Scan barcode
a_libraryghost's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It’s definitely not as strong as the first book but still really good! Billy is still a loveable character and Steven was a fantastic addition I loved their dynamic! I both like and don’t like Amber. I do think she adds to the story and I like Billy having a friend but she is quite selfish and continually makes bad decisions, and while Billy undergoes some development, Amber doesn’t. She even gets called out for her attitude but there’s no resolution to that, the next scene she’s in is the climax of the book and then everything is all good again.
There’s also a lack of the eerie and chilling feel that came with the ocean, rock pools and caves in the first book. There’s really little to do with the water in this book and the cover feels a bit misleading. There are tense moments and scenes with the Tucker storyline but I never feared for the characters the way I did in the first book. I think the other storyline with the missing husband was done better and was less predictable, the climax to that was probably the most tense and chilling scene in the book.
Even with the issues I had though it was still hard to put down! I think Dunnett continues to do a really good job writing through the perspective of a child, first at 11 and now at 13, and I actually really like how Nilly talks to the reader. I listened to the audio so I thankfully didn’t have to deal with all the spelling and grammatical errors I’ve seen people talk about but Mark Sanderlin was back for book two and once again does an excellent narration!
There’s also a lack of the eerie and chilling feel that came with the ocean, rock pools and caves in the first book. There’s really little to do with the water in this book and the cover feels a bit misleading. There are tense moments and scenes with the Tucker storyline but I never feared for the characters the way I did in the first book. I think the other storyline with the missing husband was done better and was less predictable, the climax to that was probably the most tense and chilling scene in the book.
Even with the issues I had though it was still hard to put down! I think Dunnett continues to do a really good job writing through the perspective of a child, first at 11 and now at 13, and I actually really like how Nilly talks to the reader. I listened to the audio so I thankfully didn’t have to deal with all the spelling and grammatical errors I’ve seen people talk about but Mark Sanderlin was back for book two and once again does an excellent narration!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Kidnapping, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Blood and Pedophilia
kramie's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book and cant wait to start the next in the series. I found that the pace was a lot faster in this book. Having several story lines in one book kept the story fast paced and keeping you guessing.
Follow as Billy makes a new friend and discovers more problems on Lornea Island. Will the police through the book at him this time? Will he get hurt?
Follow as Billy makes a new friend and discovers more problems on Lornea Island. Will the police through the book at him this time? Will he get hurt?
More...