Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $11.95 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs was published in 2014 by Quirk Books.

Page Count: 416 pages (paperback) 400 (hardcover) 434 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 11 hrs 39 mins

Chapters: 13

Languages: English (also available in the follow translations: Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Turkish, and Chinese)

Summary of Book:

“September 3, 1940. Ten Peculiar Children Flee an army of deadly monsters. And only one person can help them–but she’s trapped in the body of a bird. 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. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom. Like its predecessor, this second novel in the Peculiar Children series blends thrilling fantasy with vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience.” -Quirk

Author Biography:

“Ransom Riggs grew up in Florida but now makes his home in the land of peculiar children–Los Angeles. He was raised on a steady diet of ghost stories and British comedy, which probably explains the novels he writes. You an find him on Twitter @ransomriggs” -Quirk

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

After reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and absolutely loving it, I decided I had to find out what Riggs had in store for his reader in the second novel in the series. The first novel was such a different read for me, so I had very high expectation for the second novel. Just as the first one, Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children delivered! The second novel dove deeper into Riggs’ peculiar world and his amazing creations. Like the first novel, it was full of eerie, fascinating pictures that brought the narrative to life.

This story picks up where the first novel left off. Only in this story, the Peculiars have to rush to get Miss Peregrine help. Apparently stuck in her bird form, the Peculiar children must find a way to somehow help her, and along their journey, they run into many challenges that threaten their lives! Throughout this journey, the reader is able to understand more about the world Riggs has created, and I found it fascinating to discover all of the new elements Riggs includes in the second novel that we were not exposed to in the first.

This novel was one that I did not want to put down for anything. I ended up finishing this read in three days while juggling grad school and work and “adulting” in general. I was fairly upset with the ending, not because I hated it, but because it made me want to pick up the third book right away and keep going. I currently do not have the third book, so I am going to have to get that right away! I strongly recommend having the third book ready when you finish the second. If not, you’re going to be left saying the very thing I said when the book ended. I turned the page expecting the narrative to continue, but it didn’t! The second book ended, and I found myself saying, “That’s it!” Don’t let this happen to you. Buy the third book and keep going, because based on where the second one left off, the third is going to be so good!

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Kirby Heyborne

Heyborne’s narration at 1.50 speed is the slowest I will go with this novel. His narration at 1.0 speed and 1.25 speed is too slow and seems slowed down and as if it were in slow motion. However, his narration portrays the character effectively and helps the listener follow along and be drawn into the story. His narration provides emotion that I allows the frustration, anger, and urgency of the characters to come alive. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 2.0 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.5 to be the best speeds. 3.0 was fast but understandable enough to follow along while reading. If you are looking to get through it quickly 3.0 is the speed I recommend while reading along. 3.5 speed was too fast, and I could not understand part of what was being said.

Other works by this Author:

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Series

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Hollow City
Library of Souls
A Map of Days

Before Reading Facts:

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs was published in 2013 by Quirk Books.

Page Count: 382 pages (paperback) 352 (hardcover) 358 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 09 hrs 42 mins

Chapters: 11

Languages: English (also available in the follow translations: Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, and Chinese)

Summary of Book:

“A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of peculiar photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its decaying bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine’s children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow–impossible though it seems–they may still be alive” -Quirk

Author Biography:

“Ransom Riggs grew up in Florida but now makes his home in the land of peculiar children–Los Angeles. Along the way he earned degrees from Kenyon College and the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television. His first novel, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, debuted at #5 in the New York Times Best-Seller List.” -Quirk

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

I started reading this novel one Saturday afternoon during Christmas break. I had no work and no school to worry about, so I finally had time to sit down and read a good book. This was that book! I started this book that Saturday afternoon and finished it the following morning after forcing myself to go to sleep. I did not want to stop! I wanted to keep going. This story is amazing; the pictures in the novel bring the story to life in a creepy but fascinating way; and the story is so action packed that one can’t help but keep reading.

This story is so different and unique to anything I read the previous weeks, that I was so into it. I extremely enjoyed every bit of it. I will admit that at one point I tried to pull myself away from the story due to its “unrealistic” nature, but it is that “unrealistic” and unique element that kept me intrigued. I wanted to know more about Riggs’ Peculiar Children and how their existence is portrayed. In the end, I wanted to know more. I wanted more of their journey and am glad there is a continuation of this novel published and ready for me to read.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a novel that reminded me of Marie Lu’s The Young Elites. I read one novel after the next, and they seem to be two series that should be read one after anther. If you enjoy either series but have not read the other, I recommend you do so. Their dark, eerie nature make both series stand out and captivate its readers by their innovative nature.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Jesse Bernstein

Bernstein’s narration at 1.25 speed is the slowest I will go with this novel. His narration at 1.0 speed is too slow and seems slowed down and as if it were in slow motion. However, his narration portrays the character effectively and helps the listener follow along and be drawn into the story. Overall, Bernstein does an excellent job captivating the story for listeners, I extremely enjoyed reading along. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.5 to be the best speeds. 3.0 was fast but understandable enough to follow along while reading. If you are looking to get through it quickly 3.0 is the speed I recommend while reading along. 3.5 speed was too fast, and I could not understand part of what was being said.

Tag: #hollowcity