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Critic's Corner
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SAFE HAVEN In his fifteenth novel, Nicholas Sparks, #1 New York Times bestselling author, brings us a tale of love turned sinister, relating the suspenseful story of a woman who must learn to trust again in order to love again. When Katie, a mysterious young woman, appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport located at the mouth of the Cape Fear river, people begin to talk. Like most small towns everybody knows your business. Nobody knows Katie’s. Katie rents a small cottage on the edge of town, gets a job waiting tables at Ivan’s café, and avoids forming personal ties. It’s obvious to some that she’s afraid of something or someone. Actually she’s struggling with a dark secret that terrifies her. A secret that sets her on a shattering journey across the country. until she finds the sheltered oasis of Southport. She meets Alex Wheatley who owns the country store not far from her rented cottage. Alex is a former Army major who was with the CID (Criminal Investigation Division). Now he’s a widower raising two young children, Josh and Kristen. Slowly, Katie becomes friends with five-year-old Kristen, then her father. Katie’s only other new friend is Jo, who moved into the cottage next door. Jo is a good listener and soon learns something of Katie’s past. Jo used to live in Southport and just recently returned. She knew Alex and his children and tells Katie they’re good people, kind, and trustworthy. As spring turns to summer, Katie begins to let her guard down. She allows Alex and his children into her life, a move that Jo approves of. Alex senses Katie is in some sort of trouble and if she’ll let him, wants to help her. He studies the young woman as he once studied the wives of abusive soldiers. They, as Katie, had similar “tells,” guarded personalities, and nervous fingers that often played with wedding rings they no longer wore. He becomes positive Katie is running, frightened, and has been badly abused. One rainy night Jo and Katie spend an evening talking. Katie tells Jo about a “friend” back in Boston who was in a bad marriage. She endured beatings, Katie said, and other abuses from the man she thought she loved. Twice she’d tried to escape. The last time he found her and put a gun to her head promising to kill her if she ever tried to run again. Her friend believed her husband would kill her, because by then she realized he was crazy. Jo asked why the friend hadn’t called the police. “She couldn’t,” Katie said, “her husband was the police, a homicide detective with the Boston Police Department.” So, for a year the friend made a plan and finally found a way to escape for good. She knew if she stayed, one day he would kill her, that was a given. Putting her plan into play she ran, ran far away. “Your friend had a lot of courage,” Jo said. “No,” Katie replied, “My friend is scared all the time.” Sparks does romance slow and easy. The relationship between Katie and Alex has controlled passion that feels right considering their circumstances. As their love grows, Katie dares to dream that one day, she might deserve a man like Alex. Using flashbacks and present time Katie’s obsessive husband Kevin Tierney is revealed as a mentally deranged individual. These passages are some of the best characterizations I’ve ever read from Sparks. A sense of terror grows and you know something evil will soon be unleashed. I felt I was with Katie as she runs for her life and then tries to make a new life for herself. On the other hand, I also felt Kevin’s insane, hypocritical ravings on a personal level. He’s close enough for you to feel his hot breath upon your skin. This gives rise to an intensity not usually experienced in a Spark’s novel. Who knew this author could do suspense so well? The plotting, characterizations, and sense of place are as good as it gets. I’m serious when I say the last third of this story made me shiver with anticipation of what might come next. Then, out of the blue comes a startling ending I doubt even the most astute reader will see coming. Yes, it’s that good and that shocking. Bravo Nick, you’ve outdone yourself with “Safe Haven!” Buy Safe
Haven Patricia Ann Jones is a published writer and has recently retired from her position of 18 years as a reviewer for the Tulsa World newspaper. To comment on this review you may email pattij777@aol.com. |
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from Amazon.com
