Ransom Riggs: Hollow City (2014)

    Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world (Goodreads).

    For a book about children with superpowers, the second installment of this series is rather underwhelming. It is rather exciting and well paced, making for an easy and fun read, but the entire book feels an awful lot like one long midsection in an altogether longer book. I suppose this could be the case for many a second novel in a trilogy, but overall in this particular one, the action is repetitive, and while it is not a slog to get through all of the scenes, well written and engaging as they are, the plot does not really build up to anything until the last two chapters, where the book ends with a very good twist and intriguing conclusion. Again, the pictures are very neat and the characters are all likable enough, but this sequel feels more like a stretched out bridge between two better (though I obviously have yet to read the third) bookends of a series. 7.4/10

Eoin Colfer: Highfire (2020)

    The swamp can make strange bedfellows, and rather than be fried alive so the dragon can keep his secret, Squib strikes a deal with the scaly apex predator (Goodreads).

    For a novel that was hailed as a departure from his middle-grade fantasy, Highfire remains a story that is distinctly 'Colfer.' From the witty dialogue and detailing to the ever present Irish elements (despite taking place in backwoods Louisiana) and sometimes overly convenient plot points, Colfer's established and brilliant voice remains the linchpin for what becomes a very enjoyable story. The characters are not especially unique and the relationships between them are not entirely fleshed out, but the overall plot is highly entertaining, and once one gets past the crude language, the dialogue is hilarious and often surprisingly heartfelt. Overall, an entirely enjoyable tale that, while unique in spirit, is wholly and entertainingly the author's. 8.4/10

Volker Kutscher: Babylon Berlin (2007) - Translated by Niall Sellar (2016)

    When a car is hauled out of the Landwehr Canal with a mutilated corpse inside, Detective Inspector Gereon Rath claims the case. Soon his inquiries drag him ever deeper into the morass of Weimar Berlin's 'Roaring Twenties' underworld (Goodreads).

    For a moment, let's ignore the wholly unremarkable depictions of physical relationships that often blur the line between appropriate, historically accurate grunge and just plain discomfort; the underwhelming and often dry phrasing and sentence structure (perhaps the fault of the translator rather than the author), the result of which is a story that seems to drag on a little too much; and a protagonist who does not do a whole lot to endear himself to the reader. Instead, let's focus on the unique and captivating setting of 1920s Berlin, an area where the author's creativity flourishes. The mystery that unfolds in this setting is captivating (when not broken up by the aforementioned negatives), and Kutscher unveils several brilliant and engaging twists. After a few, the plot (and eventual climax) is slightly convoluted, but for the most part, as a political/noir/cop/detective novel, this book does quite well. That being said, of course, there are several glaring detractors that lower the quality of what would otherwise be an extremely enjoyable story. 6.7/10

Pittacus Lore: Return to Zero (2019)

    Facing capture or annihilation from all sides, the only hope the Human Garde have for survival is to stand together once and for all to fight back against their true enemies (Goodreads).

    Admittedly, it has been a fair bit of time since I have read the preceding novels in this series, so that may have detracted slightly from my appreciation of this concluding novel, but this seemed largely like a rehash of the previous two books. The stakes and conflicts seemed to not evolve or develop more depth, and the grand scope of the Lorien universe, while impressive, seemed to backfire slightly, with so many characters popping in and out of significance. That being said, the writing quality established and developed over the course of the series continues to shine in this well-paced and action-packed final installment. What relationships between characters that do stand out are developed equally well, and most of the consistent main characters maintain a good semblance of depth and uniqueness. The final climax is slightly convoluted and wrapped up a little too quickly, but for the most part, this series ends on a positive note. 7.7/10

Neal Shusterman: Scythe (2016)

    Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own (Goodreads).

    The premise is grim and unique, and there is not a lot that Shusterman leaves to be desired when it comes to the basic lore and setup of his simultaneously dystopian and utopian world. As far as the actual story goes, that is equally as well done: Both lead characters are intriguing and developed along their own separate paths while still maintaining a decent semblance of a promising relationship. Wonderfully paced and extremely engaging, the only thing that is really left to be desired from this first installment in what promises to be a great series is the predictable nature of some of the plot elements, although there remain some intriguing twists, and the almost unavoidable nature of the fact that having a male and female protagonist in a young adult science fiction novel comes with its fair share of cliches to try to avoid and comparisons to previously written novels that will inevitably arrive in the reader's brain. 8.4/10

Douglas Adams: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987)

    Dirk Gently, self-styled private investigator, sets out to prove the fundamental interconnectedness of all things by solving a mysterious murder, assisting a mysterious professor, unravelling a mysterious mystery, and eating a lot of pizza (Goodreads).

    For the first ninety percent of the plot, Adams shines in a uproariously funny, eloquently dictated, and smartly constructed genre-bending novel full of dynamic characters, witty dialogue, and engaging mystery. Although it takes a while for the titular Gently to make an appearance, the buildup and payoff for his character and the subsequent detecting that unfolds is well worth the wait. As readers follow along with the strange detective and the exasperated Richard, there is also payoff in seeing the book's various strange elements come together in a very, well, holistic fashion. For the last ten percent, while it is about as enjoyable as the first portion, Adams crams in perhaps a bit too much, what with time travel and alien colonization threatening humanity all being introduced in the conclusion. This does little, however, to deter from the fact that Adams has crafted a masterful story here. 8.6/10

Scott Westerfeld: Goliath (2011)

    The crown, true love with a commoner, and the destruction of a great city all hang on Alek's next--and final--move (Goodreads).

    Westerfeld continues the relative consistency of his steampunk historical saga in this, the concluding novel. Again, his world continues to expand and grow in a detailed and intricate manner, while still maintaining a central plot and characters. The first two thirds of the novel are a bit slow moving and slightly muddled when it comes to the individual stakes of this particular book, but the whole trilogy is wrapped up very well in the final act, as the pace picks up again as the author handily executes a solid climax and resolution. The character conflict between the two protagonists is predictable and resolved a bit too slowly, but for the most part, Westerfeld ends his unique trilogy in a highly enjoyable and entertaining fashion. 7.9/10