as much as i hated the opening sentences, 
 The books flew open like startled birds trying to escape the flames. One after another I savagely hurled them into the hottest part of the bonfire, watching them ignite almost before they landed. 
 **no!! don't burn the bookas!!** 
 i really liked this book. more than the first one, actually. although they both get four stars because i don't do math. i think this one skews darker than the first one, and builds upon the consequences arising from the first book's events.(tiptoe, tiptoe...) you can't unring a bell, and you can't recapture lost innocence, so it is only natural that the characters have a darker feel to them now, after that first book. 
 oppel is very good at writing all of the story's elements; the action/horror parts, the sibling relationships, the romantic/rival parts, and the inner turmoil/raw ambition psychological elements.it is a page-turner, but one with real momentum and weight to its story. 
 he is also good at passing off byron's poetry as the poetry of a different character, with no credit given. what's that all about, oppel?? and later, one of the characters claims, "The place makes us mad, bad, and dangerous to know." please to explain yourself, sir. are we going to see more byron in the future?? properly-attributed? i await my answer. 
 apart from that, it is a really compelling mystery/action/horror novel with some realistically-written characters and a solid "will there be more...?" ending. 
 and, man, i love that new font.