I've awarded this book 3 stars because of the writing quality but I'm afraid the story just didn't gel with me. Understand that this is entirely subjective and I can imagine others will love it. I found the 'Oliver Twist' framework while clever a bit ham-handed and obvious. I couldn't relate to any of the characters and they felt a bit forced as if genders had been changed to tick some boxes. I'm all for diversity in literature but it needs to be authentic.

I really wanted to love this book and I'm disappointed that I couldn't finish it which has only happened a handful of times in my life. I won't be reading any more of this series but I still urge readers to give it a go because I think it will have mass appeal and do very well.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Having already reD and loved Eion Colfer’s retelling of the Dickens classic, I was expecting this to be a difficult read. I was pleasantly surprised to find it equally good, if not better.

One of the things that struck me as being different from the original Dickens is that The Haven is quite short. I know that Goodreads says it is just over 300 pages in paperback but it felt much quicker than that. Perhaps it was one of those 'I've been reading a lot of long books so anything under 500 pages feels like a novella' things, but more likely this book is just incredibly fast-paced. 

The beginning of the book did feel a little bit...unbelievable? It feels very like they had to get Ollie into the action in the quickest way possible and that necessitates a certain suspension of disbelief as to what a person (particularly a small boy) would do if in his situation. However, once you've got through those early chapters and everything is a bit more set up then things flow pretty quickly from one thing to another and before you know it you're at the end. I thought the flow was wonderful, it's been a while since I've been that swept up in this kind of a story, particularly with a male protagonist. 

As I say, Ollie was an interesting character, I didn't always find his actions made total sense, as in it wasn't totally clear why he would get involved in the way that he did, but I feel like that's the same in the Dickens so I didn't mind too much. There are some other great characters including (shock horror) some great female characters throughout the story. 

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this by the end of the story, it's fast-paced and a little ridiculous at times but it also has some of those great things I loved to read as a younger teenager. One of those things is that idea of what a place run by children would be like, that sense of 'we're so much better than the grown-ups, aren't we?' that is just so fun to read when you're that age. 

I'd certainly recommend this to younger readers who like this kind of thriller-esque story. I wouldn't necessarily say it will be the proverbial cup of tea for older readers of YA but who am I to tell you what you will and won't enjoy?

My rating: 3/5 stars

I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Haven

Fans of Alex Rider will be familiar with the premise - young, promising teenage boy thrust into the midst of a criminal world he has to learn about on the hoof as he strides around being generally heroic.

The characters, Oliver, Dodge, Nancy, Sikes (and dog!) are familiar ones - although this isn’t just a direct retelling of Dickens, it does give you a sense of what to expect! It does make me wonder where the series will go next, and if it will continue to be a type of pastiche of the orginall!

This is typical teenage action writing - and not in a bad way - it has echoes of the Cherub series, and even the Gone series - although the Haven kids aren’t completely without adult influence, they do come close.

I think the series shows promise - as it is, we only get to know a couple of the characters well. I’d like to see some of the other members of Haven get more of a central role.

Being a book written for young adults, there’s not a huge amount of detail in the characters. Sometimes it feels like there are your typical ‘token’ characters - pretty girl, angry boy, clever kid, hero... however, the action is well written and engaging, the characters likeable and generally believable - so if you like this sort of thing, it’s definitely worth a read!

I’d recommend it to my students aged 11-14 ish who like action, adventure and spy books - it will be right up their street! I will be keeping out an eye for the rest of the series.

I liked this modern retelling of Oliver Twist. Ollie and Dodge were my favourites but I liked the supporting characters too. I liked the tech that they had at the Haven, and the whole ethos behind it. Good middle grade book

A fantastic series opener. It took me far longer than it should have to realise what it was based on - I should have got it after Nancy and Ollie, I definitely should have got it after Dodge showed up, but it wasn't until we were introduced to Maddy Sikes that I caught on. This is a brilliant adventure and I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series.

Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.

Very enjoyable read. Orphan Ollie is abducted from his bed in the middle of the night along with his Legal Guardian Nancy. Ollie finds himself thrust into a secret world of gangs and the fight for survival in overlooked parts of London. This can be read as a standalone however it makes an excellent start to what I hope will be a series. I want to know more about the secret world of the Haven.

With more than a nod to Dickens' Oliver Twist, this is an exciting adventure set in an underground world of London. A group of children, led by Dodge, not only look after themselves but try to keep the city around them safe too. Their latest recruit is Ollie Turner, rescued after his friend and foster mum, Nancy, was killed by Maddie Sikes.
Sikes has a master plan of which Nancy's murder was only a small part and as The Haven residents set out to foil her dastardly plot, there is non-stop action which keeps you turning the pages to the very end.
I have no doubt this will appeal to fans of Alex Rider. It is slightly more mature in content but will make an excellent follow on. I am looking forward to introducing my clientele to The Haven.

In all honesty, I didn't read this book - my eleven-year-old son did! He read half of it to me as he kept interrupting what I was doing to reading out passages that he loved. He read it over two evenings and then said 'when's the next one out?' He's a keen reader anyway, but The Haven really appealed to him. He loved the world and the characters and said he felt like they were real people. His opinion on this kind of book is much more relevant than mine.

Born and raised in London, i was never aware of so many tunnels! I can see my 10 yr old grandson loving this book and capturing his imagination. A very enjoyable book and although aimed at 11 yrs and above, i am sure that this story will be a fun read for many adults too.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

Described as a must read for fans of Robert Muchamore, this inventive updating of Oliver Twist is an entertaining, tense rollercoaster of a read. The reader is plunged straight into the action when Ollie sees his guardian, Nancy, murdered in front of him. He manages to get away with the help of a strange boy and finds himself in The Haven, an underground home for kids with nowhere else to go, led by the charismatic Dodge. There he finds out that kids have been kidnapped all over London and all the signs point to one woman, the person his guardian was investigating, crime lord Maddie Sykes. Full of twists and turns, this is a very promising start to a very promising new series.

An action-packed adventure that takes the main character, Ollie, into a world that is full of danger and one that he must adjust to if he is to survive.
The plot is fast-moving and, although the basic story-line seems somewhat incredible at first, it is made plausible by the provision of enough credible reasons and information. The reader suffers the anguish and dilemmas felt by Ollie and wants them solved just as much as he does.
The conclusion is both sad and yet also has a feel-good factor. The reader who enjoyed this can feel reassured that it provides the basis for further adventures.
I feel this will be popular with teenage fans of adventure and action stories and I would certainly recommend it, in particular to reluctant readers, as it is fast-moving. .

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder Children's Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lot of fun! An underground circuit of tunnels underground London.

People who run and hide in the tunnels across London. Ollie is a good hero - goes to bed one day and then all of a sudden he's on a chase to protect the city and find the traitor in his midst.

Now I might not be the target audience but I remember Scooby Doo kind of madcap adventures where anything and everything can happen. That's not a derogatory description of this novel in any way. It's got the energy, excitement and all that and more.

Very hard - ie impossible to booktrail sadly! haha I didn't realise this. There are plenty of tunnels that you can visit in London so it makes me want to go and see which part of London you can find the tunnels in. The Haven is a group of kids who hide and protect the city - like Harry Potter club of people who seem to do magic of all descriptions. Imagine the HQ of a group of kids underground in London. Like Scotland Yard, they fight for justice.

Sounds very thrilling and I think children and teenagers will get stuck into this. Mad Maddy Sikes by the way is a great name for a villian.