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Where Creatures Hide #2
Where Puppets Hide
Nine year old Luna Van Doran is sold to a Circus after a series of unfortunate events. She is immune to a life of neglect and pain, but nothing can prepare her for what happens once she enters. With a Circus built from the darkest minds the world has to offer, things aren't as magical as they might seem. From a crippled Ringleader to a demonic Puppeteer, Luna can trust nobody, even herself. With the power to raise an army she must find a way to break free from the Circus before it's too late, and the world she knows is destroyed.
- GenresFantasy
474 pages, Hardcover
First published July 31, 2018
3 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
P.J. Shepherd
5 books88 followersP J Shepherd is an author and YouTuber who often daydreams when she’s supposed to be writing. You can find her with her nose in a book and a tea to her right.
(Preferably Lady Grey with a teaspoon of maple syrup, no milk.)
Where Creatures Hide is her debut novel inspired by a scene in Austin Powers.
She can be found on Instagram @p_j_shepherd and on her website wherecreatureshide.com
She currently resides in sunny Hawkes Bay, New Zealand where she plans to build her forever home.
(Preferably Lady Grey with a teaspoon of maple syrup, no milk.)
Where Creatures Hide is her debut novel inspired by a scene in Austin Powers.
She can be found on Instagram @p_j_shepherd and on her website wherecreatureshide.com
She currently resides in sunny Hawkes Bay, New Zealand where she plans to build her forever home.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 11, 2019
I absolutely love this book. I was so hyped to read it that I asked a friend if she could buy it for me. Special and normal edition because I'm a lil shit and I love P.J her work and the art that was featured in it. I didn't have a credit card, thats why I asked my friend. Ever since I finished the first book I was hyped for the second one. Just like I am now with her third book.
The book started with the saddest shit ever. I never imagined luna being abused by her father when I read the first book. And then she comes home to a father that is drunk and blames her and a mother that doesn't do shit when her father hurts her. Then she meets the triplets who are like. The cutest babes ever but also quite dangerous. I was sp happy to read about the peeps from the art. It made me happy. This book is a rollercoaster of feels. But it was a good rollercoaster, one you want to ride over and over again. I never expected Elias to be gay but i absolutley love it. I love all the characters tbh except her father, Titan and Hubert. I know i should get attached to the characters from a book. But i love them so much and this time i didn't expect anyone to die that i liked. Wrong move 😂😂 i just really liked shadow and his friendship with susi is just so saaaaaaad. I love how Luna met Aziel, the scenes with them are just so pure and cute. And the ending OOOH MY GOOOD, tiny august is deaf and knows sign language idk bout you but i find that adorable i mean, he could talk with his "fairy godmother" like that's fucking adorable and when she used her magic to make him hear her music was just too cute. And Atticus staying with Elias to protect him is also super cute, really love my babiiieees.😣😣😣 and the scene where she almost kills herself i was not okay. Or the moment with shadow in that puppet soul dungeon😭😭😭 it was KILLING meee.
The book started with the saddest shit ever. I never imagined luna being abused by her father when I read the first book. And then she comes home to a father that is drunk and blames her and a mother that doesn't do shit when her father hurts her. Then she meets the triplets who are like. The cutest babes ever but also quite dangerous. I was sp happy to read about the peeps from the art. It made me happy. This book is a rollercoaster of feels. But it was a good rollercoaster, one you want to ride over and over again. I never expected Elias to be gay but i absolutley love it. I love all the characters tbh except her father, Titan and Hubert. I know i should get attached to the characters from a book. But i love them so much and this time i didn't expect anyone to die that i liked. Wrong move 😂😂 i just really liked shadow and his friendship with susi is just so saaaaaaad. I love how Luna met Aziel, the scenes with them are just so pure and cute. And the ending OOOH MY GOOOD, tiny august is deaf and knows sign language idk bout you but i find that adorable i mean, he could talk with his "fairy godmother" like that's fucking adorable and when she used her magic to make him hear her music was just too cute. And Atticus staying with Elias to protect him is also super cute, really love my babiiieees.😣😣😣 and the scene where she almost kills herself i was not okay. Or the moment with shadow in that puppet soul dungeon😭😭😭 it was KILLING meee.
