This is very different from Donoghue's other books that I have read. It is set in 7th century Ireland and and involves a priest and 2 monks who set sail to a remote and deserted island. I really liked the vivid descriptions of the scenery. As the story progressed, it became increasingly more difficult for these men to survive and this was conveyed very well. There were times that my mind wandered, but overall I liked that this was different and felt that it was well-written. I did feel that the ending was a little out there and didn't seem to fit with the beginning and middle. Still, a worthwhile and unique read.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: August 23, 2022

This is the story of the trials and tribulations of three monks as they journey together to build a sacred space in a harsh, new environment. The leader, Artt, had a dream about settling a remote island in the southwest with two other monks. In his dream he sees two monks with him: young, eager to please Trian doesn’t hesitate to accept the call, and mature, experienced Cormac is honoured to be chosen at his age for such a mission. What will these three men find once they arrive at the island? Will it be everything they hoped it would be? And are their hopes the same?

PROS and CONS:
Unbelievably, this is my second book in a row about monks…this one is beautifully written, gorgeously detailed (the birds!), but in the end I’m not really sure it was about anything. It’s more a notebook on the monk’s journey to Skellig, their trials and tribulations, and ultimately their individual ideas about what’s right and what’s wrong. I love Donoghue’s writing and will always pick up her books, never sure where they will take me.

READ IT?
It’s a short little book that fans of Donoghue will be sure to enjoy. I actually really enjoyed it!

4 Stars

Aartt, a priest and scholar finds his current monastery and it's inhabitants do not meet his view of what God demands. In a dream God tells him to leave the sinful world and find an isolated spot where he can live a life of isolation and prayer.
Aartt selects two monks to accompany him - Trian a young man and Cormac an older monk. They set sail with few provisions but great faith that God will lead them to the place they are meant to be. This turns out to be a rocky island inhabited only by birds. There is no fertile ground for growing crops, one stunted tree and a trickle of fresh water. Survival is hard and when Aart's decisions prove dangerous Trian and Cormac are torn between obedience to their leader and the wish to survive.
This is a character-driven novel with very little plot development. The descriptions of the island are interesting as are the skills Trian and Cormac possess but after awhile the bird killing and multiple dangerous trips up and down the path along with Aartt's meglomania become repetitive and I just wanted the story to end.
Donoghue did an amazing amount of research about the 7th century monks and the island is modeled on Skellig Michael which is now a tourist attraction.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for the opportunity to read this book.




















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Haven is a slower paced story with fantastic world and character building. I really could picture the journey on a small sailboat and life on the great skellig. It is like no novel I’ve ever read and the topic is something I knew little about. I probably looked up more words on my kindle reading this novel than any other book prior. So be ready to stretch your vocabulary! I requested an ARC of Haven purely based on my reading of Room, by the same author. This novel is nothing like Room as far as pacing and suspense. It is a much slower burn, at times a bit boring. If this hadn’t been an ARC received in exchange for an honest review, I probably would have DNF’d. However, I pushed through and am glad that I finished it. I feel enlightened about a piece of history that I knew nothing about.

I would recommend Haven to someone interested in a historical telling of life as a monk and survival in a difficult environment. The things the monks must do to survive on their rocky island are fascinating and sometimes disgusting. This book will not be for everyone, but there will be some who enjoy getting to know each monk and following their struggles and challenges through the novel. This story will undoubtedly stay with me for a long time.

I’ve seen some comments that readers have been unsatisfied by the ending. I’ll have to respectfully disagree. I thought the ending was satisfying. It might have felt a bit rushed, but I thought the way Donoghue chose to wrap up the story was fitting and poetic. You’ll have to read it and see what you think!

Special thanks to Little, Brown and Company for the ARC via NetGalley.

Only Emma Donoghue could make me care about three monks in a boat. I would never normally pick up a book about medieval monks, so don't let the subject matter deter you. After a dream that he declares is a vision from God, a travelling priest decides to embark on a journey with two other monks to find an island unspoiled by sin. They end up on a steep rock with thousands of birds. Each monk struggles with religion, duty, and survival in his own way. This is a quick, quiet read (with a lot of descriptive passages about birds and rocks) but the monks' struggles are riveting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This is a slower-paced book with a unique setting and storyline. This is the story of three monks in 7th century Ireland who set off to found a remote sanctuary on an unforgiving island. Artt, the leader of the trio, is unyielding in his religious fervor. He is accompanied by Trian, the young daydreamer, and Cormac, an old man with many skills who converted later in life. The quiet intensity of the story Donoghue tells is highlighted by her beautiful writing. This book won't be for everyone, but the journey these three men undergo will stay with me for a long time. Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for a digital review copy.

