Hollow City

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. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. Like its predecessor, this second novel in the Peculiar Children series blends thrilling fantasy with never-before-published vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reacting experience.
from goodreads.com

Beth says 5 Stars...
I loved the first book when I read it a while back and was super excited to get my hands on this one.  What's fantastic about this series is that it embraces being different.  Peculiar doesn't just describe the characters, it's a fitting adjective for the story itself.  The overall structure is familiar since the children have to go on what is in essence a quest to find assistance unavailable except in one specific place.  Said place just happens to be located both far(ish) away and in a dangerous area, in this case London in the midst of WWII.  The journey and search for aid for Miss Peregrine comprises the majority of the story.  The plot moves at a nice, consistent pace save the ending in which all hell breaks (metaphorically) loose.  The vintage photographs add a unique and interesting level to the story and serve to bring readers even deeper into the world of the book.  They give striking and atmospheric visuals to make imagining what's going on even easier.

The cast of characters is so delightfully odd.  Throughout the book the peculiar abilities of the children grow stronger and show new facets.  The ending of the last novel marked all of the children and this book allows the development to shine.  The relationship between Emma and Jacob is a delight because it's sweet, relatively normal, and not the central focus of the book.  It's an important factor in some of the actions the characters take, but it doesn't dominate the story.  Most of the individuals the group meets flutter in and out of the story, adding something for the brief time they're important.  They find a few more peculiars with different abilities and I'm enjoying the various types of special talents.  It takes quite a bit of creativity to keep coming up with them!

I can't recommend this series highly enough.  Hollow City is just as good of a second novel as the first book was series opener.  The ensemble of characters, brilliant use of vintage photos, and unabashed oddness make it a breath of fresh air.  If you're looking for something different, delightful, and highly readable grab this book/series.  You shan't regret it.
ebook from Library