gabibennett's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
mrose21's review against another edition
3.0
Not sure what to make of this book.
I was so interested as the fact her best friend disappears I thought it was going to be something kind of interesting but it doesn't seem to be.
I don't mind the fact that she seems hooked on a guy straight after her friend died, I kind of expect her grief to show itself in different ways other than the traditional - she is of course a teenager. I just don't get Caspain, he is of course a ghost. I mean that hit me straight away.
There are just so many unanswered things for such a long book. I kind of want to carry on I kind of don't as I was sort of bored reading this. It just took so long to get to the point. (The end is the 'big' reveal!) I just thought maybe this could have come to conclusion quicker and made more sense.
Only really redeeming feature was the fact that she makes perfume, it is a nice little quirk of hers I find myself liking her for and I love the fact that she must be generally good at it as people seem to like what she creates. I think that redeems her for the instant love situation going on, although I wish she would stop crying herself to sleep at night and resolve some crap.
If I read the next book, I need some serious questions answered. 1)Why is Caspain tied to her? 2)Why did her friend die/how did she die? 3)Who is this mystery boyfriend her friend was seeing?
I was so interested as the fact her best friend disappears I thought it was going to be something kind of interesting but it doesn't seem to be.
I don't mind the fact that she seems hooked on a guy straight after her friend died, I kind of expect her grief to show itself in different ways other than the traditional - she is of course a teenager. I just don't get Caspain, he is of course a ghost. I mean that hit me straight away.
There are just so many unanswered things for such a long book. I kind of want to carry on I kind of don't as I was sort of bored reading this. It just took so long to get to the point. (The end is the 'big' reveal!) I just thought maybe this could have come to conclusion quicker and made more sense.
Only really redeeming feature was the fact that she makes perfume, it is a nice little quirk of hers I find myself liking her for and I love the fact that she must be generally good at it as people seem to like what she creates. I think that redeems her for the instant love situation going on, although I wish she would stop crying herself to sleep at night and resolve some crap.
If I read the next book, I need some serious questions answered. 1)Why is Caspain tied to her? 2)Why did her friend die/how did she die? 3)Who is this mystery boyfriend her friend was seeing?
mrsmoger's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
chxnln's review against another edition
2.0
Why wasn't the story syponsis something along the lines of-
"When Abbey's best friend, Kristien, dies, Abbey is thrown into confusion and is unable to accept the death of her best friend. During the funeral, Kristen meets a beautiful and enchanting boy, Caspian, whom Kristen falls in love with."
Because, seriously, the story is pretty much nothing about Kristen's death which was what intrigued me into reading this book in to the first place. I guess that out of the twenty-or-so chapters, only a few were focused on Kristen's death and the rest were just swooning over Caspian.
This book was surely a disappointment for me, but only because it was way too concentrated on Caspian to my liking. I guess romantics who pick up this book will love it because the story was, admittedly, well-written. And since this book has let me down, I will be bringing my expectations over to the second book, "The Haunted" and hope that it will be better than this.
"When Abbey's best friend, Kristien, dies, Abbey is thrown into confusion and is unable to accept the death of her best friend. During the funeral, Kristen meets a beautiful and enchanting boy, Caspian, whom Kristen falls in love with."
Because, seriously, the story is pretty much nothing about Kristen's death which was what intrigued me into reading this book in to the first place. I guess that out of the twenty-or-so chapters, only a few were focused on Kristen's death and the rest were just swooning over Caspian.
This book was surely a disappointment for me, but only because it was way too concentrated on Caspian to my liking. I guess romantics who pick up this book will love it because the story was, admittedly, well-written. And since this book has let me down, I will be bringing my expectations over to the second book, "The Haunted" and hope that it will be better than this.
gracreads's review
1.0
I can't say I overly enjoyed this book. It lacked the excitement I was looking for in a "thriller." I waited and waited for the climax, but it never really came. Maybe the next book or books has more action, but I don't find myself reading those anytime soon. If you are looking for a book full of rising action and rising action only, then this is the book for you
pearlagcalo's review against another edition
1.0
1.5⭐️ and that's generous. We grew up a short drive from the real Sleepy Hollow so the legend is very close to home. This book is loosely tied to the Headless Horseman story and it just never picks up. Ever. Everyone in here falls flat, there's nothing underneath. Bummed, I wasted my rainy day.
tifflovesbooks80's review
3.0
Not really sure how I feel about this one. It was a quick read, but I felt it dragged on for forever before the big reveal (which I had already guessed...).