I had a hard time getting into this book, maybe due to the setting or language, but it was very slow paced. The story of 3 monks looking for a place to escape humanity and find god went into a lot of detail about daily life on the island, the relationship between the three men, and how they survive. If religious piety is your thing, you might like it. Such a departure from her other book, Room, but it does show she has talent and has honed her writing to describe this barren environment as formidable, and challenging to survive.

I can’t say that I remember ever having read a book set in the 600s, especially about monks. So I was intrigued when I read the synopsis for Haven. Having only read one other book by Donoghue, The Wonder, I wasn’t exactly sure what I would be getting, but I’ve heard excellent things about other novels of hers and decided to risk it, especially since Haven was under 300 pages. I can’t say I regret reading it, but I’m incredibly relieved that it’s over. If the hallmark of a good book is its ability to make you feel, then Haven was excellent. Because I was a simmering stew of rage for the majority of my time with this book.

Our story begins with Trian, a very young monk, and Cormac, a far older monk, are recruited by Artt, a noted priest and scholar, to abandon civilization and fulfill Artt’s heavenly vision of founding a monastery on an island untouched by man off the coast of Ireland. I thought this premise sounded fascinating, and I went in expecting some survival and spiritual themes. What I did not expect was my immediate hatred of Artt, or the Prior as the other two monks called him. He was the most impractical, oblivious, self-righteous, irksome “leader” I can imagine in that position. Trian and Cormac were both very sympathetic, which made their suffering at the inept and ambivalent Artt even more infuriating. I didn’t actually check, but I’m pretty sure this book made my blood pressure skyrocket.

While I was in a constant state of aggravation, I did come to truly care for Trian and Cormac. Donoghue did a brilliant job crafting these two wildly different characters, and making each uniquely equipped for such a harsh landscape. Trian’s affinity for the water and Cormac’s ingenuity were the only things that kept the three alive, as Artt was completely useless outside of spiritual matters. These two characters were so multifaceted, and both had a convincing depth to them that I really respected.

There was a lot of lovely symbolism here, especially in terms of the island’s lone rowan tree and the gross abundance of birds. Despite the material, it wasn’t a boring story. But it was a difficult one, and not just in terms of content. It felt as though there was no real payoff. And, in spite of the fact that the novel was based on and inspired by true events, I never understood the purpose of the book. Whatever Donoghue was trying to communicate here was lost, or overshadowed by my dislike of Artt.

I don’t regret having read Haven. But I can’t say that I enjoyed anything about it. I’m mostly just thankful that it’s over. This wasn’t a bad book, but it was a hard one, and I’m not sure it’s going to have a huge indented audience. Hopefully I’m wrong. And hopefully those who do embark on this journey with Artt and Trian and Cormac find it more rewarding than I did.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Man, Donoghue writes beautiful prose but this is just SO BORING.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

From the Publisher: In seventh-century Ireland, a scholar and priest called Artt has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. Taking two monks—young Trian and old Cormac—he rows down the river Shannon in search of an isolated spot on which to found a monastery. Drifting out into the Atlantic, the three men find an impossibly steep, bare island inhabited by tens of thousands of birds, and claim it for God. In such a place, what will survival mean?

MY THOUGHTS :
I would never have imagined that the tale of three 7th century monks living on an isolated island trying to live a pure and simple life would grip me. But in the early morning hours of that Sunday morning, I couldn't stop turning the pages. Would I have appreciated a little more tension and revelations of secrets earlier on? Yes, I certainly would have liked that. But the atmosphere that Emma Donoghue builds is fantastic. As Artt becomes more and more fundamental in his beliefs, I truly felt myself fearful for Cormac and Trian. Truthfully, I was totally expecting something brutal and absolutely devastating in the ending. That being said, there was still a tinge of unexplainable feelings that did wash over me. In the nearly three weeks since I have read it, I am still mulling over some of those scenes. While it didn't walk away with feeling that it was a clear 4 star read, I would safely put this at a 3.5.



Expected Publication Date 23/08/22
Goodreads review published 26/07/22


#Haven #NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown and Company Media for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

For full disclosure, I toggled back and forth between the print and audio versions of this book. I really didn't like this book. I'm not sure if I didn't realize the level of preachy religion that was in it, but I loved Room, so I requested this one, somewhat blindly thinking I would like it no matter what. I was wrong. It felt preachy and was just not for me. The prose was too flowery and poetic for my taste. It was well written, but not for me. I am giving the book 3 stars because it was so well written and I know there will be many people who enjoy this story. It just wasn't for me.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"In seventh-century Ireland, a scholar and priest called Artt has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. Taking two monks, young Trian and old Cormac."

I liked the setting and the initial concept of this story, and found the descriptions of struggle of daily life , the food/clothing/etc. very interesting. But I found the characters lacking and uninspiring. Artt because - a bully is a bully by any description - and Cormac and Trian in their blind devotion of the bully.

