Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Blog Tour: Book Review: Glistening Haven by Jill Cooper






Glistening Haven
Author Jill Cooper
Purchase at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

Synopsis: A sexy dystopian novel, The Glistening Haven is set in the future where society's attempt for beauty and perfection nearly destroyed it. Murder, sex, duplicity and drama, join us in the world of New Haven 56
Susan Monroe doesn't ask for much: good grades from her children, a house with room for a pool, to be the best Tupperware party host in New Haven 56.
But inside her tranquil 1950s styled community, a monster lurks. A monster that lives inside Susan, and every one of her superficially perfect neighbors, held in check by the oppressive police state that rules over them.

Susan's happy life is torn apart when her teenage son goes missing the same night an explosion rips apart the community. Susan knows it’s only a matter of time before the police start breaking down their doors.

Before the reconditioning begins and Susan's identity is lost, she must do one final thing.

Find her son.

Brought to you by TeamNerd reviewer Bridget Strahin

Review: To be honest, I really wasn't expecting to enjoy this book. As a rule, I usually tend to stay away from Dystopian novels. I can never get into them and find it hard to connect with any of the characters.  It always ends in disaster for me.
But that wasn't the case with Glistening Haven.
New Haven 56 is a town frozen in the 50's. My least favorite time period. Everything is very Leave it to Beaver and Pleasantville. The glistenings--who are very good at pretending to be human--are taken from their lives in the outside and placed in New Haven 56. They are pretty much brainwashed and forced to live a structured life. It's terrible.
First we are introduced to Susan. A typical house wife, mother of two teenagers, and very accustomed to her life in the safety of New Haven 56. She's friendly and welcoming. You get the impression though that deep down she wishes for freedom but wouldn't risk her family's safety to obtain it. And as you will learn, Susan will do anything to keep her family safe. I was instantly drawn to her.
Then there was Wendy. The Police Chief's daughter. Oh poor, poor human Wendy. She falls in love with a glistening named Jake and during their secret romance, a baby is conceived. Part human, part glistening. She does her best to hide her pregnancy for as long as she can but when the truth finally comes out. Fit hits the shan!
There are so many characters in this book, Megan, Jake, Jenna, Travis the Police Chief. All of the characters in this book were fleshed out flawlessly and I actually felt like I was in the same room with them. And then to weave all these characters into a plot that has you wishing you read faster just so you can get to the next page, was just . . .wow.
I was drawn first and foremost to Cooper's talent. Like I said, I don't do Dystopian's but Cooper's writing style was something that I had to appreciate and I couldn't seem to put the book down. At one point, I was like: I can't believe this book is actually happening. I can't believe I actually like it! Cooper has definitely changed my views on the Dystopian genre.
For everyone who loves the Dystopian and science-fiction genre, I would definitely give this book a try. I highly doubt you'll be disappointed.
Author Bio: Jill Cooper loves tea more than coffee and is obsessed over finding that perfect recipe.She was born in 1977 and shared a room with her sister for 18 years. Early on she had dreams of writing romances and mysteries. It was something she did when most kids were trying out for softball or out riding bikes.

She's always loved dark mysteries, but also enjoys a great comedy so she tries to include both these things in everything she writes, one way or another.
She lives in Danvers, MA with two cats, a toddler, a husband, and a 1964 yellow taxi. Her life is chaotic, but fun.
Where to find the author:
Goodreads

Blog Tour Set Up By SupaGurl Tours

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