kricketa's review
1.0
first thoughts: this book is poorly written to the point of being laughable. it reminds me of when i was listening to dave barry's satire of twilight. i have decided to look at it as a comedy and continue listening, for now.
update #2: I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. did anyone edit this book? it's a mishmash of cliches studded with unlikely situations. why would the cheerleaders 1. try to get abbey on the prom committee and then 2. kick her off the prom committee for not enjoying a muffin but then 3. try to line up prom dates for her and 4. call her a loser? does the whole squad have bipolar disorder? why is abbey's mom being so mean to her when her best friend just died? why would people be buying disposable cameras to go to the prom? is this not 2010? how can abbey fill an entire notebook with a letter to kristen in less than an hour? why is abbey not alarmed that a stranger shows up at kristen's funeral and knows her name and never tells her how he knew kristen, but when ben shows up at her locker- (and they go to the same school)- she thinks he's stalking her?
update #3: caspian kissed her passionately in the library and gave her a necklace with his bizarre nickname for her on it. why is abbey still wondering if he likes her?! abbey finds kristen's diary which insinuates that her secret boyfriend persuaded her to commit suicide. WHY IS ABBEY WHINING BECAUSE KRISTEN DIDN'T TELL HER ABOUT THE SECRET BOYFRIEND RATHER THAN BEING SUPER ALARMED BY THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS? WHAAAAAAAAAAT?
update #4: oh my god, he sketched a picture of her floundering around in the river in her prom dress and named it "abbey's pain." HAHAHAHAHA. no, i actually laughed aloud at that part.
conclusion: so...nothing actually gets resolved in this first book. nothing at all. we learn everything about every single second of a day in abbey's life, from how long it takes her to get out of bed on a cold morning to how much she whines when her mother won't make her hot chocolate to what she gets uncle bob for christmas...but in terms of the kristen mystery, abbey just reads her diary, finds out some effed up stuff about her secret boyfriend, and then just drops it to work on her science fair project with benjamin bennet. (HAH! no, that's really his name.) talk about slow-moving.
what i did like is the setting, sleepy hollow. verday does do a good job setting the atmosphere with the small downtown, the cemetery, and everyone talking about the legend all the time. that and laughing at the melodramatic dialogue was what kept me going through all 10 discs of the audiobook.
but seriously: OMGWTFBBQ.
update #2: I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. did anyone edit this book? it's a mishmash of cliches studded with unlikely situations. why would the cheerleaders 1. try to get abbey on the prom committee and then 2. kick her off the prom committee for not enjoying a muffin but then 3. try to line up prom dates for her and 4. call her a loser? does the whole squad have bipolar disorder? why is abbey's mom being so mean to her when her best friend just died? why would people be buying disposable cameras to go to the prom? is this not 2010? how can abbey fill an entire notebook with a letter to kristen in less than an hour? why is abbey not alarmed that a stranger shows up at kristen's funeral and knows her name and never tells her how he knew kristen, but when ben shows up at her locker- (and they go to the same school)- she thinks he's stalking her?
update #3: caspian kissed her passionately in the library and gave her a necklace with his bizarre nickname for her on it. why is abbey still wondering if he likes her?! abbey finds kristen's diary which insinuates that her secret boyfriend persuaded her to commit suicide. WHY IS ABBEY WHINING BECAUSE KRISTEN DIDN'T TELL HER ABOUT THE SECRET BOYFRIEND RATHER THAN BEING SUPER ALARMED BY THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS? WHAAAAAAAAAAT?
update #4: oh my god, he sketched a picture of her floundering around in the river in her prom dress and named it "abbey's pain." HAHAHAHAHA. no, i actually laughed aloud at that part.
conclusion: so...nothing actually gets resolved in this first book. nothing at all. we learn everything about every single second of a day in abbey's life, from how long it takes her to get out of bed on a cold morning to how much she whines when her mother won't make her hot chocolate to what she gets uncle bob for christmas...but in terms of the kristen mystery, abbey just reads her diary, finds out some effed up stuff about her secret boyfriend, and then just drops it to work on her science fair project with benjamin bennet. (HAH! no, that's really his name.) talk about slow-moving.
what i did like is the setting, sleepy hollow. verday does do a good job setting the atmosphere with the small downtown, the cemetery, and everyone talking about the legend all the time. that and laughing at the melodramatic dialogue was what kept me going through all 10 discs of the audiobook.
but seriously: OMGWTFBBQ.
imawriter23's review
4.0
I made a slight review here - http://rkocenaholic23.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/hollow-fied/