Words on Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #2)

Forced to leave their island, Miss. Peregrine's wards, along with Jacob, must set out to help their captured friends. Miss. Peregrine has been forced to transform into a bird, and the children must find a way to get her to turn back to her normal form. Their adventure takes them through various loops and into different locations, setting them off on a dangerous, crazy adventure.

Furthermore, the group is divided. Several children, including Enoch, (to nobody's suprise) are not optimistic that they will be able to save the captured children and Miss. Peregrine. Jacob is trying to come to terms with his power to sense hollowgast, and his family is frantic to find him back in modern times. Emma is convinced their relationship can go nowhere. She is, after all, over a hundred years old, while Jacob is a mere teen.

The children also further explor the world of the Peculiars, from peculiar animals to Pe culiars that have lived to adulthood. They soon come to realize that the dark forces, including hollowgast, that seek to destroy Peculiars, are changing, and they have found a way to take what makes Peculiars so different, their second soul, and use it fr themselves. The children's fight has only just begun.

I would first like to take a moment to admire the writing. Look at the book's opening paragraph:

"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 suncken docks, past fishermen who lowered their nets to stare frozenly as we slipped by, uncertain whether we were real or imagined; a procession of waterborne ghosts, or ghosts soon to be. We were 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 receeding quickly behind us, craggy and magical in the blue-gold light of dawn. Our goal, the rutted coast of mainland Wales, was somewhere before us but only dimly visible, an inky smudge squatting along the far horizon."

That is a masterpiece of YA right there. It's the kind of thing that restores my faith in humanity, it really does.

I saw a lot of character development and some great new characters. Emma is more grown up, for one. It's sad that she doesn't think that she and Jacob could be together, but she's mature enough to realize that and try to cut things off before it hurts any more. I ship thme, I really do, but she's kind of right.

In fact, I think all of the kids are more mature. They've just had their home taken from them. They keep it together though, and even though their situation and mission is very serious, they always have a moment to make each other, and the reader, laugh. Even Enoch, who's always grumpy and, to be honest, kind of a jerk, isn't quite so much of a pessimstic jerk in this sequel.

And di I mention the animals? We get Peculiars that are also animals. My favorites were Addison MacHenry, a dog, and Deirde, an emu-raffe. Addison talks, but he's also very smart and dignified. He reminds sort of reminds me of Horace, only nicer. deirde is an emu-raffe, which is pretty much a cross between a horse and a donkey without front legs. She's bubbly and silly, which is fun. Like Addison, she also talks.

Looking back, I probably didn't do the first book justice. This was amazing. The characters and setting were great, and there was tons of action. I couldn't put the book down! The ending is a exciting cliffhanger that left me depserate for the next installment. I loved the pictures, which ranged from funny to creepy, and I can't wait for book three! 4/5 stars!

P.S. The book says "For Tahereh". And the picture credits go to a Tehereh - as in, Tahereh Mafi, the author of the Shatter me Trilogy. There has to be connection, right? I just thought that was cool to fnd. :)

#monsters #magic #survival #supernatural