Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (Book Review)

"We rowed out through the harbor, past bobbing boats weeping rust from their seams, past juries of silent seabirds roosting atop the barnacled remains of sunken docks, past fishermen who lowered their nets to stare frozenly as we slipped by, uncertain whether we were real or imagined; ten children and one bird in three small and unsteady boats, rowing with quiet intensity straight out to sea, the only safe harbor for miles receding quickly behind us, craggy and magical in the blue-gold light of dawn."

Review: When reading a sequel there are always a few things I look for to determine if; 1) it's good? and 2) it's worth reading the next book? Ransom Riggs does not disappoint me at all.

I could NOT put the book down! Well, I could, because I had to in order to sleep and work to make money to buy more books in hopes that they will turn out as good as his! But anyway, one of the first key things I look for is the story-line. It should be able to seamlessly pick up where the previous book left off. Not only that, but in case some time has passed, like more than 12 months, I shouldn't have to go back to the other book to refresh my memory. Any "back story" I need should be retold but not in a boring way. I was honestly thrilled at how well he was able to weave certain clues and instances from the first book into this one. I also appreciated the pictures of the "peculiar children" he gave in the beginning pages with their name and a short description of their peculiarity. It was helpful and I used it more than once.

Now onto the characters. As I expected (because it has been known to happen to me with almost all trilogies and series that I've read in the past) I already have grown sick and tired of the main characters of Jacob and Emma. I know they are the "love interest" of this trilogy as all Young Adult books seem to need in order to be considered good, I feel like this book would be just as great without it. But whatever, that's just my opinion.

I love the other characters. I'd have to say I'm torn between Millard (invisible boy), Enoch (animate the dead briefly) and Hugh (can control bees and other insects) as my favorite! I probably would go with Millard if I was forced to pick one because I love his sense of adventure, his intelligence, his compassion and his love of books. All traits I either see in myself or wish I had. Oh yeah, and the whole invisible thing is cool too I guess. But what you'll come to understand in this book with his character (as well as some of the others) his peculiar ability is not exactly something to be happy about. He does have a sense of loneliness that none of them could understand. Same goes for Hugh, especially when he helps them escape a sticky situation by using hundreds, if not thousands, of his friends (bees). 

I don't want to give away any spoilers but the first book was basically getting to know the peculiar children, how Jacob comes to be involved with them, what his peculiar ability is, and what evil forces they are facing. There are loops, and wights, and hollowgasts, and ymbrynes, and emu-raffes, and other things you will come to learn about as you read the book but they all play a part in their sequel mission, which is to say Miss Peregrine who has been turned into a bird (one of her many abilities) but cannot turn back. They must get her to another of her kind who can help her turn back before she remains forever a bird.

The ending actually has more of a cliff-hanger than the first book did! So I hope we won't have to wait nearly 2 years before the final book comes out. Actually, has it been confirmed that this is a trilogy? I'm not 100% sure about that. Either way, please Ransom, don't make us wait till 2016 for the next book!

Summary: 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.

Hollow City
The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

396 pages

Quirk Books, 2014

young adult/suspense

Finished in 5 days

Rating: ★★★★★

Amazon | BN

 To learn more about Ransom Riggs, visit his site here.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Book Review)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

352 pages

Quirk Books, June 2011

horror/mystery/fantasy/young adult

Read in 4 days

Another Review…

My Rating: ★★★★

Amazon.com or BN.com

My Review: Before I get into my review I must first explain I had no intention of actually finishing this book. Prior to picking it up, while waiting for a Molly Ringwald book signing, I never heard of it. My intention, at the time, was to read something to pass the 2 hour wait time. Little did I know I would end up purchasing the book because in that 2 hour time I read nearly 100 pages. I was unaware of its NY Times bestseller list appearance. All I knew was it had a rather interesting title and cover. It wasn’t until halfway through the book that I noticed it was published by Quirk, one of my favorite publishing houses which brought us bestsellers like “Pride & Prejudice & Zombies” and “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer” to name a few. It is no wonder I found myself finishing this book in 4 days!

I did do some research on the author and some background on where this book would be headed. I did this because nowadays YA books are normally series of 3 or more books. This story is no exception, its set up to be at least a 3 book series. I’m anticipating the next two books only because of the photographs (real by the way) used in this book. Just the amount of hunting and research that had to go into incorporating such real and yet peculiar photos into a well plotted story like this impressed me greatly.

If you were to judge this book by its cover you might assume it’s scary or a thriller of some sort? I mean, the girl is levitating. While I grant there is mystery and the children are peculiar by all definitions, it’s not as scary as I expected it to be on paper. Perhaps the movie (purchased by 20th Century Fox) will take up where the book left much to ones imagination? Otherwise, if you are looking for escape to another time and another world entirely, this book will easily put you in the shoes of one such man who does just that. And the pictures shared along the way only serve to better move the story along.

Summary: As a kid, Jacob formed a special bond with his grandfather over his bizarre tales and photos of levitating girls and invisible boys. Now at 16, he is reeling from the old man’s unexpected death. Then Jacob is given a mysterious letter that propels him on a journey to the remote Welsh island where his grandfather grew up. There, he finds the children from the photographs—alive and well—despite the islanders’ assertion that all were killed decades ago. As Jacob begins to unravel more about his grandfather’s childhood, he suspects he is being trailed by a monster only he can see. A haunting and out-of-the-ordinary read, debut author Ransom Rigg’s first-person narration is convincing and absorbing, and every detail he draws our eye to is deftly woven into an unforgettable whole. Interspersed with photos throughout, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a truly atmospheric novel with plot twists, turns, and surprises that will delight readers of any age.