2.75☆

The ending saved it for me, but I was pretty bored for the majority of this. While I can appreciate the brilliance of research and thought Donoghue put into this - as she is masterful as historical fiction - I felt this really dragged.

If you like historical fiction or survivalist stories, I think this book might really work for you. Donoghue did a great job at capturing the time period of this story without it feeling like you’re reading a history book. She also did a wonderful job fleshing out each character’s motivations which made the choices they choose make sense. My favorite part was the description of the island itself. I genuinely could picture the settling and feel the isolation. The plot, while quiet, is backed by beautiful writing.

That being said, I didn’t enjoy the story at all. I felt like not enough actually happened, and the religious themes lost me. I got excited towards the end that there might be an actual confrontation, but even the climax was slow. While I think Donoghue is clearly a very talented writer, this widely missed the mark for me.

Thank you to Little, Brown, and Company for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Interesting concept and parts of this story were really good. However, I feel like it ended too soon. There was plenty of story left to tell.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I loved Room and think about it a lot. I haven’t read anything else by her, though. So when NetGalley offered this one, I jumped at the chance to grab it. However, it didn’t meet my expectations. I kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever did.

From Goodreads:

In seventh-century Ireland, a scholar and priest called Artt has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. Taking two monks—young Trian and old Cormac—he rows down the river Shannon in search of an isolated spot on which to found a monastery. Drifting out into the Atlantic, the three men find an impossibly steep, bare island inhabited by tens of thousands of birds and claim it for God. In such a place, what will survival mean?

Three men vow to leave the world behind them. They set out in a small boat for an island their leader has seen in a dream, with only faith to guide them. What they find is the extraordinary island now known as Skellig Michael. Haven has Emma Donoghue’s trademark world-building and psychological intensity—but this story is like nothing she has ever written before.

What I did learn is that this story is based on actual history, which always makes a book more interesting, but I wish I had known that ahead of time. Thinking about how people survived back in the seventh century was interesting, but when a book has three characters, the plot has to keep things moving, and this just didn’t. You quickly realize that three people have a hard time sustaining life on an island with few resources is near impossible. I wanted to like this book more than I did. I kept waiting for the aforementioned psychological intensity to occur, but it never did to my satisfaction.

One star added for the writing and world building. I often felt I was there, in the boat or on the island, joining in their prayers and their struggles. Having said that, this is a very slow read, with few moments of urgency or action. That's not a bad thing, because it puts the characters and their lives into sharp focus... and that's where the problem lies.

The three characters share POVs, with equal time given to Artt, Trian and Cormac. In some ways Cormac is the most interesting, since he had a rather full life before joining the Church. Trian's faith is very simple, while Artt's is... different (no spoilers). It's only towards the end, the last 20% or so, that the ending you think is coming into focus shifts in a somewhat surprising way. Still, this was just too slow until that point and if not for the writing I would have DNF'd.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

2.5stars - This just wasn't for me. I found myself dreading reading it.

What I liked:
-I loved the writing. She is a very talented writer.
-The elements of survival. Or how things were done in the 7th century
-The island and the birds. I love birds. I'm a birder so I found this part exciting.

What I didn't like:
-I didn't care for all of the details about monk life. I am not a Christian and I am not particularly interested in learning so much about it. So it this regard this book wasn't for me. I don't mind reading about Christians and Christianity but reading a book where this particular element makes up most of the book is not for me.
-The pacing. For a short book, it felt SO SLOW.

Three monks leave their monastery and head out to an island that Artt dreamed about to claim it for god. Starting off with bare minimum supplies to a totally uninhabited island with a lot of birds started off definitely as a survival story. On reaching their and with dwindling supplies, they question their blind trust and the overzealous Artt. There is a religious struggle in their minds that they need to resolve to calm themselves. At many points, it was preachy and that lowered my interest levels.

The writing is very descriptive especially about the birds which might interest some readers but I feel it did not add much to the plot. It made the monks itself question faith actually so it was more a cautionary tale. A very interesting premise but bogged down by slow pacing and too much detail.

I have enjoyed the author's previous books, but this one missed the mark for me. I liked the premise: set in 7th century Ireland, following a prophetic dream where God tells him to found a new monastery on an island, a priest chooses two monks to accompany him on his quest. They find an island (really, a large barren rock) inhabited only by waterfowl, which the priest decides is the place. There is no water, no vegetation, not even any soil, but the two monks (one elderly, one young) set out to make it work. I really liked the monks but about halfway through the book, I started hoping they would push the priest off the top of the rock into the sea. Disappointing. I gave it three stars for the wonderful descriptions. If you want to read one of Donoghue's historical novels, read Slammerkin instead.