When I first read Miss Peregrines’ Home for Peculiar Children, I had no idea that it was supposed to be a series. However, it had the kind of ending that made it clear that there was more to come. Hollow City, The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children was truly a long awaited novel for me.
At YALLfest last November, I became a bigger fan of Ransom Riggs. He seemed so gracious and open to his fans. Even more, I appreciated that he and his new wife Tahereh were adorable newlyweds, and were fun to watch. We attended one of their sessions and really enjoyed listening to them. After that session, I knew I had to read this book as soon as possible. So, when Sandie graciously sent me her copy, I devoured it immediately.
This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. After escaping Miss Peregrine’s island, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. They hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine who is stuck in bird form unable to change back. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises. All the while they must fight off hollowgasts and wights.
Like the previous book, Hollow City weaves together newly discovered vintage photographs with the story.
The Characters:
Thankfully Riggs includes a list with photographs of all the major characters. I found myself constantly turning back to remind myself of the particular peculiarity of each character. Here are some of my favorites:
Jacob Portman – Our protagonist who can see and hear hollowgasts (you have to read the books to know what they are)
Emma Bloom -A girl who cam make fire with her hands and is currently Jacob’s love interest
Bronwyn Bruntley – An unusually strong girl
Millard Nullings – An invisible boy, scholar of all things peculiar
Hugh Apiston – A boy who commands and protects the bees that live in his stomach
Bottom Line:
I loved this book. I found myself caught up in the story line and unable to put the book down. It was an action-packed, adventurous, thriller. The peculiar children meet so many new and amazing characters, from talking dogs to gypsies. I was so impressed with the way Riggs was able to merge the vintage photographs effortlessly into the storyline. Now I just have to wait until the next installment in the series.
Favorite Quotes:
“But you can’t feel bad every second, I wanted to tell her. Laughing doesn’t make bad things worse any more than crying makes them better. It doesn’t mean you don’t care, or that you’ve forgotten. It just means you’re human.”
“I was too dazed to follow right away, because there was something new happening, a wheel inside my heart I’d never noticed before, and it was spinning so fast it made me dizzy. And the farther away she got, the faster it spun, like there was an invisible cord unreeling from it that stretched between us, and if she went too far it would snap – and kill me. I wondered if this strange, sweet pain was love.
“Strange, I thought, how you can be living your dreams and your nightmares at the very same time.”
Oh yay! I’m glad this one was an excellent follow up. I have a copy sitting on my desk and while I can’t wait to read it, I’m scared I don’t remember enough from the first book to properly enjoy it. I may need to do a reread of Miss Peregrine before I plunge into Hollow City!