Scan barcode
A review by abby_ace_of_books
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
3.75
I'm beginning to think I somehow hallucinated a specific scene in this series because I haven't come across it yet on this reread, and I could've sworn it was in this book.
Hollow City is the second book in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Like I said in my review of the first book, it's been a while since I've read this series and it's really not hitting the same (I'm pretending it's not because I'm getting older), but I also could be hitting a reading slump as well. I'm still enjoying this series, it just doesn't feel quite as exciting as I remember.
As is typical with sequels, this book expands greatly on the worldbuilding as the peculiar children set off on a journey to save Miss Peregrine. My main complaint is, again, with the pacing. I've seen other reviews criticizing the repetitive nature of the storyline and I can't exactly argue... Honestly, I would've rated this lower if it weren't for the ending. There is a plot twist at the end that I forgot, but I'm not counting it against me for my Traitor Count of the year because it's a reread (we love being saved by a technicality). Overall, I don't think the plot is that bad, it's just repetitive.
Similarly, the characters still feel rather flat. Jake has improved a lot (though I still don't love him as a protagonist), and while he's less whiny, he's still passive and I think that's the issue. As much as I love passive characters, the narrator/MC shouldn't be passive unless you can find other ways to progress the plot quickly. Emma is fine. I'm not particularly fond of her because her type of character is relatively common. Honestly, Hugh is my favorite at the moment, and I don't mind the rest of the children, but they don't have much going for them. I also didn't really love any of the new characters. In general, I like the cast of characters and the found family vibes, they're just not the most intriguing characters in the world.
Expanding the world of the peculiars and introducing dozens of new characters, Hollow City is a great sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
3.75/5
Hollow City is the second book in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Like I said in my review of the first book, it's been a while since I've read this series and it's really not hitting the same (I'm pretending it's not because I'm getting older), but I also could be hitting a reading slump as well. I'm still enjoying this series, it just doesn't feel quite as exciting as I remember.
As is typical with sequels, this book expands greatly on the worldbuilding as the peculiar children set off on a journey to save Miss Peregrine. My main complaint is, again, with the pacing. I've seen other reviews criticizing the repetitive nature of the storyline and I can't exactly argue... Honestly, I would've rated this lower if it weren't for the ending. There is a plot twist at the end that I forgot, but I'm not counting it against me for my Traitor Count of the year because it's a reread (we love being saved by a technicality). Overall, I don't think the plot is that bad, it's just repetitive.
Similarly, the characters still feel rather flat. Jake has improved a lot (though I still don't love him as a protagonist), and while he's less whiny, he's still passive and I think that's the issue. As much as I love passive characters, the narrator/MC shouldn't be passive unless you can find other ways to progress the plot quickly. Emma is fine. I'm not particularly fond of her because her type of character is relatively common. Honestly, Hugh is my favorite at the moment, and I don't mind the rest of the children, but they don't have much going for them. I also didn't really love any of the new characters. In general, I like the cast of characters and the found family vibes, they're just not the most intriguing characters in the world.
Expanding the world of the peculiars and introducing dozens of new characters, Hollow City is a great sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
3.75/5