Common Sense Media Review
By Patricia Tauzer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent volume ends gothic trilogy with epic battle, hope.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
LIBRARY OF SOULS picks up right where Hollow City leaves off. Jacob and Emma narrowly escape the London destruction, managing to evade the hollowgast that's hot on their trail. Jacob gains more control over his special power, and with the help of Addison, a talking dog, he and Emma begin the almost hopeless pursuit of their kidnapped friends and especially Miss Peregrine, their ymbryne matriarch. A complicated series of adventures takes them through one narrow escape after another, through Victorian England, Devil's Acre, and strange loops to a medieval fortress and finally the Library of Souls. They face bloodthirsty hollowgasts, revengeful white-eyed wights, evil peculiars, and the dangers of a drug-dependent despicable society full of individuals who would do anything for their next vial of ambrosia. People and peculiars are not always who they seem, and several unexpected twists lead to an epic battle in the Library of Souls and the final resolution of Jacob and Emma's story.
Is It Any Good?
Action-packed and accented by strange photos, this final book in Ransom Riggs' gothic thriller trilogy is complicated, spine-tingling, violent, and romantic. It's also well written and fun to read. The war between good and evil is the stuff comic books are made of, the vocabulary reads like a classic novel, and the unique story will engage anyone who loves science fiction, dystopian novels, and/or cannibalistic monsters, evil scientists, and heroes with superhuman talents.
Some readers may find the first part slow going as Riggs sets up pieces of a complicated plot. However, midway, the action and excitement pick up, and those pieces fall into place. Battles ensue, death and destruction are narrowly avoided, happy surprises follow hopeless disasters, and vice versa. Good is bad and bad is good as the story twists and turns through loops, tunnels, turrets, sewage-laden canals, and fantastical rooms and worlds on its way to a final resolution. Whew! What a journey! Definitely one readers will not soon forget.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about author Ransom Rigg's use of strange black-and-white photos. Do they add to the story? Does the story explain the photos or do the photos explain the story? How do these photos compare with those in the other two books?
Jacob often questions himself and whether he can do what needs to be done, while Emma is more sure of herself. What motivates Jacob to muster up the bravery he needs? What does his deliberation add to the story? Which other heroes, especially those in dystopian novels, have the same self-doubt?
Devil's Acre is a very dark, evil disgusting place. What role does ambrosia play in holding the people there? Do you see any relationship to the drug problems in our real world?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Quirk Books
- Publication date : October 26, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 13 - 18
- Number of pages : 464
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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