City of Hooks and Scars by Estelle Laure

The quick cut: The second book in the series, a girl tries to uncover what is truly going on after magic returns.

A real review:

While many may be interested in magic, it's something that doesn't exist in reality. What if it did suddenly exist? How would it change our lives? This is true for Mary Elizabeth.

Magic has returned and life has irrevocably changed. Everyone now knows what happened at miracle lake and it's created a ripple effect everyone can see. Kids are disappearing and everyone is afraid of the villains who have escaped. Can Mary uncover the true story? Or will the true story catch her?

Mary Elizabeth has a fight on two fronts in the sequel: she's fighting the battle within herself with this voice in her head and she's fighting the battle to prove her friends (aka the escaped villains) aren't the true bad guys. By the end of the book, you get an answer to both of those fights that continues the story.

The first half I didn't entirely enjoy because it moved at a slower pace and wasn't all that surprising. However, the story moves to high speed a little over halfway with a revelation that puts everything into perspective. Without saying too much, I found it a brilliant transition and a fabulous way to push the story forward. It also manages to subtly ask other questions on a philosophical level for those of us who love those kinds of things.

A sequel story that intrigues and sets up a third book for a solid finish.

My rating: 4.0 out of 5