Book Review & Perfume Giveaway: The Haunted by Jessica Verday

THE HAUNTED (THE HOLLOW, BOOK 2) BY JESSICA VERDAY
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse (August 31, 2010)
Language: English
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

An impossible truth. An impossible love.

After a summer spent reclaiming her sanity and trying to forget 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....
Read the first chapter here.

Book Opening: 

I'm not ready to go back. "Can I just stay here forever?" I leaned my head against the seat of Aunt Marjorie's car. "I don't eat very much, and really, who needs to graduate from high school?"

Notable Scene: 

"If i could touch anything in the world right now, it would be our heart. I want to take that piece of you and keep it with me when I'm alone in the dark."

His voice ached, and I ached right along with him.

"I want to feel your heartbeat too," I whispered.

"Pretend," he said. "Can you do that? Pretend I'm alive and there's nothing between us. Nothing at all. I'm real and warm and alive." - Page 420-421

The small town of Sleepy Hollow is one that conjures up images of deliciously spooky cemeteries, creeping shadows and unexplained mysteries. Jessica Verday excels in the use of sensory description to enhance a story. When I read the first book in the series, THE HOLLOW, I could almost smell Abby's delectable perfumes, the tantalizing aroma of her snicker doodle cookies and  feel the biting rain on my skin as I ran with her through the cemetery in her mud-ridden black prom dress.  Verday's follow up, THE HAUNTED, was even more romantic and mysterious with great character development and a killer cliffhanger guaranteed to keep you coming back for more.

I found Abbey's character so much more mature in this book.  She was strong and more self-assured in her choices.  One thing about Abbey I have always found so fascinating is her ability to channel all her thoughts and feelings into creating perfumes which truly capture the people in her life.

I also loved how Caspian had more "on-screen" time than he did in the first book which was great to see. The dialogue between Abbey and Caspian intrigued me every time they met.  Also, a great deal more of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow was incorporated into the plot, which was something I personally love learning about. 

In regards to the first book, my one critique was that there was so much unimportant filler clogging up the narrative. At times nothing seemed to happen beyond the hum-drum of Abbey going about her daily routine. I have to say that in comparing THE HAUNTED with THE HOLLOW, Verday's writing has gotten so much tighter this time around. I was impressed with how much she's grown as a writer. But the beginning of THE HAUNTED was very slow. Once I got past the first 100 pages, however, the story definitely kicked in and surpassed its predecessor in so many ways.

Verday answered many lingering questions I had from THE HOLLOW, particularly about Abbey's best friend Kristen.  We finally found out who "D" was!  He's mysterious though, and after meeting him, I had even more questions than I did before. But a lot of the issues surrounding Caspian and Abbey's relationship were explained, which was so appreciated.  The ending definitely left me reeling and is quite the cliffhanger. But I'm certain all will be revealed in the third installment of the trilogy, THE HORROR.

Despite a slow start, THE HAUNTED did not disappoint. It was an enchanting story of love, loss and the ties that bind.

 

Jessica Verday wrote the first draft of her debut novel, The Hollow, by hand, using thirteen spiral-bound notebooks and fifteen black pens. She likes: things that smell nice, rainy nights, old books, cemeteries, Johnny Cash, zombie movies, L.J. Smith books, abandoned buildings, trains, and snow. She is currently hand-writing the continuation of Abbey and Caspian’s story from her home in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Find out more at jessicaverday.com.

CONTEST IS CLOSED

Up for grabs now is your chance to win a
 1 ml vial of PERFUME!

The scent is called  "Abbey" after none other than the protag herself. All you need to do is leave a comment attached to this post with your email address and you will be entered to win. Contest ends 9-24 and is open to all entrants with a valid U.S. mailing address.
Good luck!

Note** This giveaway is for the PERFUME only and does not include the book.

Check out Teen {Book Scene} for more tour stops and chances to win!