March 25, 2020
I’m finally getting through my TBR and I knew this book had to come next! I’ve heard a lot of great things about this book, and they were all spot on! PJ spun a magical tale and took me through the high and lows of every character. I loved that we got to get into the mind a little of each character, and I found myself loving pretty much every character. The amazing character development, the twists and turns, and most of all, the emotional roller coaster PJ took us through was phenomenal. This was a fantastic read, and I cannot wait to see how PJ’s other books are!
“”Violin in hand, she dances and plays, like a siren who can only create, an army to march, an army to rule, she only chooses you if hearts sing cruel, here she lays and here she stays, the question is...” a wicked smile “do you want to play?””
— Where Puppets Hide (Where Creatures Hide Book 2) by P J Shepherd
“”Violin in hand, she dances and plays, like a siren who can only create, an army to march, an army to rule, she only chooses you if hearts sing cruel, here she lays and here she stays, the question is...” a wicked smile “do you want to play?””
— Where Puppets Hide (Where Creatures Hide Book 2) by P J Shepherd
February 7, 2019
I thought this book was great! I loved getting to learn more about little Luna and how her life played out. After "Where Creatures Hide" there were plenty of characters I wanted to know more about, Luna being one of them. Her past was riddled with an unhappy home and a cruddy situation, and it made me so happy that she found joy in playing music. Music is sort of my outlet so I related greatly to her with that. I also found it highly intriguing to see Titan react to her and see learn about puppets. Elias and his character also interested me, he seems terrible but in a strange way he also cares a lot more than he leads on, or so it seems to me. Nadya and Shadow were so cute, and I adore them. Shadow is just so sweet in general, its hard not to love him. Atticus falling into addiction was disheartening, as he is a neat character and I really hope he improves. The ending with Luna seeing her brother and him being deaf was also a lovely touch, I was so cute!
I did have a few issues though. For the most part everything was easy to follow along with, that is until Luna's break for freedom. It was a little unclear as to what was happening when it started, but I could still follow along at that point. The whole escape was fairly interesting. I'm not entirely sure I understand why she had to shoot herself, or what it did. I had an even bigger issue when Shadow was showing Atticus the memories of the scheme to escape. It made sense that Shadow had been able to tell she was still there(The moment early on when someone told her he knew she was still in there), but the memories were hard to distinguish from the real world and what was actually happening. Maybe I was reading too fast, but it certainly confused me for a page or two.
Otherwise I thought it was great, and I cannot wait to read more!
I did have a few issues though. For the most part everything was easy to follow along with, that is until Luna's break for freedom. It was a little unclear as to what was happening when it started, but I could still follow along at that point. The whole escape was fairly interesting. I'm not entirely sure I understand why she had to shoot herself, or what it did. I had an even bigger issue when Shadow was showing Atticus the memories of the scheme to escape. It made sense that Shadow had been able to tell she was still there(The moment early on when someone told her he knew she was still in there), but the memories were hard to distinguish from the real world and what was actually happening. Maybe I was reading too fast, but it certainly confused me for a page or two.
Otherwise I thought it was great, and I cannot wait to read more!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2018
WHERE PUPPETS HIDE BY @p_j_shepherd_books : REVIEW 🌟🌟🌟🌟
YOU ARE STARLIGHT 🌌
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I just want to say I loved these characters so much (glares at Titan, Arthur and and Luna's mum that I can't remember her name)
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This was a beautifully dark book with wonderfully complex characters that weren't altogether bad or good.
Luna was a such a young character with such an unfortunate life that is only made worse when she ends up in the Circus. But then we got to meet some gorgeous characters. Atticus and his (I bet his hair is so soft) white hair, our guardian that had so much care for the others in the Circus, how old he is nobody knows.
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The soft spoken Shadow, the Ringleader. This boy deserves the world. He's so precious. And so much of me wants him to be happy with Nadya.
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I really loved that it was included that Nadya had that skin condition. Vitiligo is something my mum has, and it's amazing that there are beautiful characters with it now. I love PJ for this. It warms my heart.
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And my twisted little gay boy Elias. I can't really fault him for being somewhat cruel it's hereditary.
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I really want to see more of Titan. He can't be entirely bad right? More than anything I want to read book one and book three now. I can't tell what one I want more.
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If there's anything I learnt from this book, is to stay the hell away from the Circus.
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This book is perfect for fans of dark YA.
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#wherepuppetshide #pjshepherd #ya #circus #puppet #dark #fantasy #review #bookreview #reading #mask #violin #magic #fiction
YOU ARE STARLIGHT 🌌
.
I just want to say I loved these characters so much (glares at Titan, Arthur and and Luna's mum that I can't remember her name)
.
