Mundie Moms

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Book Review- The Haunted

By Jessica Verday
Published by Simon Pulse
Released on August 31st, 2010
Source- From Simon and Schuster
4 stars- I really liked it.

After months spend reclaiming her sanity and trying to forget about the boy she fell in love with-the boy who must not exist, cannot exist, because she knows that he is dead-Abbey returns to Sleepy Hollow, ready to leave the ghosts of her past behind. She throws herself into her schoolwork, her perfume making, and her friendship with Ben, her cute and funny lab partner, who just might be her ticket to getting over Caspian once and for all.

But Abbey can never get over Caspian, and Caspian has no choice but to return to her side, for Caspian is a Shade, and Abbey is his destiny. They are tied not only to each other, but also to the town of Sleepy Hollow, and to the famous legend that binds their fates-a legend whose dark truths they are only beginning to guess.... (taken from the ARC's back cover)

For the past couple of months, Abbey has done everything she can to reclaim her sanity and get over Caspian. Not even living with her Aunt Marjorie on her farm can prepare Abbey for what she feels when she returns home. Abbey is constantly haunted by disturbing dreams and to tries to fool herself into thinking she's normal, she throws herself back into making perfumes, receives tutoring from Ben to help her make up for the schooling she's missed and tries to move on from the grief she still feels over Kristen's death and the hollowness she feels from Caspian's absence.

It took me just a little bit to get into the book, but once I did, I really liked it. Abbey grows a bit more as a character. She tries to move on and convince herself she's fine, she's normal, Caspian had to have been a figment of her imagination. She doesn't feel complete with out him. Abbey continues with her dreams of opening up her own perfume shop and staying in the town she feels a connection to, Sleepy Hollow. When she sees Caspian for the first time in a couple months, her resolve to pretend he didn't exist falls apart. I liked seeing a lot more of Abbey and Caspian together. They are both broken and hurt and they both work to win over each other's hearts and make each other realize that they accept one another for how they are. They resolve to accept their fates and whatever their future holds for them. They both try to make the other feel like they belong in their world, but there's something more sinister going on that may keep Abbey and Caspian from each other.

I really liked getting to know Caspian's character a lot more. He knows how to be quite the romantic. Caspian had me laughing out a loud a few times, as becomes a lot more animated when he's in some same scenes with Ben and Abbey. Though Ben can't seem him, he doesn't hide he's jealous over him. Ben can do things Caspian can't, like touch Abbey. As Abbey and Caspian open up more to each other, they realize that they complete each other in ways no one else can. I liked that, that aspect of their relationship is apart of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. That's not giving anything way, but I like that Jessica reveals more about the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. There's more to the Legend than Abby and Caspian thought.

Jessica wraps up The Haunted with some twists and ends with a cliff hanger. She answered some of my questions I had after reading The Hollow, but with the introduction of some new characters, I'm left questioning what their motives are. With the revelation into who killed Kristen and what role Abbey and Caspian play in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, I'm left with wanting more.

You can find out more about Jessica and her series here http://www.jessicaverday.com/html/01_home.html

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