But the veneer of perfection quickly begins to smudge: for example, who is Eloise and why was her journal hidden inside Aloe’s condo when Aloe was told that it had been never previously uninhabited? Why does Aloe feel stalked by the “steely eyed creeper?” Suspension of disbelief comes thanks to King’s descriptive, verbose language that seeks—and mostly succeeds—to evoke Aloe’s eerie yet pleasing new world in vivid, cinematic images. There’s a consistent psychological edge to Aloe, referenced via internal dialogue, and the pace sparks when Aloe discovers Blue Haven’s dark, unexplained secrets that leave her hiding in her condo, tugging on matted hair, and chewing her fingernails.
Scary and exhilarating, with more twists and turns than a game of Chutes & Ladders, Blue Haven is an ambitious and painstakingly written psychological thought-adventure about the pursuit of pleasure and escape from pain. King offers surprises in terms of perspective and flashbacks, even edging at times toward speculative fiction, building to the urgent question “Why fix your old life, when you can have a new one?”
Takeaway: A grabber of a psychological thriller imagines living the lush life on a private island–or is it something else entirely?
Great for fans of: Rachel Howzell Hall’s They All Fall Down, Michael Redhill’s Bellevue Square.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
A lottery win has enabled introverted diner waitress Aloe Malone, the protagonist of this mind-bending thriller from King (Vanishing Hour), to buy into Blue Haven, “the world’s most lucrative beachfront community,” whose location is a secret. After agreeing to Blue Haven’s strict limits on personal tech and contacts with the outside world, Aloe was sedated before waking up in what seems to be paradise. She has a concierge always on call, restaurants feature celebrity chefs, the ocean’s temperature is regulated to fit her tastes, and an innovative device allows Aloe to sunbathe without risking sunburn or skin cancer. She even emerges from her emotional shell in the company of the other residents, who include a hunky former pro football player. But despite this, Aloe has flashes of unease, which increase after she finds a diary left behind by the former occupant of her home. As the action builds to a jaw-dropping reveal of the truth behind Blue Haven, King makes buy-in to her premise easy by dint of carefully thought-out characterizations and solid prose. This author’s creative imagination yields a story that’s both suspenseful and moving. M. Night Shyamalan fans will be enthralled. (Self-published)
