The Hollow

January 11, 2010
Verday's debut novel, the first in a planned trilogy, is well-written, but enigmatic and ultimately unsatisfying. Abbey's best friend Kristen is dead, but Abbey knows it couldn't have been suicide as is rumored. Devastated and lonely, Abbey is sleepwalking through her junior year of high school when she meets Caspian, a mysterious boy who tries to help her deal with her grief. He makes her feel giddy and desired, but she's confused and frustrated by their relationship: he runs hot and cold, and he's secretive, too. After Abbey discovers Kristen's hidden diary, she begins questioning how her closest friend could have kept such important secrets from her. The central mystery here is the circumstances surrounding Kristen's death, but little information is gained and nothing is resolved. Caspian is also ambiguous until the last few pages, and there's little supernatural atmosphere despite the focus on Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (Verday's story is set in the same town). The tale unfolds slowly and doesn't lead to a climax, but rather to more questions, which remain left unanswered at the abrupt ending, presumably left to later books. Ages 12âup.

A devastated Abbey must attend her junior year at Sleepy Hollow High alone following her best friend's accidental death. Cassandra Campbell convincingly portrays Abbey's confusion and depression as she clings to the hope that Kristen is not actually dead. While Abbey's mournful tones carry the story, Campbell is less evocative as the secondary characters, such as the love interest, Caspian; the graveyard caretaker, Nicholas; and Abbey's concerned parents. Set in a town with a legendary haunted past, the story has an overall tone that is suitably eerie, and it ends with a surprising twist. Paranormal romance fans will be clamoring for Book 2. J.M. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine