Hi hello and welcome to day 8 of Blogtober 2019! If you don't know what Blogtober is or are curious as to what I'll be posting throughout the month, feel free to check out my Preparing for Blogtober 2019 post to find out what it's all about!! Today, I'll be posting my first spoopy book review! I'm so excited to get back into writing book reviews as they are typically my favorite posts to write. I just love sharing my thoughts on the books I've read and seeing if my thoughts align with others or how they differ. My first review will be on Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab! Let's get spooky!
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Title: Tunnel of Bones
Author: Victoria Schwab
Pages: 304
Genre: Middle Grade Paranormal/Fantasy
Release Date: 03 September 2019
From Goodreads: "Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual. She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass's parents are filming their TV show about the world's most haunted cities. Sure, it's fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there's true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs. When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter -- and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger. And if Cass fails, the force she's unleashed could haunt the city forever.
_________________________________________________________________________________
I'm just going to start off by saying that I have never read a Victoria/V.E. Schwab book that I haven't given five stars to, so you can assume that this was a five-star read. I was so happy to be back in Cassidy's world in the sequel to City of Ghosts and this was definitely not a disappointment! If you haven't read City of Ghosts yet, I would advise against reading my review, as it may contain spoilers for the series thus far. If you don't care about spoilers, then feel free to read away!
Cassidy Blake is back with her ghost best friend Jacob and this time they're on their way to Paris. Cass's parents are still filming their TV show chronicling the world's most haunted cities. Trying crepes for the first time and seeing the Eiffel Tower (which is totally not haunted, by the way) are certainly fun, but trecking down into the haunted underground Catacombs? Not as much fun. Especially not when Cass accidentally awakens an incredibly strong spirit and has to rely on her skills as a ghosthunter that she's still developing. But time is running out and the angry spirit is growing stronger by the minute. And if Cass fails, the spirit she unleashed could haunt the city of Paris forever.
I absolutely loved Tunnel of Bones! This was such a wonderful follow up to City of Ghosts and I really feel like the creepy factor was amped up for this one. The Catacombs of Paris are known for being very eerie and probably definitely haunted, so the location alone was enough to give me chills while I was reading. One thing I really enjoyed was Cassidy's parents going around to various locations in Paris and talking about the history behind them and why each location is/might be haunted. I'm definitely a nerd for history-related things and ghosts so combine the two together and you have my attention 100%! I also still love the irony of her parents being ghost hunters and not necessarily believing in ghosts (dad is the historian, mom is the ghost hunter), but their daughter can not only see ghosts, but she also has a ghost for a best friend. Or, rather, a corporeally challenged best friend. It's just something that makes me smile every time her parents are doing a segment and talking about speculations of hauntings and Cassidy is basically just like, "Yup, it's haunted, here's a ghost."
Plot-wise, this book was an incredibly fun ride. I love that so far, the two books in this series seem to follow a fairly "easy" plot progression, and I don't mean this in a negative way. I can see how that would probably be a necessity, as this is marketed as a Middle-Grade book, so it works for the target audience. Well, and myself as well. We definitely got a lot more ghost action in Tunnel of Bones and some long-awaited (or maybe I'm dramatic and am the only one that feels like I've been dying for this) backstory on the cinnamon roll that is Jacob. Cassidy's powers are growing along with her ghost hunting skills, Jacob is...still Jacob but now we know a bit more about him (no spoilers here, friends!), and her parents are still hunting ghosts and filming their television show and also still don't believe Cassidy has a ghost for a best friend. Which is hilarious considering what they do. But there was a lot more development for our heroine and her best friend and it's made me incredibly eager to read the next book in the trilogy!
One of my favorite things about reading a Victoria Schwab book is how incredible the writing is. While this is marketed as a Middle-Grade book, I actually don't feel like I'm reading a MG book, if that makes any sense. Her writing always has this sense of wonder and magic that comes with every word she puts on the page, and Tunnel of Bones is no exception. Victoria Schwab has woven together a mystery with a sassy ghost hunter and her corporeally challenged best friend that will make you laugh and then shiver with chills from the spooky elements within the pages of this book. It's not only an easy and quick read, but it's also a read that you can easily find yourself getting lost in and finishing before you even realize you've started because it's just so addicting and fun. She truly is a queen in every single age group that she writes in and I am convinced that she cannot write a bad book. Please don't try to prove me wrong because I don't want you to waste your time.
I know I've been saying nothing but good things and adding a ton of exclamation points to the ends of my sentences, but I genuinely had such a good time reading this book. From the writing that actually gave me chills because of how spooky it was, to Cass and Jacob's interactions and the shenanigans that they seem to somehow always get into (despite Jacob's insistence that Cass stay out of things), I have yet to be disappointed by this series and I know I won't ever be. Tunnel of Bones is an exciting continuation of Cassidy's adventures and I am so excited for the third installment, Bridge of Souls!
I know I've been saying nothing but good things and adding a ton of exclamation points to the ends of my sentences, but I genuinely had such a good time reading this book. From the writing that actually gave me chills because of how spooky it was, to Cass and Jacob's interactions and the shenanigans that they seem to somehow always get into (despite Jacob's insistence that Cass stay out of things), I have yet to be disappointed by this series and I know I won't ever be. Tunnel of Bones is an exciting continuation of Cassidy's adventures and I am so excited for the third installment, Bridge of Souls!
