Everhaven is a science fiction book written for young adults and teens, but as a fifty-year-old, I enjoyed it. It begins with this sentence, “The Dead always ring three times.” Abbie, as the Everhaven’s Rester, knows what that means. The Dead have unfinished business and she is the one who helps them with it. When some of the Dead don’t end up on her doorstep, she knows something is amiss.
The Provider keeps everyone in Everhaven safe and healthy because of a contract signed many years earlier. The people of Everhaven were to be devoted to the Provider in exchange for this way of life, and they were; not everyone felt great admiration for the Provider though.
These few are the ones who work to discover the truth to save the souls of their townspeople. Following their lead, two teenagers, Abbie and Preston, struggle to find the truth about their small town, a town they are not allowed to leave.
This takes them on a dangerous path, seeing and hearing things that would boggle any person’s mind. They delve into a world of evil; the Underneath is that evil. It is not Hell but could be construed that way. Are two teenagers possibly capable of dealing with such anguish? Can they help their town, a town that doesn’t see any problems?
Although the townspeople of Everhaven are protected from some of the rotten parts of life, there are still issues. There are people who are devoted to the Provider and those that aren’t. Devotion is required, and consequences follow for those showing otherwise. People in power think of themselves first, even when others are harmed, even when they know they are accepting lies. The age-old problem of selfishness is abundant.
I never know what to expect with science fiction. Authors have so many awesome scenarios that play out in different ways. Everhaven has an interesting plotline. It involves a fight against good and evil, even though most don’t realize the problems happening right under their noses. There are creepy, grotesque creatures, an evil leader, and a group of people known simply as the Silence. The ending gave me a sense of relief while also allowing the story to continue; Newhaven, book two of the Reaper Trilogy was recently released. Guess who is ready to continue on with this odd but interesting story? ME
