Wildcard #3 ~ “A book with an alliterative title.”
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
My opinion in three sentences:
I toyed for a long while over whether to give it two-or three- stars – it’s certainly an improvement for the last (which got two), but equally three implies I’d kind of recommend it, and I’m not sure I would. Unlike its prequel, there’s a plot throughout, and that makes it kind of enticing. However, the characters are no more likeable and there’s a considerable focus on protagonist Gwen, which causes a significant drag to the story.
(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:
There was a plot! I’m often hesitant of sequels as I frequently find them not-warranted, or slipping into sequel syndrome. Pleasantly, this surprised me proving better than the last (although the bar wasn’t particularly high). Having a strong sense of a plot throughout really helped, with its fair share of ups and downs. Now, one can only hope the upward trajectory remains for the final book of the trilogy…
A warning for the book:
Whilst there wasn’t anything wrong with the crafting of most of the characters, that didn’t make them a likeable or relatable bunch. Peter spent lots of the book in a bad mood, which got old very quickly, and Gwen was not the best of protagonists to be leading the reader along. Rosemary, too, seemed to be vastly grown up from the previous book (although wasn’t too bad to have around), but sadly like many of the others was pushed to one side for the majority of the book. Even Jay, who’s got to have some sort of relation to Captain Hook, still remains a considerable unknown. It was an improvement on the previous, sure, but there’s still much that can be remedied.
Dreaming With Your Eyes Wide Open 