Review: Hav3n, by Tom Easton

Hav3n, a mix of avian and human flu, is spreading across the world. It's deadly. It's 100% contagious. There's no escape.


One tiny village in England is spared, through the last minute discovery of a vaccine. 82 people left; as far as they can tell, the only people left in the world. Now the danger really begins.


Hav3n starts right in the thick of the outbreak and never lets up. The village of Little Sheen, isolated and often overlooked, sets up barricades to keep everyone out, though the disease finds its way in anyway. Only the timely intervention of a virologist who works in the village saves them. Alone in the world, the villagers start making plans for the future. But why do so many of the plans revolve around the village's four teenagers? Why are they more and more restricted? As the village splits into factions, the children are caught in the middle – and the danger didn't end with the virus...


The tension never lets up in this fascinating story. It's a stand alone, but I'd be happy to read more stories set in this world. Maybe there really were other survivors out there somewhere? Tom Easton has obviously done his research and every detail of life After The End rings true.


Parental warning; some relatively detailed descriptions of symptoms of the plague; discussions of marriage for procreation purposes. Some very mild cursing. Some descriptions of gun injuries and wild dog attacks.


'Where's Kitty?' Sam asked, changing the subject.

'She's in her room, where she'll be for the next week.'

Sam rolled his eyes. 'Oh, right. Her too. What's she done? Sneezed without using a tissue? Laughed on a Sunday?'

'Rather more serious than that,' Monica replied frostily. 'Adultery.'

'Eh? Who with?'

'Joshua Pirbright.'

'What?' Sam said, brow furrowed. It felt like a demon was sitting in his brain, stabbing at the back of his eyes with a pitchfork. 'Neither of them are married – however much you've tried to force it.'

'She's engaged, Sam,' Monica said through pursed lips.

'OK, I officially pronounce you as insane as Michael,' Sam said. 'I'm off.'

'Where are you going?' she snapped as he stepped gingerly down the stairs. 'We should have dinner first and then we'll go together. We'll face this as a family.'

'Actually, I'd rather go on my own,' Sam said. 'Don't worry, I will go to the town meeting like a good little citizen. But first I'm going to go see Reg to find out if he has any sodding aspirin.'