I really liked this book, it lived up to the first one and answered a lot of questions and left a lot to answer in the next one! ( )

I have been enjoying this series so much more than I expected. I find the overall story of the peculiar world inventive and fascinating. And in this book, what was set up in the first one really came alive. Rather than being completely lost and trying to understand, Jacob is...well, he's still a bit confused, but there's a lot to learn about, after all. As he begins to use his peculiarity with purpose, though, he gets to more involved in the mission. The other children have more of a chance to shine as well, both in personality and in ability. Though none of them is explored particularly deeply, with 10 characters going through most of the book together, I'm not very surprised or bothered.

I am fascinated by this story that is the ultimate example of using visual prompts to come up with ideas for a story. It's a common exercise for aspiring writers, especially when they're trying to come up with something to write about, and Ransom Riggs shows how well it can turn out. I still think he might over-describe the pictures sometimes, which makes those moments in the story feel a little forced, but I liked that he got away from every picture being an actual photo the characters looked at in the story, and many were just used to show us an illustration of a scene or a character.

The plot was definitely the highlight for me, as well as the world-building. I still think the actual writing could be better. I also don't understand why just about every adult they run into immediately treats them with anger and hatred. There's a scene at a train station that just seemed ridiculously unlikely to me. And I really could not care less about the relationship between Jacob and Emma—partly because she's actually a lot older than him, even if she does look like a teenager, and partly because she was in love with Jacob's grandfather. Both of these things just make it weird, in my opinion.

This book is full of "one step forward, two steps back," to the point where it feels like the characters (and, by extension, we the readers) will never be able to stop and catch their breath or have good news that doesn't turn bad. But then I got to the end, and wow! Though I'm usually not a fan of cliffhangers at the ends of books, I'm totally okay with this one! (Granted, it helps that I don't have to wait for the next book to come out.) For now, though, I'll stick with the recommendation I made for the first book: If you're thinking of reading this series because you're looking for a creepy story to go along with the creepy pictures, you may be disappointed. If you're looking for an interesting speculative fiction world with kids with super-hero-type powers that first have to save themselves, and then quite possibly the world, this might be worth reading. ( )

I found this installment in the series so boring. The characters were less likable than in the first in my opinion, there was a lot of action in short bursts separated by a lack of anything.

I doubt that I will continue this series. ( )

Hollow City, the sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was a big let down for me.

The first novel in the series was perfection on many pages. The story flowed nicely, and the pictures assisted in telling the story. I found Hollow City to be quite the opposite: the story was told through pictures and the words were made to fit them.

Hollow City, to me, seemed like a rushed mess based on only pictures. When reading, it seemed like Ransom Riggs took a whole bunch of pictures and shuffled them into a deck, then randomly selected one to make the next chapter about. The novel went from a fantasy novel that seemed realistic, into a joke-y child like novel. Instead of feeling like this could be a real, dystopian world, it seemed like a cartoon. Talking and walking dogs, cartoon-ish characters, and situations just happening at the right moment made the novel boring and ridiculous.

I could barely read one chapter a night, I found the novel that boring. Random Riggs did an amazing job with imagery to make me see what was happening in my mind, but I found the novel to just be not well thought out.

If the plot line didn't seem to be made that everything was just a coincidence (things happening just when the characters needed it, instead of being a slow build), it could have been a much better novel. Ransom Riggs is still an amazing author, and I'll read the next novel if he makes another one. Hopefully the next novel will be like the first, where the pictures enhance the story instead of dictate it.

Overall, I didn't like it. It was hard to read and very dull. One out of five stars. ( )

I enjoyed this second installment, as much if not more, than the first of the series. Oftentimes when reading a sequel to a novel the author takes time to reintroduce the characters and gives the readers some time to ease back into the story once again. Not the case with Hollow City. It started right where the first one let off. The action and thrills begin right from the start and never let up. As soon as one adventure ends the next one is beginning. Non stop action ! ( )