Title: The Haunted
Author: Jessica Verday
Pages: 467
 

I really love this series and I love the second installment. Since it is a continuation, it’s not hard to get into; the plot is already established. And the juicy details are starting to build up (the excitement) and the character development is easier to grasp (back story of the characters was elaborated here).

Speaking of characters, I think I like Ben (especially here) more than I thought I could and too bad Abbey didn’t get him a fair chance (she actually did thought about it but she really likes (love) Caspian a lot). I don’t hate Caspian (in fact, I love him in this book) or his relationship with Astrid (that’s what Caspian call Abbey), in a positive light I find their relationship romantic but sad. I guess it’s worth mentioning now that Caspian is in fact a ghost. In technical term of the book, he is a shade, something caught in between our world and the world beyond. And having ghost for a boyfriend means no make out session. Joking aside, it’s sad that they’re unable to merely hold each other.

After her vacation and her therapy, she went back to Sleep Hallow and she’s trying to move on and even trying to make new friends. But love moves in mysterious way (literally) so Caspian is back to her life. She learned more about his situation. Remember the black streak on his hair? It is actually important than just a fashion statement. When he was a kid he hit his head in the pool and that accident is a near death experience. That was also the first time his streaks first appeared. That incident also kinda trapped his soul and I think the reason he is unable to move on because he needed his other half. They’ve been told they’re meant for each other and the other one is the half of the other, in a ying yang sense. So Caspian is Abbey’s dark half and Abbey is Caspian’s light half. They also been told that Abbey is about to… die. There are new characters introduced in the second book and the death of Kristen is also given some light. Want to know who D. is? Read the second book, it’s more fast-paced but I still think there are pointless events but it is no doubt it’s more enthralling than the first one.

I’m starting to like Caspian more here (I still like Ben though) since a lot of my questions about him have been answered in this book, I’m starting to understand him more. Abbey too, is growing on me positively and I decided to push aside the strange things I find on her in the first book. As much as I love Ben and although I do wish something more between them, I love how he control himself and respect both Kristen and Abbey. Inconsistency is my middle name, I might love (or not) the sweet guy (bad boy is really alluring though, haha). I really felt empathetic to the relationship of Caspian and Abbey. It’s not just that they can do things physically (no, not sex) but don’t you want everyone to know whom you in love with and she can’t do that. They can’t do things normally, their love is restrained and like I said sad. Suffice to say, is it cool that their love is more than the physically aspect. Yes, Abbey is attracted to him but being contended what you can only have and cherish for what it’s hold, isn’t it more moving, more romantic? Because I do. I do find it very romantic.

This is complete nonsense but I keep wondering how Caspian concealed his clothes. You see, if how I understand his complex existence is right, he can touch inanimate objects but not human (except on his death date) and he change clothes even though he doesn’t need to. I think (and from my last check) things like clothes are still part of the mortal world so if he touch things and seems to be floating then should his clothes be the same. But apparently that’s not the case. Can someone explain to me because I’m really confused?

Just one of my whims, sometimes I have problem dealing with the laws of fiction world.

I can’t really wait for the next one. These are one of the books I love reading it again and again. And how the author develops the story, I’m pretty sure the last book (sad, I know) will be great! I’m so excited.