Review: A great second installment overall, with a few weak areas
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 7, 2014
Mr. Bunker has turned out a solid second installment to his unique "Amish Sci-Fi" series Pennsylvania, but it contains a few flaws. The fact that we're in the "middle third" of the series means it still warrants 4 stars, hoping that some of the lingering issues will get resolved in the third act.The Good:The mystery behind "New Pennsylvania" remains somewhat of a mystery. I've read enough sci-fi to have some theories on where things were going. Just when I thought I had it figured out, Mr. Bunker threw in a twist that confirmed some things, but added a huge twist that has me guessing again. The action was well written, and served the story well.The Bad:The scenes in the antique store went on too long and much of the banter/discussion served little purpose. Motivations for many of the actors remain unclear (which may serve the greater story) but they seem to vacillate between devoted 'true believers to the cause' and mercenaries.Overall:Reviewing the middle of a series is tricky, because much of it is going to be a setup to the third act. Pennsylvania 2: Non-Electric Boogaloo did what it needed to do. It moved the story forward, and the rough patches don't  prevent me from reading book 3, but it's not as compelling as part 1.