Review of "Sanctum" (Asylum #2) by Madeleine Roux

Book 2 in the Asylum series, Sanctum, did not disappoint. While some aspects of the story line were predictable, it was still very entertaining and a great read. Spooky and relentless we rejoin our band of friends, each back in their perspective cities living their lives as normally as they can, considering. Dan, Abby, and Jordan met during the summer program at New Hampshire College. Their adventure started when the college put the members of the program up in converted housing in the Brookline Asylum a historic holdover from the areas past. Pulled by forces they couldn’t explain they began exploring areas of the Asylum off limits to students, uncovering a part of Brookline's past that went beyond simple mistreatment of patients. The breath of the past that still lingered within the Asylum walls echoed the horrific acts of the Warden (Daniel Crawford), who shared more than just Dan's name. Human experimentation was one of many things that got the Asylum shut down, but the true depth of Brookline's and the Warden's secrets had remained buried. Uncovering their connections to Brookline could have never prepared them for how alive the past would become. Possessed by a serial killer once treated by the Warden, Dan's roommate almost succeeds in ending Dan and Abby for good. They thought that surviving the summer would be the end, but in Sanctum we find our friends still tormented by paranormal forces that are directing them to return to the scene of their combined nightmare. Following clues left for them by the serial killer that almost ended them, they return to New Hampshire College posing as prospective students. Experiencing things they cannot explain, Dan, Abby, and Jordan are compelled to press forward, while making every effort to avoid Brookline. The clues they have collected lead our real life Scooby-Doo-ers to search abandoned houses in Camford (the city surrounding the college). They quickly begin to uncover more troubling information about Camford, Brookline, and the evil Warden. It becomes apparent that their arrival at the school and in the town has not gone unnoticed by the forces that seek to destroy them. Secret societies and ghosts from the past have them running for their lives, while witnessing a murder only seems to seal their fates. The dynamic between Dan, Abby, and Jordan drive this story. The trio is still learning about one another and while they may not always believe the strange things happening around them they still reluctantly support each other and their mission. More than anything Sanctum is about friendship and sacrifice. A few surprises from certain characters makes up for those predictable characters and ending. I truly enjoyed this installment of the series.