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A review by phyrre
Watch Hollow: The Alchemist's Shadow by Gregory Funaro
5.0
You can read my full review on my blog, The Writerly Way, here.
Many thanks to JeanBookNerd and Gregory Funaro for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
In a rare twist of fate, the sort that can only take place in a library … I learned about this series from a patron. When an elementary school kid comes in and recommends a book, you listen. Boy was I glad I did, because shortly after, this blog tour popped up, and I immediately jumped on it, since I loved the first one so much. And you know what? I’m pretty sure I liked the sequel even better.
Watch Hollow: The Alchemist’s Shadow is a pleasant combination of goosebump-inducing creepiness, fast-paced action, twists and turns, magic, and found family.
I rushed through this in one sitting, because I just didn’t want to put it down. It felt like there was something new on every page, and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. The book ends with a cliffhanger, setting up what I hope will be a third book in the series, and I couldn’t be more excited for it!
My Thoughts:
- Funaro has a writing style that’s easy to fall into, but also lovely to read. Combine that with Matt Griffin’s gorgeous illustrations, and this book was a pleasure to read from cover to cover. Or, in this case, I guess from 0% to 100%. The writing is something I really enjoyed from the first book, and it carried over into the second. It captures the horror element, while highlighting the mystery, yet still delivering some really lovely descriptions and some top-notch suspense.
- We get to rejoin our old friends from the first book while also meeting new ones. I had no idea where book two would take us, and I’ll be honest that I was hesitant about the Kojima twins at first, but boy did I ever warm up to them. It was so nice to see Lucy and Oliver again, even if the circumstances weren’t exactly happy, considering the arrival of the Kojima twins threatens to see them thrown out of Blackford House. All these kids are facing some pretty big struggles, bigger than they should have to at their age, and my heart just went out to all of them. How could you not root for this eclectic lot? All of them had such lovely arcs and character growth. Even the adults! And let’s face it, after everything they’ve been through, they deserve a little bit of a break, too. Especially Mr. Tinker. It’s nice that even though this is the kids’ story, there’s a little something for the adults, too.
- There’s a mute character that signs! Oh, how I loved this. Signing characters are still so underrepresented in literature, and it was entirely unexpected, which means I was all the more thrilled to see it! Despite not being verbal, Algernon plays a significant role in the story and isn’t silenced just because he couldn’t talk, and it was so freaking refreshing. Whether it’s gestures and motions or Agatha translating for him, Algernon makes his meaning known, and he plays a critical role in the plot. It could’ve been so easy to sideline him, and I’m so glad that wasn’t the case.
- The plot of this book takes a wholly unexpected turn. Which is a horrible (and intentional) attempt at a pun, seeing as how Blackford House transforms into a labyrinth. Look, I never said it was a good joke. I’m ashamed of myself, too. The sinister atmosphere in this feels similar, and yet completely fresh and new, from the previous book. More than that, though, did I mention the labyrinth?! And do you knoooow what lives in a labyrinth, hmm? Nothing good, I can tell you that. As high as the stakes felt in the first book, they were ramped up even more here, and the pages were charged with tension. I could’ve powered my Kindle on all the static electricity flowing between the chapters.
- The resolution at the end felt a little too easy … but then it opened up a fresh new brand of trouble … so I guess that evens things out? I expected the type of ending, given that it’s a middle mid-grade book, but the resolution felt a little lacking for me, personally. I’m also not the target audience, so … that happens. What I did love, though, was how it left off. Because phew, the next book can’t come out soon enough now, with that sort of cliffhanger. It seems like what’s in store for us readers is something bigger, grander, and full of more spooks.
Many thanks to JeanBookNerd and Gregory Funaro for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
In a rare twist of fate, the sort that can only take place in a library … I learned about this series from a patron. When an elementary school kid comes in and recommends a book, you listen. Boy was I glad I did, because shortly after, this blog tour popped up, and I immediately jumped on it, since I loved the first one so much. And you know what? I’m pretty sure I liked the sequel even better.
Watch Hollow: The Alchemist’s Shadow is a pleasant combination of goosebump-inducing creepiness, fast-paced action, twists and turns, magic, and found family.
I rushed through this in one sitting, because I just didn’t want to put it down. It felt like there was something new on every page, and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. The book ends with a cliffhanger, setting up what I hope will be a third book in the series, and I couldn’t be more excited for it!
My Thoughts:
- Funaro has a writing style that’s easy to fall into, but also lovely to read. Combine that with Matt Griffin’s gorgeous illustrations, and this book was a pleasure to read from cover to cover. Or, in this case, I guess from 0% to 100%. The writing is something I really enjoyed from the first book, and it carried over into the second. It captures the horror element, while highlighting the mystery, yet still delivering some really lovely descriptions and some top-notch suspense.
- We get to rejoin our old friends from the first book while also meeting new ones. I had no idea where book two would take us, and I’ll be honest that I was hesitant about the Kojima twins at first, but boy did I ever warm up to them. It was so nice to see Lucy and Oliver again, even if the circumstances weren’t exactly happy, considering the arrival of the Kojima twins threatens to see them thrown out of Blackford House. All these kids are facing some pretty big struggles, bigger than they should have to at their age, and my heart just went out to all of them. How could you not root for this eclectic lot? All of them had such lovely arcs and character growth. Even the adults! And let’s face it, after everything they’ve been through, they deserve a little bit of a break, too. Especially Mr. Tinker. It’s nice that even though this is the kids’ story, there’s a little something for the adults, too.
- There’s a mute character that signs! Oh, how I loved this. Signing characters are still so underrepresented in literature, and it was entirely unexpected, which means I was all the more thrilled to see it! Despite not being verbal, Algernon plays a significant role in the story and isn’t silenced just because he couldn’t talk, and it was so freaking refreshing. Whether it’s gestures and motions or Agatha translating for him, Algernon makes his meaning known, and he plays a critical role in the plot. It could’ve been so easy to sideline him, and I’m so glad that wasn’t the case.
- The plot of this book takes a wholly unexpected turn. Which is a horrible (and intentional) attempt at a pun, seeing as how Blackford House transforms into a labyrinth. Look, I never said it was a good joke. I’m ashamed of myself, too. The sinister atmosphere in this feels similar, and yet completely fresh and new, from the previous book. More than that, though, did I mention the labyrinth?! And do you knoooow what lives in a labyrinth, hmm? Nothing good, I can tell you that. As high as the stakes felt in the first book, they were ramped up even more here, and the pages were charged with tension. I could’ve powered my Kindle on all the static electricity flowing between the chapters.
- The resolution at the end felt a little too easy … but then it opened up a fresh new brand of trouble … so I guess that evens things out? I expected the type of ending, given that it’s a middle mid-grade book, but the resolution felt a little lacking for me, personally. I’m also not the target audience, so … that happens. What I did love, though, was how it left off. Because phew, the next book can’t come out soon enough now, with that sort of cliffhanger. It seems like what’s in store for us readers is something bigger, grander, and full of more spooks.