Asylum (Asylum, #1) by Madeleine Roux

 

Final Rating: 3/5 Stars

Pages: 313

Edition: Hardcover

Time Read: 9.24.14 - 9.30.14

Summary:

"For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried."

Review:

I am totally in love with the idea of asylums. The stories behind them are just so fascinating to me. Because of that this book's concept is automatically something I enjoy.

However, the characters in this story were relatively stagnant throughout the entire book. While you had the obvious changes such as when Dan begins to see memories and receive notes from an unknown source, their personalities do not grow in any way. To be frank, I didn't feel any sort of connection with any character and I didn't see any change or development.

The plot of this story was so predictable the only thing that surprised me was the very end. Every single time something new was introduced it was painfully obvious was was going to happen with it.

If you are looking for a teen romance, do not read this book. The relationship in here is appallingly weak; I need to pull out a microscope to see it. It honestly seems like something thrown into the story just to appeal to those who find it necessary for a couple to be in every book they read. The friends dynamic was more than enough for the story, and the romance felt clunky at best.

Throughout Asylum, there are photos that are used to give visuals on certain parts of the story. There were some that I really appreciated and even found creepy; others were very obviously fake and did nothing to immerse me more in the story. I feel like the pictures would have been much better if they weren't all green and were more sepia or black and white.

The ending held the major plot twist that surprised me, and I quite enjoyed it. The action involved in it really drew me in and kept me into the story until it finished.

This book was a quick read for me, and while it was interesting it didn't do much in the way of really drawing me in. The only reason I held so much interest was due to the subject of Asylums. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants a somewhat quick read that might give them some chills if they're easily scared. I also recommend it for anyone who is interested in Asylum related books. It's a decent read for any fan of YA for Halloween!