The Hollow: The Hidden by Jessica Verday

The obvious spoiler warnings for the first two books in the series, The Hollow and The Haunted, apply.

The Hollow: The Hidden by Jessica Verday
Buy The Hollow: The Hidden by Jessica Verday at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Reviewer: Robert James
Summary: Having waited eagerly to see what happened to Abbey and Caspian, I feel a bit let down. Verday's still a skilled writer who has created an incredibly steamy central partnership without being remotely explicit – no mean feat - but the ending to this one was really disappointing.
Buy? Maybe	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 400	Date: September 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1847385000
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Abbey loves Caspian more than ever, and with her death apparentlyapproaching, she knows they will be able to be together forever soon. But why is he growing so distant? Is there something the revenants who are protecting her aren't telling her? And can anyone keep her safe from the rogue revenant Vincent, who attacked her previously?

Jessica Verday answers the above questions in the closing chapter of this trilogy, but leaves a fair few more wide open. In particular, there's one character who I am completely lost on – there doesn't seem to be any explanation given at all for this one, and given how well Verday's storytelling was going throughout the first two books, that's rather irritating. Speaking of irritating – and possibly sounding like I'm talking in riddles in an effort to avoid spoiling anything in this final volume – the ending is one of a type I absolutely loathe. In fairness, there will be lots of people out there who don't have my reaction to it, and I'm sure that will significantly increase their enjoyment of the book, but it really spoilt things for me.

That said, there's still a lot to like about this third book. Abbey and Caspian are certainly one of the most romantic couples in recent teen fiction, able to touch for just one day a year, and waiting so badly for that moment, while he tries to encourage her to live her life to the full rather than just waiting for her death. I also thought the portrayal of Abbey coming to terms with her approaching demise, and the effect it would have on her family and those around her, to be well-handled. Finally, Verday's descriptions of the town of Sleepy Hollow, and the atmospheric way she deals with the supernatural, are just as good as ever.

All in all, I'm struggling to really recommend this as a book in itself – although I'm sure everyone who read the first two will want to find out what happens.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

Further reading suggestion: I'll avoid the paranormal romance I always put here (regular readers of my reviews will know what it is!) and instead give a shout out to Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, which is beautifully written and just as atmospheric as this one.

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You can read more book reviews or buy The Hollow: The Hidden by Jessica Verday at Amazon.com.

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