YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-novel perfect for fans of the New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity

Asylum (Asylum #1) by Madeleine Roux will be our fifth guided buddy read for July 2014.

Please read at your own pace, and hide any spoilers ☺ You are welcome to join at any time during the month ☺

Happy Reading Everybody!

Joining any of our GBR's this July will earn you bonus points as part of the MMC ☺

Will be buddy reading this one with you guys :D

Great ☺

im ready

I'm excited to join you guys

Great! ☺

I'll join! :)

I'm in. I've been meaning to read this one for awhile.

The pictures in this are so scary. Not for the faint hearted (or to be read at night)!

Christina wrote: "The pictures in this are so scary. Not for the faint hearted (or to be read at night)!"

This just made me ten times more excited. XD

there are pictures?!

Sarah wrote: "there are pictures?!"

Just got my copy today. Lots of creepy pictures!

Chapter 1
(view spoiler)[They turned an asylum into a dormitory? Uhmm, I don't think I'll ever feel secure living there. That's creepy (hide spoiler)]

What sort of pictures? :)

Rachel wrote: "What sort of pictures? :)"

Kind of similar to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Kate wrote: "Rachel wrote: "What sort of pictures? :)"

Kind of similar to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"

I haven't read that one yet. :)

Rachel: Hmm, weird, old looking photographs. (view spoiler)[In this book, there were pictures of the asylum, and some patients, as least from what I've read so far. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5
(view spoiler)[That was a creepy description of the serial killer. Some kind of twisted, artistic brain who mutilates victims to create statues. But isn't that alarming that he was just gone without a trace? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11
(view spoiler)[Wow that underground passage holds a lot of dark secrets about the asylum. I don't think I'd be as willing to venture there. And the patients were actually criminally insane? Are they for experiments? Or should I say failed experiments because they never recovered? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 17
(view spoiler)[Jordan, I like you the best! Those equations looking so complicated but it made me like you more. Also, I agree that Abby is just selfish thinking only about herself when all of them are going through something. It's not always about you, you know. (hide spoiler)]

I agree, these pictures are really bizarre. I feel like I'm playing a game rather than reading a book!

Chapter 3 - (view spoiler)[ If someone called me "Abbadabadoo" we wouldn't be friends. How annoying is that nickname? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 4 - These pictures are weird.

Kate wrote: "Rachel: Hmm, weird, old looking photographs. [spoilers removed]

Chapter 5
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ You'd think looking for him would be high priority! Wonder how many people he killed after he escaped? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9 - (view spoiler)[ Is it just me that finds Felix odd? There's just something fishy about him... (hide spoiler)]

Kate wrote: "Chapter 11
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I wonder what that little girl did to be sent to an asylum with all the criminally insane? (hide spoiler)]

Abbie wrote: "Chapter 3 - [spoilers removed]"

Haha! I was gonna ask you if that was legit or what.

I finished the book but only get to comment on it because of a storm that cut off our internet connection. Anyway, i liked (view spoiler)[Jordan's character the best. He is the most sensible out of three especially with what they're dealing with. I guess the creepiest part was knowing you are sleeping in the same room with a serial killer. Dan and Abby annoyed me most of the time. But i guess their stupid actions are needed to the story going. (hide spoiler)]

chapter 33 (view spoiler)[ he's left his scissors? amateur much! now the police will find his fingerprints at the site! (hide spoiler)]

I'm just starting this now. Sorry, I am so late!! :)

Kate wrote: "Chapter 1
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Way creepy!! (hide spoiler)]

Abbie wrote: "Chapter 3 - [spoilers removed]"

That's just weird!!

chapter four - (view spoiler)[This has progressed a little too quickly for my liking. One second he is moving in and the next he has two new friends they are breaking into places together! (hide spoiler)]

Back to reading now I have done the daily rounds.

chapter 8 - (view spoiler)[Seriously? Her advice to sleep is to pretend to be a tree. Points for originality but really...? :/ (hide spoiler)]

Rachel wrote: "chapter four - [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ i thought the breaking into places was s abit much, but i figured they were just showing off a bit because they were trying to impress each other or something. (hide spoiler)]

Rachel wrote: "Back to reading now I have done the daily rounds.

chapter 8 - [spoilers removed]"

weird.

Sarah wrote: "Rachel wrote: "chapter four - [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I guess so but I wouldn't have followed a new guy down into a creepy locked room!! (hide spoiler)]

chapter 11 - (view spoiler)[Does anyone watch Ghost Whisperer? There was an episode pretty much exactly like this book so far. At a school they find a underground passages that leads to all these passageways of an old abandoned loony bin where criminally insane people were "treated" (tortured really, but the doctors then didn't know better). The main ghost is this girl (played by the actress who plays Meredith in Castle, if anyone watches that!) who was in there for accidently murdering her baby - she had postpartum really but they didn't understand that back then. That episode is eerily similar to this book! (hide spoiler)]

I think I might have seen that one!

Sarah wrote: "I think I might have seen that one!"

Its practically the same idea but with Jordan, Daniel and Abby instead of Melinda, Jim and Eli!!

I've seen a few of those, but i don't think i've seen that one.

Abbie wrote: "I've seen a few of those, but i don't think i've seen that one."

Its a good episode. Really creepy though.

chapter 16 - (view spoiler)[I am sorry but what the heck is wrong with these characters? They are awful. They keep going on about being "best friends" but they barely know each other. Jordan and Abby cannot be "that close" - they don't know each other! Also I don't like his roommate. He's a bit sus... (hide spoiler)]

chapter 28 - I'm so very bored. (view spoiler)[These murders are so dull and it isn't creepy much at all. It has a good vibe to it but the execution is missing. (hide spoiler)]

I didn't think it was creepy either.

Also (chapter 32) - (view spoiler)[Why is Jordan + Dan so negative about this Lucy thing? They should be excited that she found her and why would they advise AGAINST telling her father? His sister has been found after all these years. That's a good thing!! Why the negativity?? (hide spoiler)]

Well, that was silly! I didn't like that at all. Plus, (view spoiler)[the killer was obvious. I hate the cliffhanger ending because now we will have to read on to find out what happens. I hope it comes out on Netgalley because I am not buying it... (hide spoiler)]

Kate wrote: "Abbie wrote: "Chapter 3 - [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I agree that Jordan was the only sensible character though his mood swings were annoying. I didn't understand how they weren't freaked out more than the guy they were "friends" (kind of ) with was a murderer - a serial killer nonetheless! I would have been in shock for a few days at least!! (hide spoiler)]

I just realised the author is the same one who wrote that book none of us could find in last year's challenge!!

End of chapter 3 - I'm afraid of stumbling onto a page with a scary picture unprepared...I get scared veryyyy easily (view spoiler)[The photo with the eyes crossed out really frightened me!!!

Why was the photo in Dan's room? And why is the lock to the abandoned office busted? (hide spoiler)]

The only one that freaked me out was the little girl one. They aren't really that bad, don't worry!! :)