Review of The Safe Haven

[Unique Ego]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Safe Haven" by Marcus Bright.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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When Mark and his childhood sweetheart, Vicky, write a thesis on how consumerism and corporate greed are ruining the world, they have a dream about leaving everything and going back to the ancient ways of living, estimating that it would take years to accomplish. They are surprised and elated when a scientist they both cherish reads their thesis and offers to help them realize their dream. Now armed with funds, Mark and Vicky acquire lands in a remote location and establish a haven―they call it Oasis―for individuals looking to abandon the earth's self-destructive civilization.

Twenty-five years after the establishment of Oasis, Damian Brady, the CEO of a deceptive manufacturing company, tries unsuccessfully to destroy evidence of the damage his products have caused the ecosystem. This attempt to conceal evidence has done more harm than good; it has knocked Earth slightly off its axis, causing catastrophic changes in weather patterns and the severity of natural disasters. When Brady discovers that Oasis would be one of the least affected locations on the planet, he moves to take over the haven. How do things play out? Does Oasis survive the man-made catastrophe? Does Damian succeed in his attempt to take over Oasis?

The Safe Haven by Marcus Bright was ultimately a story about good versus evil. But there was nothing supernatural (like angels or demons) about this story or its characters; it was simply about ordinary people fighting to defeat man's consumerist nature and return to simpler forms of living that were kinder to the planet. I liked that the underlying themes in this story―selflessness, greed, love, and strength―could be seen mainly through the lives of the major characters. In my opinion, this helped maintain the story's focus and impact.

I enjoyed reading about Mark, Vicky, and a few others as their values pushed them to fight relentlessly for what they believed. The story arcs of Mark and Vicky made much sense to me. I liked how Bright developed these two characters. The details of their backstory traced back to their earlier years in a way that made their decision to establish a haven believable. Just like the two protagonists, Damian's character was sufficiently developed as well. He was the quintessential malefactor of the story, given his deception as a CEO and his subsequent decision to ruin Mark's and Vicky's lifelong work at Oasis. These three characters perfectly summed up the battle between good and evil.

While I could guess the general direction of the story, Bright still managed to include a few plot twists that added positively to an already enjoyable story. The only bit of concern I had was how the author kept switching between Michael and Mike while referring to the same character. Using these two names interchangeably was initially confusing―it didn't help that there was also a character named Michaella―but I eventually got to grips with it.

This tale was exciting to read and got me thinking about some sensitive issues―like global warming and deforestation―adversely affecting our planet. I found only two grammatical problems while reading, which means that it was professionally edited. Owing to the story's themes, the characters' values and beliefs, and the story's message, I rate it an unreserved 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to humanitarians, environmentalists, geologists, and anyone concerned about the condition of our planet.

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The Safe Haven
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[Amy Luman]

Everything written in the review makes me want to read the book. I love to see how others (Mark, Vicky, Damian) live. Thanks for the review!

[Aarti Jha]

"I enjoyed reading about Mark, Vicky, and a few others as their values pushed them to fight relentlessly for what they believed"- This line impressed me the most in the entire review. Fighting relentlessly for things we believe in is totally relatable to my beliefs. Thank you for writing this. Well-written review.

[Faith - Benny Any]

This book taught me something - That we can still persistently go after what we desire. Mark and Vicky exhibited this.

[marta baglioni]

I am curious about were their solutions for Oasis. Thank you for your work

[Nathaniel Owolabi]

Great with on the review. This makes want to read the book. This review has spiked my interest and I do plan on reading this book. I hope it turns out to be as interesting as the review puts it out to be. I love the storyline and I expect it to be worth my while. Great job by author and reviewer.