This was a beautifully dark book with wonderfully complex characters that weren't altogether bad or good.
Luna was a such a young character with such an unfortunate life that is only made worse when she ends up in the Circus. But then we got to meet some gorgeous characters. Atticus and his (I bet his hair is so soft) white hair, our guardian that had so much care for the others in the Circus, how old he is nobody knows.
.
The soft spoken Shadow, the Ringleader. This boy deserves the world. He's so precious. And so much of me wants him to be happy with Nadya.
.
I really loved that it was included that Nadya had that skin condition. Vitiligo is something my mum has, and it's amazing that there are beautiful characters with it now. I love PJ for this. It warms my heart.
.
And my twisted little gay boy Elias. I can't really fault him for being somewhat cruel it's hereditary.
.
I really want to see more of Titan. He can't be entirely bad right? More than anything I want to read book one and book three now. I can't tell what one I want more.
.
If there's anything I learnt from this book, is to stay the hell away from the Circus.
.
This book is perfect for fans of dark YA.
.
.
#wherepuppetshide #pjshepherd #ya #circus #puppet #dark #fantasy #review #bookreview #reading #mask #violin #magic #fiction
August 2, 2018
What an incredible book, I started this around 9am this morning and I've just finished it, it's definitely on the darker side of YA and that's not a bad thing, I've loved every aspect of this book from the characters to the world and the underlying storyline. I haven't read the first book Where Creatures Hide due to a publishing snafoo, but as soon as I can I'll be reading it! This is the second book set in this world, I believe the first book has seperate characters to this book so they are seperate but linked. The writing gets you hooked straight away and the author is so lovely and that's always a bonus in my eyes! Highly recommend this book!
August 12, 2018
I read this book in exchange for an honest review for P.J. Shepherd. This book follows the journey of a nine-year-old girl Luna Van Doran, she is sold to a circus and after some dark unfortunate events. She becomes immune to her life of neglect and pain, but none of this can prepare her for what happens once she enters the circus. The circus that was built on darkness and dark minds, things really aren’t as magical as they might seem. Ultimately Luna must find a way to break free from the Circus before it’s too late.
I absolutely loved this book! Loved it, if I had the time I probably would have read it in a day because it sucked me in so much! It starts of we are introduced to Luna and her incredibly hard life, to follow her journey from when she is sold to the Circus and her life gets ultimately so much worse than what it already was. Until she is managed to be saved by the most unsuspecting person at the circus to take revenge on her past.
The characters in this book were amazing with my favourite being Atticus, the Guardian of Elias (who also happens to be an amazing character, yes I like Elias), I loved how Atticus despite how hard it was for him he still cared for Luna so much to keep her as safe as possible. Nadya is also another amazing character the gypsy of a circus who puts everyone else before her especially The Ringleader.
The Ringleader plays such a bigger part in this novel than I thought and oh my goodness the plot twists, so many plot twists in this book that none of the events in this novel are predictable. One moment you believe this is happening and then something complete different to what you expect is happening.
The story line is amazing but I’m not going to say much about it because I will spoil it, so you’ll have to read it to find out. This story line is so unique and unseen before it was amazing. It was dark, it was thrilling and so many amazing aspects I just could never imagine, like the puppeteers. Who can do magic you’ve never seen before.
The other amazing thing about this book is that none of the characters are perfect, like with most books the characters have no faults, these ones do, and it makes them so much more relatable its fantastic.
Shepherd has written an amazing book and I highly recommend you reading it if you love: Fantasy, magic, circus, dark fantasy and plot twists. Please, please, please read this book you will not regret it!
I absolutely loved this book! Loved it, if I had the time I probably would have read it in a day because it sucked me in so much! It starts of we are introduced to Luna and her incredibly hard life, to follow her journey from when she is sold to the Circus and her life gets ultimately so much worse than what it already was. Until she is managed to be saved by the most unsuspecting person at the circus to take revenge on her past.
The characters in this book were amazing with my favourite being Atticus, the Guardian of Elias (who also happens to be an amazing character, yes I like Elias), I loved how Atticus despite how hard it was for him he still cared for Luna so much to keep her as safe as possible. Nadya is also another amazing character the gypsy of a circus who puts everyone else before her especially The Ringleader.
The Ringleader plays such a bigger part in this novel than I thought and oh my goodness the plot twists, so many plot twists in this book that none of the events in this novel are predictable. One moment you believe this is happening and then something complete different to what you expect is happening.
