Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children #2) by Ransom Riggs - Ashley's Review

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Title: Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children #2)
Author: Ransom Riggs
Year Published: 2014

My Hollow City Pre-ReadingMy Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Review
My Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Pre-Reading

Paul's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Review

Synopsis: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was the surprise best seller of 2011—an unprecedented mix of YA fantasy and vintage photography that enthralled readers and critics alike. Publishers Weekly called it “an enjoyable, eccentric read, distinguished by well-developed characters, a believable Welsh setting, and some very creepy monsters.”

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

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Review: I have been waiting to read this book for what seems like forever, and it was 100% worth that wait! Hollow City has everything that I loved about Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and then takes the stakes and raises them even further. The children must work together to save Miss Peregrine, and all peculiar-kind, and learn so much more about their world, their enemies, their allies, and themselves than I even thought was possible. Plus, there are just as many creepy and interesting pictures in Hollow City as there were in Miss Peregrine's, and they just fit so seamlessly in with the story! 

I really loved that this book picks up right where Miss Peregrine's left off. It kind of makes me wish I had read Miss Peregrine's again before reading this book though, since it took me a little while to remember some of the events and characters. Luckily, Jacob gives us enough information that the major events and people are easy enough to remember without making it obvious that we're being given a refresher. I think if we had been thrown into the story anywhere but the end of Miss Peregrine's, it would have been way too confusing.

Another thing that I really enjoyed was going through all of the loops with the children. It was really cool to see all the different places and time periods and even meet some of the other peculiars that lived in those loops. Some of them had really neat peculiarities, and other ones had some pretty worthless ones, but they were interesting all the same. There were quite a few new characters, but I think they really helped move the story along and I was never overwhelmed. Many of them are also pretty well developed for only being around for a few chapters, especially since everyone is always hiding something.

The wights and the hollows are just as scary as ever, and I can't even imagine how terrifying it must be for the children to find them pretty much around every corner and when they least expect them. Especially because only Jacob can see and sense the hollows. His power really grows throughout this book, and it was pretty neat to read about. He's physically the same age as the rest of the children, but he's still so much younger mentally and it definitely shows in this book. It really helps to develop his character though, and he has to make some really tough decisions that I wouldn't want anyone to have to make.

I also think that the romantic relationships in this book are done very well. It's not too fast and is not inappropriate for their ages (physically at least), and never comes in the way of saving Miss Peregrine or keeping everyone safe. Jacob and Emma have a closer friendship because of their romantic interest in each other and confide more in each other than they do in everyone else, but it never really affects their friendships with the other children, which is nice.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and I cannot wait for the third installment to find out what happens after that ridiculous ending. I also want to see what new found pictures Ransom Riggs will have for us next! I also recommend this series to anyone looking for something completely different with a little bit of mystery, history, time travel, creepiness, and a mixing of photographs with a written story. This series is unlike anything I've ever read, and I love every eerie minute of it! 5/5 for sure! 


--Ashley

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