2 stars
What the first book lacked in originality, this one certainly makes up for. I’ve never read anything even close to this.
However, for me, this one felt pretty random. It tries to throw too many elements together (amusement parks, androids, aliens). Much more sci-fi than the first book but seemed to portray itself as scarier than it was. Mostly, I just found it weird.
As with the first book, I would have liked the elements to come together more clearly. The ending was pretty vague. It could have been a really creepy ending if it were stronger. Instead, it kind of hints at a creepy detail without fleshing it out.
A confusing collection of elements. Interesting, but it didn’t hit the fear factor for me. That’s fine in general, but as part of the Scary Tales series, I wanted more scary, spooky, or creepy elements instead of a smattering of weirdness.
Still, I did enjoy the dark aesthetic of the book complete with creepy fonts and spooky artwork from Iacopo Bruno. But the artwork was creepier than the story itself. Good fit for young readers interested in dark sci-fi and weirdness.