LIBRARY OF SOULS is the final chapter in the trilogy of
books that began with MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN. The second
book of the series (HOLLOW CITY) ended on a major cliffhanger as Jacob and Emma
find themselves in modern day London separated from the rest of their friends
who have all been kidnapped. They find themselves staring face-to-face with a
hollow, those terrifying creatures that hunt, capture, and devour peculiars,
and Jacob discovers he is able to control the hollow and make it do what he
wants. The conclusion is a bit of a shocker and makes up for the weak points
found in the rest of the book.
LIBRARY OF SOULS begins right where HOLLOW CITY ended. Jacob
and Emma and Addison begin their hunt anew to find their missing friends and
try to bring about the end of the wights. Their journey takes them from
modern-day London to a place of peculiardom called Devil’s Acre, a place where
the unwanted, rejected, and addicted peculiars come to reside. It’s also where
the wights fortress is located. Along the way they meet new foes and allies
alike.
I really enjoyed MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR
CHILDREN. I thought it was a fascinating idea to write a novel and was
intrigued by how well the story and pictures all fit together. Although I was
excited by HOLLOW CITY, I was somewhat disappointed by it. The story lacked the
depth and character development of the first book. I usually really enjoy the
final part of a trilogy and was really looking forward to reading LIBRARY OF
SOULS. However, I found the book to be the most disappointing in the series.
The story wraps up the mysteries and loose ends of the first two books. It also
introduces some unforgettable characters who I wish we would have had more time
with (Sharon and Bentham) and has some grand climatic battles. Yet, so much of the book feels forced. At
times it felt like I was reading a story that was written just to beat a
deadline. That’s the thing about turning one book into three: sometimes a story
doesn’t need to be that long. I really think the series would have been better
if it had been told in two books instead of three. Also, the gimmick that
brought about the first book (photographs that inspired the story) has lost its
luster in LIBRARY OF SOULS; the photographs aren’t needed now and the book even
reads that way; the photographs aren’t central to the story anymore and are
more of an afterthought. Personally, in some ways this series reminds me of the
trilogy of Matrix movies (HOLLOW CITY ends very much in the same way that THE
MATRIX: RELOADED does): the first story is so original and groundbreaking, the
second story isn’t as strong but has some moments, and the final story fails to
live up to the epic conclusion it has been building. That’s not to say LIBRARY
OF SOULS is a bad book because it’s not. However, it’s just not the epic
conclusion it should have been.
