Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Bk 2) on + 2527 more book reviews
I got a copy of this book from the publisher to review. I read Miss Peregrines Peculiar Children last year and really enjoyed the quirky pictures throughout. However, I struggled with this second book quite a bit. I actually started it multiple times and finally this last time I was determined to read this thing...and I failed. I just could not stay engaged in the story and kept falling asleep, I got about 200 pages into the book (more than a fair try) and gave up.
This book picks up right where the last one stopped. Having survived the battle on the island, Jacob and the other Peculiar Children are on a mission to return Miss Peregrine to her original form. They must travel to London in the year 1940, avoiding Germans and bombs to finally obtain their goal.
As mentioned above I struggled with this book. It just didnt have the novelty that the first book in this series did for me. The pictures in this book are much more run of the mill vintage pictures and not nearly as peculiar as in the first book. I felt like some parts of the story were there just so that a picture could be put in and that the pictures werent necessarily there to enhance the story.
To be fair its around Christmas time, I have a lot of books to read, and I have a fairly low tolerance for reading books I dont enjoy right now. That being said I did read a couple hundred pages in and I can honestly say at that point I was still not even a little bit curious as to where this story was going.
Its not a badly written book, there is some good imagery in here. I liked the pictures but I just felt like the story was moving very slow. Its also a strange blend of fantasy, time travel, and wartime horrors and I am still having a very hard time understanding what the Hollows are and picturing what they look like.
Additionally I had a lot of trouble remembering which peculiar children were which (and there are a lot of them). Again, to be fair there is a guide in the front with their pictures and a short descriptions of the characters. I referenced that many, many times while reading the first couple hundred pages so I am glad it was there.
In the end I just didnt care enough about the story and it was too difficult to read and stay focused. After falling asleep while reading this a number of times I gave up. I have too many fantastic books to read and dont have time to spend on one I just dont enjoy.
Overall this is an okay book but not nearly as interesting as the first book in this series. The pictures arent nearly as intriguing, there really isnt an engaging mystery here, there are a ton of characters to keep track of, and the story moves slowly. I will not be reading anymore of this series.
This book picks up right where the last one stopped. Having survived the battle on the island, Jacob and the other Peculiar Children are on a mission to return Miss Peregrine to her original form. They must travel to London in the year 1940, avoiding Germans and bombs to finally obtain their goal.
As mentioned above I struggled with this book. It just didnt have the novelty that the first book in this series did for me. The pictures in this book are much more run of the mill vintage pictures and not nearly as peculiar as in the first book. I felt like some parts of the story were there just so that a picture could be put in and that the pictures werent necessarily there to enhance the story.
To be fair its around Christmas time, I have a lot of books to read, and I have a fairly low tolerance for reading books I dont enjoy right now. That being said I did read a couple hundred pages in and I can honestly say at that point I was still not even a little bit curious as to where this story was going.
Its not a badly written book, there is some good imagery in here. I liked the pictures but I just felt like the story was moving very slow. Its also a strange blend of fantasy, time travel, and wartime horrors and I am still having a very hard time understanding what the Hollows are and picturing what they look like.
Additionally I had a lot of trouble remembering which peculiar children were which (and there are a lot of them). Again, to be fair there is a guide in the front with their pictures and a short descriptions of the characters. I referenced that many, many times while reading the first couple hundred pages so I am glad it was there.
In the end I just didnt care enough about the story and it was too difficult to read and stay focused. After falling asleep while reading this a number of times I gave up. I have too many fantastic books to read and dont have time to spend on one I just dont enjoy.
Overall this is an okay book but not nearly as interesting as the first book in this series. The pictures arent nearly as intriguing, there really isnt an engaging mystery here, there are a ton of characters to keep track of, and the story moves slowly. I will not be reading anymore of this series.
Channan M. (shiner716) -
*this is book 2 in the series*
We join 10 peculiar children as they flee an army of deadly monsters. There is only person who can help them -- but she is trapped in the body of a bird. The kids travel to London (1940) to find a cure for Miss Peregrine, but there are surprises around every corner.
A thrilling fantasy tale, with the added wonder of vintage photos.
We join 10 peculiar children as they flee an army of deadly monsters. There is only person who can help them -- but she is trapped in the body of a bird. The kids travel to London (1940) to find a cure for Miss Peregrine, but there are surprises around every corner.
A thrilling fantasy tale, with the added wonder of vintage photos.
Heather D. (daylily77) reviewed Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Bk 2) on + 236 more book reviews
What a magical story. Well written with well developed characters. I do hope that Tim Burton picks this up, it's right up his alley.
Stef S. (bookgoddessme) reviewed Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Bk 2) on + 106 more book reviews
The adventure continued in this book with our beloved peculiar friends. The author put our little heroes into the most impossible situations throughout the book right up to the end. Here's the thing though, I experience this over and over with any series, I can only feel the amazement and awe the first time around. Now when our friends use their powers, I already know they exist. when they encounter the bad guys, I know what they are capable of. I was less enchanted this time around. Well written regardless. Try it, there is another on the way, and a movie coming out. Will try them all.
Donna C. (darkcoffeeclouds) -
This was a pretty fast-paced book. I read through it a lot quicker than the first book but I liked the first one better. This one didn't have the dry humor of the first. I missed that.
