Tunnel of Bones (City of Ghosts #2): Volume 2

Book: Tunnel of BonesAuthor: Victoria SchwabRating: 4 Out of 5 StarsThis is the second book in the Cassidy Blake series. Just like the first book, I found myself really enjoying myself. Now, I will admit that I do kind of a love-hate relationship with this author. This series, though, has been a hit with me and I will most certainly be picking up the other books. I will admit that I really didn’t enjoy this one as much as City of Ghosts, but it is still well worth the read. (Maybe it’s because I really don’t want to go to Paris.)This story follows Cassidy, her family, and her ghost friend, Jacob as they go across the world making a TV series about haunted places and ghosts. Cassidy has the ability to see ghosts and escort them on to whatever it is that awaits them. Of course, this gets her into trouble and she is living this double life. Plus, we have Jacob who kind of makes her keep a level head and from doing anything to rash. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way.What I love about this series is how spooky and creepy Victoria makes it. This is middle grade-so keep that in mind. However, we do have a lot of the same horror elements that we get in older horror. We have the creepy feeling of haunted Paris and not knowing what is going to happen next. Victoria does an amazing job of showing us the terror and the feeling of not knowing what is going to happen. I mean, no one really thinks about a haunted Paris, but this book will spend creepy vibes running down your spine. Plus, look at the cover. Doesn’t it just scream creepy?What I also loved about this book was Cassidy and Jacob’s friendship. I love how there’s not a bit of romance between them and we just have a guy and girl friendship. I don’t know why so many authors think they had be put all of their male and female characters together. It’s just one of those things that drives me mad. It’s just such a fresh thing to find a book where we just have a good old fashioned guy and girl friendship. Another thing that I also liked was how even though Cassidy really knows a lot, I like how she’s not afraid to ask for help. Bring in Lara, who is always there for her no matter what.Overall, I really enjoyed this quick, yet spooky, read. I highly recommend it.

Cassidy Blake and her ghost best friend Jacob follow her parents once again on their TV show about the world's most haunted sites. This time, they travel to Paris, France where the food is delicious and the Catacombs are full of ghosts. When she is pushed through the Veil into the ghost world there, she accidentally allows a strong, malicious ghost to resurface in the human world. Its antics start out small and then eventually threaten the city at large. Cassidy has to remind the ghost who it was before she can send it on and delve into the mystery with old friends and new while keeping her family in the dark about her abilities.Tunnel of Bones is the second book in the Cassidy Blake series. She survived the Red Raven but not unscathed. Cassidy is still exploring her powers and their purpose that has put a bit of a rift between her and Jacob. She releases ghosts stuck in memory loops to go wherever they go after here. Jacob obviously feels uncomfortable with this and the only other person with these powers (Lara) keeps saying he will grow more and more powerful and dangerous. It's never far from her mind that she might have to do eventually free a dangerous Jacob since he's getting stronger all the time. The rift between them grows as they both keep their true feelings from each other. This aspect felt so real because friendships suffer when secrets and grudges are kept. Their relationship is most of what keeps the story grounded beneath the supernatural elements.This new ghost threatens not only Cass and Jacob like the last book, but all of Paris. As its power grows, bigger and bigger catastrophes happen. It feeds off of chaos and causes more and more violence. The ghost Cass loosed has forgotten who he was in life and the normal methods of freeing him won't work unless they remind him, forcing them to investigate this poor little boy who died in the Catacombs. Cass is forced to make new French friends in order to help her out. The Parisian setting is rich with dark aspects of history such as the creation of the Catacombs, the bodies moved there, and the people who subsequently died there plus other various disasters and battles. The Catacombs is a place that is so incredibly creepy, dangerous, and mysterious which is captured so well in Schwab's prose.Tunnel of Bones is a wonderfully dark middle grade that centers Cass and Jacob's friendship. I do think the first book was a bit better because she was exploring this world and establishing everything. This book is more of a straight forward action book. The problem between Jacob and Cass simmers for most of the story until they have a breakthrough in the very end. It didn't feel as deep as the first book and it felt pushed to the side until the main action was done. I still very much enjoyed it, but a tiny bit was missing from the first to the second book. I am still so excited for the third book and anxious to find out what's going to happen to Jacob!

4 - 4 1/2 stars.Just as good and cute as the first book.Jacob is still my favorite. I love him. He had me chuckling again in this book and I really needed it, with family issues I have going on. So thank you Victoria Schwab for creating a book and characters that could bring a smile to my face in this sad time I am having.This book is centered in Paris and I loved that. I have been to Paris, so fun to read about places I had visited and also places I did not get to, That I now need to go back and visit. And possibly check for signs of ghosts lolWhile in Paris, Cassidy accidentally awakens a poltergeist. Unlike normal ghosts that Cassidy can send on their way, poltergeist do not remember what happened to them so before Cassidy can send him on his way she must first figure out (with the help of Lara and a reluctant Jacob) who he is and how he died, so she can make him remember and then vanquish him. But they need to work fast as this poltergeist is getting stronger and creating havoc in Paris.I love the friendship between Cassidy and Jacob. And the back and forth banter that Lara and Jacob have. And of course Jacob's funny one liners and he is still a scaredy cat for a ghost LOL I also like how we learned more about Jacob in this book. Cannot wait for Cassidy and Jacob's next adventure.