This is a Action Pack/Suspense filled Middle Grade Fantasy, and this is the second book in the Hollow Dolls series. I have not read the first book in this series. I have to say I loved this book so much. It had suspense from the beginning, and the action just keeps you wanting to keep reading. I loved the magic in this book, and the characters where so much fun to follow. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Sourcebooks Young Readers) or author (MarcyKate Connolly) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

ARC COPY...The Villain is just as much as a danger as the main Villain in Shadow Weaver, I might say but she has alot more of a tragic personal motive at hand compared to the Lady. Nice way to tie up any lose ends from Shadow Weaver.

Defeating a villain is one matter. But when that villain is your mother? Things can get a little complicated.

I really, really wanted to love this story. Not only is the premise incredible, but I've always been a humungous fan of MarcyKate Connolly's MG fantasies. MONSTROUS and SHADOW WEAVER are two of my all-time favorites, and although I felt kinda lukewarm about HOLLOW DOLLS, I was nevertheless thrilled to get my hands on this sequel! But, alas. Although the writing and sense of adventure was brilliant as ever, the plot & characters felt far too wispy-thin for me to care about what was happening.

Thing is, this book has a massive cast of characters, and most of them aren't explored beyond their abilities. The magical powers in Connolly's worlds are always exciting, but because of the focus on what characters could DO instead of who they WERE, I found it increasingly difficult to remember who was who. Simone herself often felt confined to the background; she spent much of her time worrying about how to deal with her mother without actually DOING anything about it, and whenever she did enact a plan, it often felt foolhardy and ... I don't know, too obvious, somehow? I guess I wanted a little more from this sequel than a series of chases, demonstrations of power, and Simone pondering whether or not her mother was worth saving. Even when potentially huge emotional moments happened (like the assumed death of a major character) the emotion was just not there. And without spoiling anything, the conclusion itself was WAY too easy and pretty much undermined the rest of the series.

Basically, it felt like we were dancing across the surface of a brilliant, epic story without ever diving into the places that would make it truly memorable. As it is, LOST ISLAND epitomizes "okay" with a couple of frustratingly convenient plot points that dip into "urgh" territory. As with all MG books, it's worth noting that younger readers may have a vastly different reaction -- after all, Connolly's worlds ARE full of magic and some truly beautiful writing -- but for me, unfortunately, this was a letdown.