Book Review: The Hidden

The Hidden (The Hollow #3)

By: Jessica Verday

Narrated By: Cassandra Campbell

Published By: Blackstone Audio

Publication Date: September 2011

Audio Length: 9 hours, 28 minutes

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: Library

Audience: Young Adult - Paranormal Romance

On the Writing and Story:

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this one. I loved The Hollow, but found The Haunted to be mediocre. The Hidden lands somewhere in between. There were many elements I loved, but there were also several things that irked me. It was nice to see book three pull the series from its sophomore slump in order to finish with a bang.

This installment answers a lot of my lingering questions. You find out exactly what the purpose of the Revenants is and why they are hanging around Sleepy Hollow. You also find out more about Kristen's death. These were things that really bothered me about book two so it was nice to finally have complete resolution. I wish that I had read this series straight through instead of having to wait between books. I would have enjoyed things more and seen the complete resolution much faster. 

I really enjoy Jessica Verday's writing style and she once again won me over with the setting and Sleepy Hollow lore. Those elements kept me coming back for more even when my response to the plot was lackluster. The seance, Caspian's death day, and the ending were highlights of this book and boosted my original rating from a 3 to a 3.5. It takes a lot of effort on the reader's part to wade through the stagnant moments, but there is a reward for your time.

My one major complaint with this book is Abbey. She's so young yet she's willing to give up everything - her dreams of owning a perfume shop, her family, her life - all to be with Caspian. While I can certainly appreciate her devotion and loyalty, I was actually horrified by some of her decisions. It didn't seem logical to me that she would stop caring about her life. I didn't like how she changed throughout the series. She became someone I didn't understand or like very much. I had a lot of trouble remembering that she was the protagonist. Abbey's actions are covered in the stench of selfishness. She only cares about what she wants and she doesn't care that others will be hurt. I don't like heroines who throw away their identity for a guy. With that being said, as a teenager I probably would have been much more sympathetic to Abbey's plight. I was quite the hopeless romantic as a teen. I'm sure selfish desires would have won out over common sense for me at Abbey's age as well.

All in all, I'm glad I spent time with this series. It's entertaining and includes so many fascinating elements. 

On the Audio:

Blah. It wasn't good. At all. I disliked the narrators cadence and she sounded too old for Abbey. I would recommend skipping the audio and reading the books on your own. I contribute a lot of my response to the story to the narrator. I didn't like her which left me feeling jaded.

One Last Gripe: I miss the magic I felt in book one. It had me captivated.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: The Sleepy Hollow lore

First Sentence: All I could hear was my heart beating.

Favorite Character: Cyn

Least Favorite Character: Vincent

Summary:

A love that knows no bounds. 

Abbey knows that Caspian is her destiny. Theirs is a bond that transcends even death. But as Abbey finally learns the full truth about the dark fate that links her to Caspian and ties them both to the town of Sleepy Hollow, she suddenly has some very hard choices to make. Caspian may be the love of her life, but is that love worth dying for? 

Beautifully spun, emotionally gripping, and irresistibly romantic, The Hidden will leave you breathless.