Spoilers, be warned!

To be honest, I dont think I liked this one as much as the first. It felt like it had an extremely slow buildup until Katniss is informed that she has to go back into the Hunger Games again. I was also waiting for more development on the rebellions in the districts, but it seemed like those got grazed over more than they should, since I got the feeling that rebelling over repression was the entire point/theme of this book.

However, I did enjoy getting to know the new characters in the Games, even if they weren't explored as deeply as Rue was in the first novel. Overall, a good book. The cliffhanger at the end definitely egged me on to read the final installment.

The Good: I saw this book on the shelves of the YA Fiction, and I convinced myself that I had to have it. The cover work is beautifully designed. The black-and-white vintage photograph of a hauntingly bizarre floating girl, coupled with beautiful text and Victorian-esque borders caught my eye instantly. The inside of the book is speckled with vintage black-and-white photography that usually adds to the story very well.

The story includes several very humorous moments, and I found the peculiar children very likable characters. I looked forward to hearing descriptions of them, and really liked the interactions they had with the main character. The photography also really added to getting to know the characters.

I found the aspects of time-travel and superpowers (or "peculiarness") really interesting as they were described in the book. I liked how they were described well enough to give a context, but not over-described so that it got boring or too technical.

The Bad: The "big fight scene" of the book seemed a little bit short and drawn-out, without much of a crescendo. I also found the ending rather disappointing, since it sort of leaves off in the middle of one of their adventures. I was wanting to know what happened to some of the characters. Either a sequel needs to come around, or the novel would have been better ending at a later point in the story.

I also was feeling like some of the characters in the beginning needed more exploration. I would've liked to get to know the relationship between Jacob and his father a little bit better, especially before they went to the island. It would have also been interesting to know what his grandfather was like when he was living in the home. I wish that the death of his grandfather in the beginning wasn't the end we really heard/saw him.


Overall, I liked the book. It was a good, quick read. The pace dragged in some places, but it was an enjoyable book. I'd be interested in reading either a prequel or a sequel.