Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab

 Title: Tunnel of Bones 

Author: Victoria Schwab

Page Count: 304
Rating: C
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Middle Grade
Keywords: Ghosts, Travel, Hauntings
Kid Appropriate: Yes

Cassidy Blake is a unique kid. She nearly died, but was saved by her best friend Jacob. Who happens to be a ghost. Now she travels the world with her parents who 1) have no clue she can see ghosts, 2) don't know Jacob is tagging along, and 3) just happen to be the hosts of a ghost hunting show. In the second book of this series we pick up right after they have left Edinburgh and are arriving in Paris. While in the infamous catacombs, Cassidy and Jacob discover a poltergeist. Can they make the boy remember who he was in life before he destroys the city?

So this is the second book in this series, and much like the first I love the premise. A kid who can see ghosts traveling the world with her parents that are basically hunting out ghost stories. It sounds like an amazing good time. It should be nice and spooky. But just like the first book, this one somehow fell flat for me.

I will admit that the perceived shortcomings I keep experiencing with the series could simply be that I am too old to be reading these. At 26 I am probably twice, if not more, double the age of the intended audience. An elementary or middle school student might enjoy these far more, and that is totally okay. What I experience each time I have read one of these books is wanting more. I want the characters to feel more fleshed out, like individual people. A bigger build up to the closing pages. A more graceful closing that is not quite so abrupt. Digging deeper into the lore of the veil and how spirits do and do not move on. Fleshing out these locations where the ghosts are just a bit more with descriptors and history beyond the snippets we get now. 

For what I did like, the continued friendship and the introduction of conflict caused by Cassidy not sending Jacob on into death started to grow more complex and interesting. I could see that in future installments this will grow into a bigger issue that will challenge the concepts of friendship and when it is the right time to say goodbye. It is never really clear if they will be able to continue on into forever as they have been or if there will need to be a time that they part ways. 

Overall, I definitely recommend this one for the intended age bracket. It is creepy but stays less scary than Katherine Arden's Small Spaces series (a favorite of mine). With each book I could see these getting a bit better as well. As for adults, try it out but try not to forget that it definitely feels geared towards younger readers without some of the enjoyment that other middle grade series tend to have.

Check out my video review below and happy reading!