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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
This is definitely my favorite book in the series so far. I felt the story was faster paced and more interesting. I loved how much they delved into the past of each character, even ones we had only glimpsed momentarily in the previous books. I'm very excited to see what happens next.
"Let's go save the world" - Abigail Rook
The penultimate book in the Jackaby series was definitely riveting. If book 1 was lacking in substance in terms of the depth of characters and plot, book 2 stepped up the game and book 3 just showed that the Jackaby series is more than just a soft padding book series of a mild mannered somewhat eccentric detective's, various quests in tackling paranormal activities in New Fiddleham.
The residents of 926 Augur Lane can get tough when they have to.
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Although this book shows boundless improvement from it's predecessor, i felt in some scenes, notably 3 scenes in particular, where Ritter i feel had no way to organically move the plot along which resulted in page fillers (that part gave me some awesome quotes so i can't complain too much) and a deliberately orchestrated nudge in his writing to drive the plot.
Spoiler
Listen there was no reason why Abigail Rook should have volunteered that information about Jackaby to Finstern. Seeing as he uses that specific information to almost end Jackaby and make us know how important he is to the Dire council i can only conclude that the author had absolutely no idea how to insert that organically into the plot.I'm not too mad though because in all honesty, this book is greatly improved and i really wasn't expecting this level of ferociousness for Jackaby.
Definitely a pleasant surprise.
There's a tendency to center this whole book on Jackaby himself but it definitely would be in bad form to leave out Abigail Rook in this review. Now that is a woman who can hold her own and is damn smart to boot. It's refreshing that even though we get everything from her PoV, she totally succeeds in being able to let each character have their own voice.
All in all, an absolutely amazing addition to the Jackaby series.
I loved "Jackaby" #1. It was smart, fun, and involved a red cap committing crimes in a very New York-ish 19th century city. Abigail Rook is a wonderful female character and (it's been said before, but) Jackaby is a cross between Doctor Who and Sherlock.
The second book was forgettable. Not terrible. I still wanted to read more, but I can't really remember anything other than the main plot points and it took me quite a while to read because I was bored. And it had dragons in it. It must have been pretty boring if I wasn't engrossed by the dragons alone.
"Ghostly Echoes" is fantastic. It delves much more into the crazy, fairy world in which the books are set as well as the back story of the more interesting, paranormal characters. I did guess the first twist, but not the second.
The second book was forgettable. Not terrible. I still wanted to read more, but I can't really remember anything other than the main plot points and it took me quite a while to read because I was bored. And it had dragons in it. It must have been pretty boring if I wasn't engrossed by the dragons alone.
"Ghostly Echoes" is fantastic. It delves much more into the crazy, fairy world in which the books are set as well as the back story of the more interesting, paranormal characters. I did guess the first twist, but not the second.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Kinda a weird departure from the rest of the series, but not in a bad way. I enjoyed the elements of mythology and the new characters, Lydia Lee and Charon specifically. I don't want this series to end, but I know there's only one book left.
This book did not disappoint. Ghost Jenny Cavanaugh has been a supporting character for the first two Jackaby novels, but she really gets "fleshed out" in this one (pun intended), as Jackaby and Abigail help her investigate her own murder. It's nice to see Jackaby growing and changing as the series goes on, too. He opens up nicely in "Ghostly Echoes," without losing his characteristic obtuseness and formality. Abigail is such a great first-person narrator. She's so sweet and relatable that you just want to be her best friend (and try to protect her a bit, too). It wouldn't have been as satisfying without the reappearance of the amazing cast of characters I've grown to love, including Hatun, Douglas, and Charlie, but the new additions were just as well-drawn and intriguing. It's lovely that Ritter doesn't create straight-up "bad guys" and "good guys." Instead, the good characters are flawed in very real ways, and the evil characters often have something beautifully tragic or otherwise sympathetic about them. Don't even dream of reading this book until you've experienced the first two in the series, and be prepared to feel extremely anxious for the next installment.
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Minus one thing (a common trend in recent YA to be with the times) very good, fast paced, and perfect cliff hanger for the next.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes