Despite some flaws, Verday's paranormal romance has an intriguing premise and hot cover that will easily attract a teen female readership. High-school junior Abbey Browning is mourning the loss of her best friend, Kristen, who mysteriously drowned in the river that runs through their legendary hometown of Sleepy Hollow. Embittered by town gossip, Abbey copes by visiting Washington Irving's grave and hanging out at the bridge where Ichabod Crane famously disappeared. At the cemetery she meets Caspian, a beautiful teenage boy with demons of his own, and a romance slowly develops. The full extent of Caspian's circumstances, and his relationship to Abbey's deceased friend, Kristen, are never fully understood. But most unfortunate is the disappointing and underutilized integration of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow into the plot. However, many readers will likely disregard this in favor of the sexy romance, and with a cliffhanger ending and impending sequel this novel will find many fans.--Garnick, Kimberly Copyright 2009 Booklist

Verday's debut novel, the first in a planned trilogy, is well-written, but enigmatic and ultimately unsatisfying. Abbey's best friend Kristen is dead, but Abbey knows it couldn't have been suicide as is rumored. Devastated and lonely, Abbey is sleepwalking through her junior year of high school when she meets Caspian, a mysterious boy who tries to help her deal with her grief. He makes her feel giddy and desired, but she's confused and frustrated by their relationship: he runs hot and cold, and he's secretive, too. After Abbey discovers Kristen's hidden diary, she begins questioning how her closest friend could have kept such important secrets from her. The central mystery here is the circumstances surrounding Kristen's death, but little information is gained and nothing is resolved. Caspian is also ambiguous until the last few pages, and there's little supernatural atmosphere despite the focus on Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (Verday's story is set in the same town). The tale unfolds slowly and doesn't lead to a climax, but rather to more questions, which remain left unanswered at the abrupt ending, presumably left to later books. Ages 12-up. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 7 Up-The Hollow opens with the funeral of 16-year-old Abbey's best friend, Kristen, who vanished near the legendary Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and is presumed dead. On the day of the funeral, Abbey is drawn to Caspian, a mysterious young man who comes into and out of her life during the next several months. While she searches for answers to Kristen's disappearance, she meets Nikolas and Katy, the charming caretakers of the cemetery. During a chance visit to a shop in a neighboring town, Abbey discovers Caspian's secret. This inventive tale from a first-time author cleverly interweaves elements of Washington Irving's famous "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" not only in the setting, but also in the characters of Nikolas and Katy. Abbey's narration is heartfelt and authentically written as her emotions fluctuate from grief at Kristen's disappearance to growing romantic feelings for Caspian to raw anguish at learning the truth about him. Unlike many coming-of-age novels, the minor characters aren't given short shrift; instead, Abbey's parents, her classmate Ben, Kristen's mother, and Nikolas and Katy all come vividly to life through unique personalities, characteristics, and pasts. Readers, particularly fans of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" (Little, Brown) and other supernatural romances, will clamor for the second novel in this trilogy.-Leah J. Sparks, formerly at Bowie Public Library, MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.