The story line is amazing but I’m not going to say much about it because I will spoil it, so you’ll have to read it to find out. This story line is so unique and unseen before it was amazing. It was dark, it was thrilling and so many amazing aspects I just could never imagine, like the puppeteers. Who can do magic you’ve never seen before.
The other amazing thing about this book is that none of the characters are perfect, like with most books the characters have no faults, these ones do, and it makes them so much more relatable its fantastic.
Shepherd has written an amazing book and I highly recommend you reading it if you love: Fantasy, magic, circus, dark fantasy and plot twists. Please, please, please read this book you will not regret it!
September 24, 2020
After living a life of pain and neglect, 9-year old Luna is sold to a Circus,
and she is about to find out that things are not always what they seem; that behind the scenes is not necessarily all fun and games.
With the help of her new friends, can Luna escape before it's too late?
Ahh! Where to start and what to say?!
I absolutely LOVED this book, like seriously, even if it did make my eyes water! (and by that I mean I cried like a baby)
Everything about this book was AMAZING, the story-line, the characters (*cough*Atticus*cough*) and, oh my god the plot twists?! Y'all are never going see those coming, and they're going to slap you right in the feels when they do! This is one roller-coaster of emotion that you do not want to miss!
I can not recommend this book enough, please read it!
You won't regret it!
January 24, 2022
I loved loved loved this!
March 31, 2020
the world and the characters are so unique and enchanting!
August 31, 2018
First off, let me start by saying how absolutely obsessed I became with this book!
Now:
I can't even begin to describe how amazing this book is.
Not only is it beautifully written, but the story is so enthralling and pulled me right in.
And the message it contains is so beautiful and important!
The journey Luna goes through is, in my opinion, so relatable, even though it is a fantasy book. I think everyone felt more like a puppet being made to perform in their own life, rather than deciding for themselves, at one point.
And the way the story is told conveys how Luna evolves and progresses and grows through her experiences in such a great way.
I feel like I can't even put into words how much I love this book.
PJ has created something truly magnificent and I can't wait to read more!
Thank you PJ for creating this amazing piece of art!
I can not recommend this book enough!
Now:
I can't even begin to describe how amazing this book is.
Not only is it beautifully written, but the story is so enthralling and pulled me right in.
And the message it contains is so beautiful and important!
The journey Luna goes through is, in my opinion, so relatable, even though it is a fantasy book. I think everyone felt more like a puppet being made to perform in their own life, rather than deciding for themselves, at one point.
And the way the story is told conveys how Luna evolves and progresses and grows through her experiences in such a great way.
I feel like I can't even put into words how much I love this book.
PJ has created something truly magnificent and I can't wait to read more!
Thank you PJ for creating this amazing piece of art!
I can not recommend this book enough!
September 19, 2018
Welcome to the circus.
This book blew me away. I don't know why it took me so long to pick up this beauty, but I'm glad I finally did! The writing and story are just so poetic and beautiful. Soul shattering and heart breaking. And this is one of the few books that has made me cry. If you haven't read this book yet, please do.
This book blew me away. I don't know why it took me so long to pick up this beauty, but I'm glad I finally did! The writing and story are just so poetic and beautiful. Soul shattering and heart breaking. And this is one of the few books that has made me cry. If you haven't read this book yet, please do.
September 23, 2018
Oh man. This book had me hooked! I literally didn't want to put it down. I havent read a book in a long time, so for me it was the best book to get me back into reading! The message behind it is great too and I'm sure many people could relate to it.
January 10, 2019
Holy cow!! Now I wish I had read Creatures first, but this is still amazing. I can fully liken myself to Luna some days. Dramatic climax and beautiful ending. Looking forward to the next installment
November 7, 2018
PJ Shepherd is an artist weaving a colourful tapestry of story and setting, but what makes her books really stand out are the depth of her characters. Luna Van Doran is such a beautifully crafted character, and PJ explores both her light and dark sides. Luna could so easily be a poor little victim, but PJ makes sure to give her the emotional scope to hate and plot and wish for revenge, and ultimately the grace to move beyond revenge and find her own path. The relationships between Luna and her mother, Atticus and Elias, Nadya and Shadow, and between Atticus and Nadya are also delicately explored - with as much nuance and feeling as any author could hope to achieve. PJ continues to grow as an author and I cannot wait to read Where Rogues Hide!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2019
Honestly what can I say.. this book broke me in so many ways. It tore out my heart and stomped all over it.
