Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Sanctum is the sequel to the creepy novel Asylum. This novel continues the creepiness and successfully puts all of the pieces together.

Dan, Abby, and Jordan cannot forget the horrors they experienced in Brookline. If their memories weren’t bad enough, now they’re getting creepy photos in the mail and mysterious messages from Felix who the ultimate victim of the Brookline experience. Determined to put an end to the madness, the three head back to the New Hampshire College to find answers. There the hallucinations increase, but the clues to the truth start piling up. Unfortunately, so do the threats against them, especially Dan who is linked to the horrible warden responsible for the terrible history of Brookline. Now even the college students who are hosting these visitors can’t be trusted and a mysterious cult appears with plans to do away with Dan. If they can survive the weekend, they just might be able to find the answers to all of their problems and how the threats today connect to the past.

This novel, like the first, sucks you into the story. Something is definitely amok around these kids and the novel does a great job building the mystery, suspense, and creep factor. It is a steady stream of twists and turns that keeps the story going. At first all of the references to the circus seemed a bit disjointed - I didn’t know where it was going - but then it all fit together flawlessly. Once again the novel is littered with photographs. These aren’t as eerie as the first novel, but their mere presence enhances the reading experience. When I picked up the novel I was worried about not remembering enough about the first novel for this one to make sense. However, the novel gives enough background to keep the reader informed in case it has been months since they read the first one. I don’t think, though, that the novel would have enough impact if you read it without the Asylum experience.

This is the perfect companion to Asylum. It wraps up the mystery and stops the terror of the past. It seems as if this is the end of the series (not a trilogy) but if the author gets creative, I’m sure there’s enough intrigue to whip up a third. Anyone who enjoys creepy novels that are more psychological than blood and guts should definitely pick up these two books.

MMK