Asylum by Madeleine Roux

When the story takes place in an abandoned asylum, you're almost insured a creepy story and this novel doesn't let you down. If the story alone isn't enough to give you chills, the novel also has photos from real asylums that add that little extra creep factor.

Dan Crawford is excited about attending the New Hampshire College Prep summer program. It's a chance to take classes he's interested in and an opportunity to meet new friends, like Abby and Jordan who he instantly bonds with. His first day, though, he finds a creepy picture of a man with his eyes scratched out in his dresser drawer. After being told there are more pictures like that in the "off limits" section of their dorm, Dan decides it's time to investigate their dormitory, which was originally an insane asylum. With the help of Abby and Jordan, they discover the warden's office and a number of disturbing photos. Initially creeped out, the three leave, but things aren't quite right when Dan starts receiving mysterious notes and troubling nightmares as if he is a part of the asylum. Upon further investigation, Dan discovers that the asylum once held a serial killer named The Sculptor. When a student is murdered and posed - just like the Sculptor had done to his victims - Dan begins to wonder if the serial killer is still around or if something more nefarious is going on in the dorm. It also doesn't help that Dan is prone to blackouts, which start to make him look like a suspect as more people are attacked and a connection between him and the original asylum is discovered.

This book did not disappoint in the creepy factor. The photos were a nice touch to the story. Between developing the characters, there is a nice, steady build up of suspense. The things that happen to Dan and the people around him makes you wonder if they're all being affected by the asylum and each going a little crazy.

A sequel to this novel is coming out around August 2014. It will be interesting to see where the story goes because this novel ends with a pull to come back. Asylum is definitely worth the read.
MMK