Book Review: The Hollow by Jessica Verday

Title: The Hollow

Series: The Hollow trilogy #1

Author: Jessica Verday

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Children

Published on: September 6, 2011

Source: own copy

When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone else is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but privately, she refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral, and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he's the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again...but also special. 
Just when Abbey starts to feel that she might survive all this, she learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen's betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her—one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian, as well as her own sanity.

My Thoughts:  

The Hollow was not I expected it to be. Actually, even after reading the synopsis, I didn't quite understand what the story was about..except perhaps it has a connection with The legend of Sleepy Hollow (which I honestly don't have the faintest idea what's it about,teehee). 

Somehow I was engaged in the story even if the story pace was so slow and nothing much was happening until pretty much in the end. The main character, Abbey, is not someone I can relate too. At first, I kind of liked her, but halfway through, I was starting to get irrititated by her over reaction to things. I found lots of over acting situations of Abbey, but some of the sappy moments were sweet, I admit. Caspian was a crushable character, so it was no shock that Abbey was attracted to him. I just didn't like the common back and forth steps they were doing in the novel. Plus, Abbey's gullibleness ticks me off. Sure, she questions some things, but mostly she doesn't and it saddens me how a smart young woman like her could be so stupid. Like, she had no survival instincts or something. For example, she didn't ask why Ben was acting like he was close to Abbey and most especially Kristen. And she didn't ask how Caspian knew her and Krosten in the first place, stuffs like that. 

In the end, while I was mysteriously into the story, but I really found the slowness of the pacing disturbing and irritating. I know many enjoyed the story, but I think it's not for me. Aaand I don't know what to do since I have the second book and I don't want to read it yet..maybe someday.