Knowing all the characters better now (of course I knew them before, but since this is my first time reading the books...), I really enjoyed this second book in the series. The new characters introduced were refreshing and, if not nice, then at least funny or exciting. Like the first book, this one, too, was filled with suspense and there was almost never a dull moment. 
 The character development is good - it's clear that the protagonists are all still children, but already they seem a bit more mature than before. The plot is fast-paced and there are equal parts fun and angst in this story. I liked the twists and the way things turn out to all fit together in the end. I did feel like the ending was rather rushed, but that could just be me. A great book. I'm still glad I decided to finally read all these books.