4/5 stars
Harper, 2013
310 pages
YA Horror Thriller
Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.
I am a complete sucker for books with historical photos included so upon discovering that Asylum was one of those books, I was eager to check it out. As an ARC, it was missing a few pictures but for the most part they were present and really added to the creepy vibe.
The whole premise is pretty dark and creepy though to be honest. Dan is thrilled to be spending his summer attending a college prep course, to be surrounded by other people with a healthy intellectual curiosity instead of being derided for his smarts. Almost instantly he hits it off with two people, one being the prettiest girl he's seen. That night they decide to explore the office of their dorm, formerly a mental asylum for the seriously deranged. This triggers many unpleasant occurrences and leads them to fear for their lives as they attempt to unravel the dark history of this asylum and end up fearing for their own mental health.
See-doesn't that premise promise some thrills? And while I'm admittedly a wimp, I thought this book was very atmospheric and successful in delivering on that. I had no idea what was going on as ghosts seem to threaten their lives...or is it all in Dan's imagination given his own fragile mental state? I had my suspicions and the fast pace of the book and easy writing style quickly confirmed or shot them down.
I don't think this book could be characterized as being heavy on drawing the characters' personality being more interested in spooky going-ons so if you're a reader who likes vivid characters whose souls you get to know inside out, this probably isn't the book for you. If you like a breakneck pace though, you can slip easily into this book for a few hours, coming out at the end with your neck tingling. Could be a fun read for October/Halloween!
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Glad you enjoyed it :D I do like creepy books, but I tried to read this book and could not get into it. But I'm glad you managed to mostly love it :D Thank you for sharing. <3
ReplyDeleteI can see why you DNF-ed this-I've seen quite a few people who put it down and I know it's not for everyone.
DeleteI requested the Arc and was told no! I was like, really people? Do you have any idea who I am?
ReplyDeleteDarn it, four stars, eh? I remember watching a movie similar to this plot. Must read now :-)
I was lucky to get one through Amazon Vine-I never get rejected there :)
DeleteYou had me at "breakneck pace", sounds like a great, creepy Halloween read!
ReplyDeleteYes! I'm hoping to see more bloggers check it out when looking for a little creepy Halloween read.
DeleteDark and creepy plus fast paced sound great.
ReplyDeleteIt was a good combo-I think readers will be pretty satisfied.
DeleteI do like the historical photo mini-trend.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of my favorites-my interest is always piqued when I hear a book has photographs included.
DeleteThis sounds like such a good Halloween read and I looking for some too. :) Great review.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can fit this into your schedule-should scare up a few chills.
DeleteI have heard this wasn't a great book for characters, but I still want to check it out. Seems a bit spooky and fun, so definitely perfect for Halloween. Love that it includes photos.
ReplyDeleteMore plot-driven but still a lot of fun especially since you can tie it thematically with Halloween.
DeleteI had originally planned on not reading this because I figured it would be too scary, but since you admit to being a chicken too, maybe it's not so bad. This is the first review I've seen that actually has me curious to read it.
ReplyDeleteIt's not too scary-just maybe don't read it in the dark?
DeleteI love atmospheric tales, but I'm not hugely into horror or spooky ghost stories. I'm a wimp too! I'll probably skip this one, but I think it's really cool that it includes photographs throughout.
ReplyDeleteThis one isn't too scary-I actually thought it could have used more ghostly elements to spice it up. I don't blame you for skipping it though as it's not a must-read IMO.
DeleteI'm glad you liked this one, I've been looking for some more horror books and the pictures sound really intriguing.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures were so cool-I'm very pleased they were added.
DeleteI can't wait to start this one! I think it's going to be my Halloween read.:) Thanks for the review.:)
ReplyDeleteFun pick-I hope you enjoy it!
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