Review “Tunnel of Bones”

Title: Tunnel of Bones |Author: Victoria Schwab |Publisher: Scholastic |Series: Cassidy Blake #2 |Genre: Middlegrade |287 pages

After already preordering the paperback for “Bridge of Souls” which comes out next year, I think it’s finally time to review “Tunnel of Bones”. Good thing that I read it as a buddy read with Sammie again as well, so I can actually say that I know what I’m talking about.

Cassidy Blake (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass’s parents are filming their TV show about the world’s most haunted cities. Sure, it’s fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there’s true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs. When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter — and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger. And if Cass fails, the force she’s unleashed could haunt the city forever.

I had great fun going back on adventures with Cass and Jacob. But somehow, after the events in Edinburgh in the first book, “Tunnel of Bones” gives you the feeling that you have to be more cautious, more alert because all that Cass knew about her “condition” has been put on its head, has been proven not enough. The stakes seem to be much higher than anticipated in general and when you are reading this book you are actually getting aware how true that statement is.

The book takes us to the most haunted places of Paris and while I think I know quite a bit about the history of the city, I also felt like I learned something new. The “Frenchness” of the new surroundings was woven in very nicely and I loved and laught at how Cassidy experienced new things and culture.

It wouldn’t be a trip with “The Inspectors” (or Cassidy and Jacob) without some proper haunted places. While Paris is the city of light there were also a lot of ghost stories to discover and of course there was something properly wrong in the city which came in the form of a poltergeist that they woke up by accident.

I liked the story around the poltergeist that started to wreak havoc throughout the city and Cass’ and Jacob’s race to find and send him on. There was a looming danger to it, a tense atmosphere that I really immersed myself in.

I think Cass and Jacob’s friendship is what I like most about this book. It seems so honest and cute, and somehow very real. They are good friends, have friendship rules (absolutely neccessary when a corporeal and a corporeally challenged live together), have jokes and never leave the other behind. There is bickering and fighting too of course, there are challenges but it’s clear that they care about each other and rely on each other and wouldn’t have it any other way.

While there was the mystery of the poltergeist, there was also the mystery of Jacob and his past. I was positively delighted to find out more about Jacob. Of course his story is a sad one but I was happy to get to know him better all the same.

All in all, I loved the second book in this series. The atmosphere, the friendship, the mystery, it was a great read with great characters and I definitely would recommend that readers of the first book will continue the series. Allthewhile I will be waiting hard for the next book “Bridge of Souls”.