Thursday, December 8, 2016

Review: Wake the Hollow by Gaby Triana

Book Blurb:

Forget the ghosts, Mica. It’s real, live people you should fear.

Tragedy has brought Micaela Burgos back to her hometown of Sleepy Hollow. It’s been six years since she chose to live with her father in Miami instead of her eccentric mother. And now her mother is dead.

This town will suck you in and not let go.

Sleepy Hollow may be famous for its fabled headless horseman, but the town is real. So are its prejudices and hatred, targeting Mica’s family as outsiders. But ghostly voices carry on the wind, whispering that her mother’s death was based on hate…not an accident at all. With the help of two very different guys—who pull at her heart in very different ways—Micaela must awaken the hidden secret of Sleepy Hollow…before she meets her mother’s fate.

Find the answers.

Unless, of course, the answers find you first.

My Review:

3 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Ghosts, Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense, Teen--

Micaela received a note from her mother telling her to come home right around the same time that her mother died. Micaela makes the trip back to her home town of Sleepy Hollow too late to speak to her mother, but not too late to find out what her mother wanted from her. Most people don’t want Micaela back and thought her mother was crazy, but there are secrets buried here that must be uncovered. Everyone is lying but Micaela must find the truth, if she can survive the search.

I was instantly interested in reading this book after seeing the eye catching cover and finding out that it had to do with the legend of Sleepy Hollow ( I am a huge sucker for anything having to do with that story). The story itself was a little hard to follow at times though and I found my interest waning, just to be snatched back up again right when I was feeling meh about the book. I guess this could be classified as a paranormal murder mystery with a heavy bit of history and classic literature added, and the potential for romance. Yeah, there was a lot going on in the book, from possible hallucinations/visions, terrifying dreams, isolation, teen romance drama, paranoia and a Halloween festival (that part I was not a fan of, but I guess the author felt it was important since it was the reenactment of the story). I can say that I was completely thrown by the ending; I had no idea what would happen there, the hows or the whys so that was a surprise.

At first Micaela seemed like a spoiled rich girl when the book started, but then she became a more well rounded person as the book progressed. By the end, she was an adult capable of standing on her own. At times her decision making skills were severely lacking and I wanted to shake her (like when she stayed at Bram’s place, in his bed, when she knew how he felt and she didn’t). She made some bad choices even up until the end, but luckily others were around to assist her and save her life. Go team!

The book sets up what looks to be a love triangle, which I hate love triangles, and the romance was not actually developed almost at all. (It felt like this was going to be a romance, but the book was not really about that even though I am mentioning it here). There is Bram, her childhood bff who confessed his love at 12 before she moved away and now at 18 seems interested in picking right up where they left off, even though they did not talk for 6 years. And then there is Dane, the student teacher that she is drawn too (even though he is not described to look very attractive to me ala Ichabod Crane style). She develops feelings for him (or at least potential feeling, even though they only talk a few times and don’t know each other well) and he seems to reciprocate them.

I would love to have had more to the story, maybe another chapter ooh or a sequel to see what would happen next and what choices she makes. I really wanted to know if she still sees and hears things, or if that went away with the resolution of the issue. I just really want to know more. On that note, the book wrapped up the loose ends and had an ending that hinted at more, and most people will be satisfied with everything. This was my first book by this author and I would love to see what else she writes.

I received this title in return for my honest review.

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