Author: Ransom Riggs
Publisher: Quirk Books
Publication Date: January 14, 2014
Pages: 400
Format: Audiobook/Library
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 mesmerising) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.
Review: So I listened to this on the audiobook from my library and I really enjoyed it. I was really struggling to to make progress in the physical book so I switch to audio and love it. I thought the narrator was so good. The voices, the accents. Everything. Very good. It kept me completely engaged when the physical book wasn't!
I really enjoyed how our group was pretty much on an adventure of sorts. We see them coming across loops, jumping in and out of them trying to find another ymbryne to help Miss Peregrine. And when they finally get a lead on one not captured, it is such a chore just to get to her. They are being chased and cornered everywhere by the hollowgasts and wights. They just could not catch a break. Even when they were almost safe sometimes, one of them would slip up and use their power and they'd be found. But I definitely think all the new loops we got to see were pretty cool. The different time periods, the different peculiars.
I also enjoyed how Emma, Jacob and Bronwynn took charge of everyone doing the things that needed to be done. Helping the younger kids, keeping everyone going towards the goal. They really stepped up with Miss Peregrine out of the picture now. But then of course we had others like Enoch just complaining and being a downer all the time. The constant complaining from him really grated on my nerves. It was almost like he never had anything positive to say and that's just annoying. A lot of the group was already feeling down and uncertain as it was and he just made it worse. I'm also still a bit grossed out with the Emma/Jacob love interest. Especially now that Jacob admitted he's in love with Emma. It's really weird to me. She loved his grandfather. He might be dead and she might still look like a teen/young adult like Jacob, but it doesn't change facts.
I didn't enjoy the fact that this felt repetitive. Honestly, It was like jump into a loop, find hollowgasts, run from them and the wights, find another peculiar/loop, escape. It was just like this for 3/4 of the book and it just made thing really repetitive. You can only read the same thing so many times before it gets kinda boring, even in a unique book like this. It also just felt a lot like filler. We only see the same few events happening. It takes until the last quarter of the book for a huge plot twist to happen.
*Next paragraph is a bit spoilery about the ending*
That being said, the ending was huge. The bird they've been carrying around for days and had Ms. Wren nurse back to human form not even being Miss Peregrine! OMG. It was her freaking brother, who we've been told is a wight now, who then pretty much traps them and captures them after being brought back to human form. ARGH!!! And the fact the groups ends up split. Only Jacob and Emma manage to get away from the wights holding them hostage and are now gonna have to save everyone with only the help of Addison who they met in one of the loops. And the fact they are in Jacobs time at the end of the book. And the phone conversation with his dad. Lets pause here, Jacobs dad. Like honestly, if it's drugs or something we'll get you help. Like you got him help for the peculiar world he was seeing and refused to believe him?? Yeah. No. I'm not even close to amused with his dad. All it is is Jacob's crazy and needs help for something, not maybe for once I should actually listen to what my kid has to say and even consider believing him.
Good review. Sometimes the audio works better than the book. Also it's possible to speed up the audio if it's going too slowly. lol. These books sound very fascinating. I'm glad you were able to enjoy it even with the repetition. Anne - Books of My Heart
ReplyDeleteThanks! So true! I know. I think I listened to Hollow City at 1.25 speed. I listen to audiobooks somewhere between normal speed and 1.5 speed. It all depends on the audiobook. They are pretty fascinating. Yes! Even with the repetition it was definitely still a fun and interesting read!
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