I usually only read realistic fiction (mostly mysteries) so this story is a stretch for me. The hollows sound so scary! Omg, long slimy tongues covered in suction cups?! I love the dog in the book though and wish I could have him. The menagerie cracked me up and that was a nice balance to the scarier parts. I'm afraid of chickens now too. The ending really threw me for a loop though (pun intended).
At the end of the first book, the Peculiar Children rescued Miss Paragrin but she couldn't change back into human form. She had a broken wing and needed care only another ymbryne could give. They had to hurry because the longer she stayed a bird the worse her chances were that she would never be able to become human again. They all set off in boats for the mainland in search of the last ymbryne. They ended up in London where they evaded Hollows and dodged bombs in their search. They found a few other Peculiar Children from other raided loops and Jacob learned more about his talent.
I usually only read realistic fiction (mostly mysteries) so this story is a stretch for me. The hollows sound so scary! Omg, long slimy tongues covered in suction cups?! I love the dog in the book though and wish I could have him. The menagerie cracked me up and that was a nice balance to the scarier parts. I'm afraid of chickens now too. The ending really threw me for a loop though (pun intended).
At the end of the first book, the Peculiar Children rescued Miss Paragrin but she couldn't change back into human form. She had a broken wing and needed care only another ymbryne could give. They had to hurry because the longer she stayed a bird the worse her chances were that she would never be able to become human again. They all set off in boats for the mainland in search of the last ymbryne. They ended up in London where they evaded Hollows and dodged bombs in their search. They found a few other Peculiar Children from other raided loops and Jacob learned more about his talent.
Carol M. (Tunerlady) reviewed Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Bk 2) on + 581 more book reviews
An interesting second book in this series, however, it was not as good as the first. A very weird fantasy tale of peculiar children.
Melody C. (Melody1959) -
Looks like I'm in the minority I just couldn't get into this book. I loved the first book, this one not so much.
Emily R. (troyalg) reviewed Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Bk 2) on + 6 more book reviews
I'm disappointed in this series. I was expecting something a bit more mysterious and creepy. I like fantasy, but this is as run-of-the-mill, "kids with powers" book as one can get. Despite being peculiar, there isn't much extraordinary in these stories. The first book was okay, but the sequel is one note. The whole book is traveling to help Miss Peregrine and just near misses and catch/release type stuff. The new characters seem like pointless encounters ( talking animals, traveling gypsies, Brits during the Blitz ) because they don't make any difference to the story (maybe the animals do a bit) and they live in times passed so nothing for them can change, as the peculiar children point out several times. Also, the love story between Jacob and Emma has annoyed me since the beginning, but in this book, it takes focus away from the story and is totally unconvincing.
My perception of the first book was that the author found interesting pictures that he felt held a story--a picture's worth a thousand word. However, in Hollow City, my perception is the author was trying to fit as many pictures into the story as possible to keep up with this running gimmick. Instead of the pictures feeling natural, it felt as if much of the story was added so a picture could get added as well. I would rather have had a flowing, cohesive story with fewer photos, than this forced "point A to point B to point C" storytelling.
My perception of the first book was that the author found interesting pictures that he felt held a story--a picture's worth a thousand word. However, in Hollow City, my perception is the author was trying to fit as many pictures into the story as possible to keep up with this running gimmick. Instead of the pictures feeling natural, it felt as if much of the story was added so a picture could get added as well. I would rather have had a flowing, cohesive story with fewer photos, than this forced "point A to point B to point C" storytelling.
Eadie B. (eadieburke) -
Like its predecessor, this second novel in the Peculiar Children series blends thrilling fantasy with vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience.
September 3, 1940. Ten peculiar children flee an army of deadly monsters. And only one person can help themâbut she's trapped in the body of a bird. The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom.
I listened to the audio and also thumbed through the book to look at the vintage photos throughout the book. I really enjoyed the first book and this one does not disappoint either. It picks up where the last one left off and ends with another cliffhanger. It's very hard to stop listening to this story as the adventures are all very interesting. I can't wait for the third book and I recommend this book to those who liked the Harry Potter books.
September 3, 1940. Ten peculiar children flee an army of deadly monsters. And only one person can help themâbut she's trapped in the body of a bird. The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom.
I listened to the audio and also thumbed through the book to look at the vintage photos throughout the book. I really enjoyed the first book and this one does not disappoint either. It picks up where the last one left off and ends with another cliffhanger. It's very hard to stop listening to this story as the adventures are all very interesting. I can't wait for the third book and I recommend this book to those who liked the Harry Potter books.
Rachel G. (roach808) -
Another nifty offering from Ransom Riggs. There were a few bits where I felt like he could have really delved into some great imagery with language but cheated a bit and took the simpler way out. Nonetheless writing a book from old photographs continues to be a fabulous idea and not particularly easy to make a story that you want to follow out of it.
Now, if I could jut get #3 off PaperBackSwap sometime soon . . .
Now, if I could jut get #3 off PaperBackSwap sometime soon . . .
Linda K. (lhasalover) reviewed Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Bk 2) on + 203 more book reviews
Well written. Better than the movie.
Karissa S. (karissa) reviewed Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Bk 2) on + 3 more book reviews
I forgot that I had already read this on my Kindle till I was a chapter in... but I kept reading it again anyway. Finished it in 6 hours straight. Such a great series!
Kimberly D. (kim9872) reviewed Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Bk 2) on + 3 more book reviews
very good book
Great Series! Book two
Richard C. (Richard-luvs-Reading) -
Released Date Currently shows as January 14, 2014:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594746125
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594746125
