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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
Almost worth recommending, but for the belief-snapping conceit that supernatural nonphysical entities can not only hold physical objects, but drink beverages. I could not succeed at shooing away the image of beverage sloshing around 'suspended'. If a ghost pees out her hot chocolate, does it make a sound?
4.5 Takes a tad longer to build up and doesn't reach quite as satisfying ending as the first volume, but still a really good middle-grader / young-adult mystery. The second-to-last twist is quite nice especially. And I really like the use of roleplaying characters to help someone overcome their hang-ups. Might not be the most realistic thing, but it feels good. The setting gets a little less vague now too and that's always nice. Also the hobby horse and the Liberty of Gammerbund are pretty cool additions. Only thing I would wish for is that the next volume set in this time period should maybe not take place at Christmas again.
did not need to be 450 pages. I wasn’t a fan of the new characters as much as I liked the ones from the first book
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was a fun and cozy mystery involving ghosts. I liked reading it before bed, but I binged the last few chapters and slept way too late.
adventurous
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Slavery, Grief, Death of parent
This was just as lovely as the first book. All our favorite characters return along with some delightful new characters. A wonderful cozy Christmas atmosphere with ghosts and mystery.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read the first book in this series a few years ago, and thought it was really cute, so I was excited to read this one. I really like that both of them are set around Christmas time: reading them each year around Christmas time makes it feel extra nostalgic, and the setting and vibes are also perfect for winter!
I had fun with this book: it was really wholesome and I liked the deeper topics covered as well. I do feel like the story felt a lot like the first book and was just a little too long for my liking, and I don't think I will read the next books in the series. Finishing this book and looking it up on the website, I realized that there were SO many books in this universe, and the worldbuilding is insane, but to be honest, I just am not that invested in these characters/this world.
In this book, Milo has been working on figuring out his family history and his sense of identity. He has been working on uncovering his family history, and where he belongs in the world especially with his adoptive parents and his anxiety. At the same time, people are showing up to his parents' inn who may or may not be who they say they are, and his friend Meddy is nowhere to be seen.
My main complaint with this story is that it really seemed too long: it is over 450 pages, which is a lot for a middle grade book happening more or less all in one building. The best way I can describe is it is that a lot of scenes seemed to play out multiple times, and without that much changed between repetitions. There was so much description of what each of the characters were doing and who was doing what/going where without really an explanation why all of it was happening, and it just lost my interest.
The mystery and the smuggling and thieving aspects were really fun! I wish it was described more/in a more succinct fashion, because whenever that was actually discussed, I was having a lot of fun. I never felt like the mystery was relatable/interesting to me, and whenthe mystery was solved, I didn't feel like I would have been able to figure it out: it seemed like the characters had knowledge that I could have never come up with, and so them solving the mystery kind of feels like they pulled the solve out of thin air. Part of it may well be because I don't remember the first book very well, but I do think that the storytelling was lacking in that regard.
Like I alluded to, the cozy wintery inn vibes were so much fun! There was storytelling, cider, and snow, and really, the vibes were fantastic. I also thought the Waits visiting was really cool and I liked learning about their history and all the traditions that came along with their visit.
All in all, this was a fun Christmassy book, and I am glad I read it! I won't be reading the other books in the series but I am definitely open to rereading the first book in the series around Christmastime in the future!
I had fun with this book: it was really wholesome and I liked the deeper topics covered as well. I do feel like the story felt a lot like the first book and was just a little too long for my liking, and I don't think I will read the next books in the series. Finishing this book and looking it up on the website, I realized that there were SO many books in this universe, and the worldbuilding is insane, but to be honest, I just am not that invested in these characters/this world.
In this book, Milo has been working on figuring out his family history and his sense of identity. He has been working on uncovering his family history, and where he belongs in the world especially with his adoptive parents and his anxiety. At the same time, people are showing up to his parents' inn who may or may not be who they say they are, and his friend Meddy is nowhere to be seen.
My main complaint with this story is that it really seemed too long: it is over 450 pages, which is a lot for a middle grade book happening more or less all in one building. The best way I can describe is it is that a lot of scenes seemed to play out multiple times, and without that much changed between repetitions. There was so much description of what each of the characters were doing and who was doing what/going where without really an explanation why all of it was happening, and it just lost my interest.
The mystery and the smuggling and thieving aspects were really fun! I wish it was described more/in a more succinct fashion, because whenever that was actually discussed, I was having a lot of fun. I never felt like the mystery was relatable/interesting to me, and when
Like I alluded to, the cozy wintery inn vibes were so much fun! There was storytelling, cider, and snow, and really, the vibes were fantastic. I also thought the Waits visiting was really cool and I liked learning about their history and all the traditions that came along with their visit.
All in all, this was a fun Christmassy book, and I am glad I read it! I won't be reading the other books in the series but I am definitely open to rereading the first book in the series around Christmastime in the future!
I didn’t think it was possible, but this is as good as the first book in the series.