Book vs. Movie???

Review by Anna and Sydney

After seeing the movie and reading the book Safe Haven, we found there were lots of differences and similarities between the two. One of the most noticeable differences was the fact that a character named “Amber” was taken out in the movie. She had met Katie’s husband Kevin at a bar one night and convinces Kevin to cheat on his wife. While we believed that this scene was inappropriate, it was somewhat important when it came to the building of Kevin’s character. Amber helps readers understand how helpless, selfish, and desperate Kevin really is. Another difference that we spotted while we were watching the movie was Alex’s daughter’s name. For some reason they changed it from Kristen to Lexi. Kristen in our opinion was a very fitting name for this character, who portrayed a mature little girl. Lexi seems unfitting for a character like Kristen who has grown so much after her mother’s death. The next change we saw was the beginning of the movie. It started with Katie stabbing her husband in the arm so she could run away. We feel that this simple portrayal of the story does not give credit to the genius Katie was when planning her escape. Katie’s escape plan was very detailed in the book, but in the movie the plan was simply expressed in about five minutes worth of film. Another difference that we noticed was some personalities of characters. Katie was less shy and we think that didn’t show how afraid she was to know her husband was looking for her to take her back. Alex was also different because he didn’t seem as affectionate toward others as he was in the book. Most of the time, it didn’t seem that the characters were very true to the book.  

While there were these fairly minor differences, we felt that a lot of the movie stayed similar to the book. One thing that we were grateful stayed in the movie and the book was the character of Jo. She was an influential character in Katie’s life and at the end, she was even more important when Katie realized who she really was. Another great similarity we loved was the beach scene. Here, Alex and his kids invited Katie along to their beach escapade, and they had fun from dawn to dusk. This scene was also a great bonding moment for Alex and Katie, causing them to grow more attached to each other. Even Lexi/Kristen and Josh seemed to like Katie more after that event. The next similarity we want to stress was the fire of Alex’s house in the end. This scene was very important because so many things were going on at once. Kevin was there, Lexi was on top of the roof and Alex was far away. What could get worse? Luckily for the characters, everything turned out alright for almost everyone. We both cried during this part in the movie and the book because of all the chaos that was happening to the characters we loved. Alex already lost his wife and to lose his business and home as well was devastating. Fortunately, only the store burned down in the movie because it was separate from the house.

Overall, we felt for probably the first time in all book history that the movie was better than the book. The reason we thought this was true was mostly because we didn’t like all of the details about Kevin’s life that were happening instead of Katie’s relationship with Alex. While we felt some of it was necessary, we liked that the movie focused more on Katie. The book was quite inappropriate at times and luckily,  most of the things were taken out that we felt uncomfortable about. Especially the part where he cheated on Katie with Amber. Overall, both the book and the movie were extremely good and we would recommend them to anyone who loves suspence and romance!

Review on the Movie!

Post by Sydney

If you are one of those people who wants to see the movie before they read the book, Safe Haven is definitely a good choice for you. This captivating movie is very similar to the book that I read with Anna about Katie who runs away from her abusive husband Kevin. She migrates to Southport, North Carolina by bus and finds a small shack for sale. Jo, Katie's future friend, moves in next door, and the two get to know each other. The movie also shows Katie finding a job at the town's most popular restaurant, Ivan's. Just down the road is the general store that Alex owns. Katie visits the store to see both him and his children to look for things to improve her weary house. The two of them develop an instant connection. Alex and Katie go out on a few dates, feeling a strong chemistry since they have so much in common. However, the movie has many changes of perspective as it shows a determined Kevin who is trying to find his wife. He even puts up a sign claiming Katie is wanted for murder. Finally after weeks of investigation, Kevin finally locates Katie and drives down to North Carolina  to force her back home. Meanwhile, Katie and Alex go to a fair on the Fourth of July with the kids and Alex asks Katie if she could watch his daughter Lexi while he sets off the fireworks. He would only be down the street.While Katie is at home that evening, she opens the door to a surprise guest: Kevin. He is delirious, telling Katie that he is more than sorry for what he did to her. Unable to forgive him, Katie tells him to leave, but he sets fire to the store. Luckily, Katie safely evacuates Lexi and sends her off to the house before Kevin attacks Katie. The two wrestle around, Kevin with a gun in hand, when Alex finally comes to the rescue. Right when he is approaching the brawl, he hears a gun shot. Gasping in horror, Alex runs to them, just as Katie rolls over, relieved. The day after is spent going through things that belong to Alex's family. Some of the remnants include letters that Alex's old wife had written to his children such as, On her Graduation Day, or When he Gets Married. One of the most special letters is entitled, For Her. This letter is meant to be given to the one woman who Alex believes is the one for him. Realizing he has finally met his match, Alex gives it to Katie. She reads this heartfelt letter, almost in tears when she gets to the end. Attached with a paperclip is a picture of Alex's old wife with her kids. If you decide to see the movie, the ending will really surprise you.
In my opinion, this was one of the best movies I have ever seen. It taught an immediate theme, and I found myself drawn in to every moment. If you loved the book, you are also going to love the movie!

Review on the Book!

Post by Anna

For anybody who wants to read Safe Haven, I would absolutely recommend it. The story is about a girl named Katie who shows up in the small town of Southport, North Carolina one day. Katie is very shy at first, but as she gets more comfortable in her new rental home on the outskirts of town, she becomes friends with her next door neighbor, Jo. She also becomes occupied by her job at the local restaurant, Ivan's and feels that this town is finally starting to feel like home. One night when Katie is with Jo, she asks about her past and Katie shares her story for the first time. She tells Jo that "her friend" escaped her husband Kevin that was abusive to her. By taking a few dollars at a time from Kevin's wallet, stealing the identity of her neighbor's daughter who passed away, and buying a cell phone to rewire the land line, she was finally able to escape when her husband was on a trip. Katie knows that Kevin continues to look for her, but still allows herself to become close to Alex, a man who owns the grocery store in town. His wife died a few years ago, and it has been a struggle for him to balance work and his children. They start falling in love and when Katie is watching the kids while Alex is away one night, she wakes to a fire that was started by none other than Kevin. He had found her after a long time of searching and looking for clues. Katie heroically leads the children to safety out of the house, only stopping for a little while to look at a picture of Alex's wife that looks strangely familiar. With help from Alex who arrives shortly after the fire, Katie fights Kevin. In the end, the two of them are standing on Katie's porch and Kevin thinks he is pointing a gun at her, but shoots himself instead. When everything is straightened out, Katie and Alex are standing in the ash of his house when he gives her a letter that is very surprising!
I thought this book was very suspenseful and you would never guess the ending! The plot was really well written and I really enjoyed how well romance was balanced with other elements of the book to make it more than just a love story. If you love action mixed with romance, this is definitely the book for you!