donoghue. Her plots! Her intensity! And oh my gosh, this premise. A religious pilgrimmage! My bread and butter! But oh my goodness. The pacing. Was so. Slow. And it wasn't panning out in a way that made all my plodding worth it, in my opinion. Bummed, but somehow even more eager to get my hands on her next work now.

I started this book in August and paused about one third through it because of its dense nature. I was nearing the end of my summer off from teaching and I wanted something lighter and more fun! And then I forgot to return and finish reading it - oops! I enjoy when an author writes books which are very different from each other - it's impressive and I can imagine it helps them stay fresh. However, it can be hard for the reader to know what to expect. I'll tell you what I wish I had paid more attention to before I read it - because I think there are people out there who would like this book a lot!
This historical fiction set in the seventh century follows a trio of monks journeying to Skellig Michael, an uninhabited island off the coast of Ireland. The extremely detailed setting descriptions in this atmospheric novel bring the reader right along the journey to the island, deciding what items are important enough to join the men, finding safe places to stay en route, and the toiling work to establish a monastery on the island. Although the book is not very long, reading it, I often felt bogged down in all the details.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I think readers who read historical fiction and are interested in religion will enjoy this read more than I did. Although this book didn't work for me, I will still read the author's future releases.

“To travel is to turn the pages of the great book of life.”

I loved that quote! What a book by Emma Donoghue. I have read several of her books and enjoy her writing style. Haven was a strong character-driven novel in a vivid setting. I did have a difficult time making an emotional connection with any of the three main characters and this one moved a little too slowly for me. While it wasn't my favorite of her books, I still enjoyed reading it and would pick up a book by her again.

A beautiful story of religious mania and survival. Three monks leave their monetary to live in solitude. They end up secluded and trying to survive on Skelling Island. Brutal and beautiful.

Haven is Emma Donoghue's latest novel and is quite the departure from her previous novels. The setting is ancient Ireland when Gaelic and Latin still ruled, and Christians were the minority rather than the majority. Following one priest and two monks seeking a new land to claim for Christianity, the story should be rather dull. Instead, a lot is going on within its pages. Ms. Donoghue captures the hypocrisy of modern Christian religions in Artt, the priest who views himself as the leader of his little tribe simply because he has more scholarly knowledge. As Artt's plans for his new community quickly flounder, we see in Artt much of what we've seen in fundamental Christians throughout the US over the past few years. Haven is not so much a story to enjoy as it is a story that warns and educates. It is the type of novel I contemplated not finishing because I detest any story with a strong religious undertone, but I am glad I finished it because of its messaging. Descriptive and powerful, Haven may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is a life-altering read for a particular reader.

I had the privilege of joining an author zoom meeting before I read this book and it was so wonderful receiving all the insights and incredible research and dedication that Emma put forth for this novel. It is VERY slow, but that goes with the themes and atmosphere of the novel.

I loved Room by Emma Donoghue and though the subject matter of Haven didn't entice me, my confidence in her writing ability and the short length encouraged me to read her latest novel. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was drawn in, even though it's a quieter, intimate story. Even before they left on their journey I was transported to the time period and setting and invested in the story. It is wonderfully atmospheric and descriptive. For most of the book this was an appreciated asset but at times it was drowning in detail such as pages on the efforts of scribing scripture. It slowed things down and took me away from the story.

I love how slowly your perspective on the characters change. At first I saw Artt as admirable for his piousness, then I started to question if it's more stingy stubbornness that will be the death of them, and eventually I saw him as recklessly arrogant and cruel. I craved a mutiny and feared for everyone's death. My investment in the characters speaks to the strength of the writing. My belief in who was holiest or most pure also shifted throughout; first it was clearly Artt but this shifted as we see him be wasteful with water, thoughtless with the lives of the birds, unquestioning in his dominance over them, and insistent on pious activities and unaccepting of any sort of rest or enjoyment. It clearly has a point of view on what is truly holy and pure: the beauty of nature, simple pleasures like music, and kindness.

I think a challenge this book is up against is that a lot of it feels unfathomable to modern ears, as we see Artt prioritize religious acts over urgent means of survival and witness characters feel as though their instinct for survival is an insolent thought. There were times I wished the plot were more propulsive and I think this could also turn some readers off. Ultimately, I recognize its merits as a quieter story and was still transported to this world whenever I opened its pages.

I recommend this for fans of quiet stories, secluded settings, and introspective musings. The mood and tone is great. It becomes more and more unsettling as you see things progress. The writing itself is wonderful with many underlined passages. And the transportive atmosphere alone makes it worth reading. However, the struggle to connect with modern ears and its slower pace reduced my overall enjoyment.