The writing is just incredible.. ans the emotional attachment is out of this world.
I cannot praise this book highly enough.
The writing is just incredible.. ans the emotional attachment is out of this world.
I cannot praise this book highly enough.
April 23, 2019
I very much enjoyed this book. From the beginning, I knew I’d enjoy it more than its predecessor. If only because I’ve always been fascinated by the circus.
It turns out I was right - I did enjoy it much more than the first. Because of the setting and plot. But mainly because of the characters. I cared so much more about these characters. Luna was tragic and broke my heart. Atticus did too. Actually they all broke my heart. But none more than Shadow Willowhowl. *sobs* I love that guy. What a precious soul, my god. He deserves starlight and magic. Titan was the worst, Luna’s parents were pretty despicable, and Elias - well I haven’t made my mind up just yet. Nadia was lovely, Hubert sucked. It was nice to see Susi again, as well.
I actually really like how each book harkens to the others. I know the next book will have the story of Avangeline, and more of Elias, too, and I’m looking forward to seeing even more familiar characters, and learning more about them. I already knew bits of what happened to Luna because I’d read the previous story, but that didn’t really ruin it. It instead made me more interested to read on, to find out how these things happened. It was also very dark and twisted, and wild. There were good plot twists and things that kept me on the edge of my seat, as well as things that made me gasp, and stare wide-eyed for a second. Which was fun.
All that said, it wasn’t perfect. There were too many grammatical errors here for me to give it any higher than 3.5 stars. There were also some plot issues, some bits that didn’t seem possible - just like with where everyone was situated in a scene, it didn’t make sense for some characters to do certain things. I don’t know if that makes sense but I can’t make it any clearer because I never make notes in books so I can’t give examples. But yeah, lots of grammatical errors, and sentences that kind of didn’t make sense. Words used in the wrong place. She wrote ‘dawned’ instead of ‘donned’ several times. Things like that. It needed another read-through.
Overall, the plot was interesting and intense and was really well-paced, especially compared to the first book. It’s clear P. J. has improved heaps between both books, so I am excited to read the next one. So far, this is my favourite in the series. And if Shadow isn’t in the next one, that isn’t likely to change. Oh, Shadow...
It turns out I was right - I did enjoy it much more than the first. Because of the setting and plot. But mainly because of the characters. I cared so much more about these characters. Luna was tragic and broke my heart. Atticus did too. Actually they all broke my heart. But none more than Shadow Willowhowl. *sobs* I love that guy. What a precious soul, my god. He deserves starlight and magic. Titan was the worst, Luna’s parents were pretty despicable, and Elias - well I haven’t made my mind up just yet. Nadia was lovely, Hubert sucked. It was nice to see Susi again, as well.
I actually really like how each book harkens to the others. I know the next book will have the story of Avangeline, and more of Elias, too, and I’m looking forward to seeing even more familiar characters, and learning more about them. I already knew bits of what happened to Luna because I’d read the previous story, but that didn’t really ruin it. It instead made me more interested to read on, to find out how these things happened. It was also very dark and twisted, and wild. There were good plot twists and things that kept me on the edge of my seat, as well as things that made me gasp, and stare wide-eyed for a second. Which was fun.
All that said, it wasn’t perfect. There were too many grammatical errors here for me to give it any higher than 3.5 stars. There were also some plot issues, some bits that didn’t seem possible - just like with where everyone was situated in a scene, it didn’t make sense for some characters to do certain things. I don’t know if that makes sense but I can’t make it any clearer because I never make notes in books so I can’t give examples. But yeah, lots of grammatical errors, and sentences that kind of didn’t make sense. Words used in the wrong place. She wrote ‘dawned’ instead of ‘donned’ several times. Things like that. It needed another read-through.
Overall, the plot was interesting and intense and was really well-paced, especially compared to the first book. It’s clear P. J. has improved heaps between both books, so I am excited to read the next one. So far, this is my favourite in the series. And if Shadow isn’t in the next one, that isn’t likely to change. Oh, Shadow...
September 14, 2022
Great story. I loved learning about Lunas life. But I was really confused for most of the story. I thought this was a continuation of the last book and I didn't really expect it to go back in time. I did like learning more about the side characters I grew to love in the other book. This story pulled at the heart strings hard with all Luna suffered. It really makes how the ending of the last book much more gut wrenching and beautiful
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews