Very nice, along the lines of the first novel and as always very oriented to the preservation of nature and especially penguins. I was pleased to re-read about some "old characters" and somehow I feel like the whole thing came to a better closure than the previous book.

Molto carino, sulla falsariga del primo e come sempre molto orientato alla salvaguardia della natura e soprattutto dei pinguini. Mi ha fatto piacere rileggere dei "vecchi personaggi" e in qualche modo mi sembra che il tutto sia arrivato ad una chiusura migliore di quella del libro precedente.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

I must admit that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first one. This book is a mismatch of Veronica and another trip to see the different species of Penguins in the Falkland Islands. Daisy who is in remission from Cancer who loves Penguins just as much as Mrs M and her biggest wish is to see them in there natural habitat. Patrick and his need for closure and Terry who suffers from a heartbreak.
This story will have you laughing and crying in equal amounts.

When you have read a book that you have loved and then there is a follow up you always worry will it be as good as the first one? Well in this case there was no need to worry. This book is just as good as the first.

This time round Veronica gets the opportunity to visit penguins again but this time as a documentary presenter and this time in the Falkland Islands. She takes young Daisy with her, a child from the first book who is recovering from cancer.

Veronica also gets to discover more about her son and his life via her grandson who visits Canada. I especially liked the bits in Vancouver as it is my favourite place and I could picture the places mentioned.

All the characters are back from the first book and it was nice to be reunited with them.

Will everyone get their happy ending? You will have to read it and see.

I loved this book! Book one was super and you got to know the characters, the plight of the penguins and the difficult backgrounds linking the characters together. This book moves on from the last, has a bigger eco push, but also more insight into the characters pasts.
I found this book so endearing. I love the penguins, the characters and the ethical side to this tale. I would totally recommend reading this book and escaping from your world in to that of the penguins. I’m not going to lie- the story is predictable and a little frustrating in parts- but it’s so nice to read a book that isn’t twisted, evil, graphic or disturbing for a change. Have a break from the norm and read this.

This is a heartwarming story with very likeable characters. The plot continues the storyline of Away with the Penguins with some unexpected twists and turns, but can be enjoyed as a standalone, too.
It also gives us a lot of interesting facts about the different types of penguins. The main character Veronica's way of speaking and her mannerisms add to the joys of reading this book.
Apart from offering an enjoyable story the author also wants to raise the public's awareness on how we all are responsible for protecting the waterbirds and the environment in general for the next generations.
I loved this book, spent some very enjoyable hours with it and can recommend it to anyone.

Highly recommended! I would liken this novel to a cup of cocoa by the fire on a stormy night. I'm not quite sure why but I preferred this to the previous book where the characters are introduced. Maybe it's because the matriarch is an elderly curmudgeonly old lady still trying to develop a tentative relationship with her rather lost grandson. Not surprisingly, we're also introduced to more penguins!

I read Call of the Penguins directly after the prequel and am glad that I did as I might have struggled to make sense of some context and relationships if I read this as a stand-alone. There are parts that gently tug on the heartstrings but in a manner simply that adds to the tale rather than being devastating, . Prepare for a lovely warm glow.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book about Veronica McCreedy and her penguin friends. I enjoyed the first and was excited to read the second.

I’m not sure why but it lacked some of the charm of the original story for me. I found Veronica quite irritating in places, rather than endearing. I did enjoy the character of Daisy, but again I felt it highly unlikely that a clinically vulnerable child would be left with an elderly women without her parents. It just didn’t ring true.

I did enjoy the story and it rattled along nicely but there were no great surprises. The environmental aspect was covered nicely though and I suspect that is the real point of this story.

Worth a read as the second part of an instalment, but doesn’t really cut it as a stand alone book is my overriding feeling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

The Call of the Penguins was one of my favourite books when it was released, so I was more than excited to see this follow-on story, ‘Call of the Penguins’ was being released. It did not disappoint. I would advise that you read the books in order. I feel that you need the background of why things are happening like they do in this story.

When I finished the first book, everything was tickety-boo. Patrick had seemed to find his niche in life, the penguin station had funds from Veronica so, Veronica could relax knowing that she had ‘lived the dream’. Life was looking up. But people change, situations change, and at times what we have is not enough.

Veronica, now at 87, is quite a lady in this story as she gets the chance once more to venture into the wilds, this time with a dashing gentleman, a camera crew and a little girl called Daisy, who will steal your heart. Patrick is on a mission to find some more missing pieces that connect Veronica and him. While Terry has her own predicament to consider. It is a busy story with different themes.

There is a constant thread about the environment. and how what we do is like the butterfly effect that affects the lives of the birds, penguins and other sea creatures thousands of miles away. It does make you think about the choices we make and hopefully some will change the little things they do to make a big difference.

I wish to thank the publisher and Net Galley for an e-copy of this book that I have reviewed honestly.

I read Hazel Prior's first 'penguin' novel last December (2020) and so was quite happy to meet up again with 87 year old Veronica McCreedy and she is just as wonderful this time. You don't have to have read the first novel to read this one, but you will find an extra layer of richness if you do.

This time, Veronica is not on Locket Island but is whisked away to co-present a wildlife programme about wildlife in Australia and the Falkland Islands while her grandson, Patrick, is still on Locket Island with the rest of the Adelie penguins. However, things change and Patrick returns to home and rather than letting him brood while she is away, Veronica sends him off to Canada on a quest to find out about his father. Meanwhile on Locket Island, Patrick's girlfriend Terry has problems of her own.

Therefore, the novel becomes almost a melding of three stories as we hear each character's tales; Veronica on her filming expedition, Patrick in Canada and Terry in the Antarctic, stories that all come together in the end.

As in the previous novel, there are wonderful descriptions of place and, of course, the penguins who become characters in their own right. We should all have a penguin running around the house. This time the author also delivers an environmental message which, although is important to the survival of our wildlife and it totally relevant, did not need the lecture at the end of the novel. The story itself and the way that it depicts, quite movingly, the effects of human detritus on wildlife is hard-hitting enough without the lecture ramming it down our throats. But this is only my opinion.

That said, it was wonderful to engage with Veronica and her family again. She is a terrific character and this time, you get to learn more about her past, more about her son, which all adds to our understanding of her. I do hope that she has another adventure with the penguins soon.

The second book featuring Veronica and her grandson, Patrick. In this story, Veronica has been invited to take part in a documentary about seabirds, whilst, Patrick, who has been working with the penguin researchers, has quit his job and left his girlfriend.
The first book in the series was so beautiful and complete, as I began reading this book I was doubtful that it would live up to the first. The book started slowly. This time Terry's point of view was added in the narration. The story lines involved misconceptions, lack of communication which led to problems and conflict. The relationship between Patrick and Terry was more prominent to start with, but as the story unfolded, Veronica's own situation, which started off rather bland, and that of Daisy, the little girl with cancer, were also brought more to the fore. The surprising twists were totally unexpected and added a real spark to the story.
As with the first book, there was humour, sadness, joy and some very serious issues and the last chapter promised more to come. A delightful, well written book.

I was excited to read this next chapter of Veronica McCreedy’s life.
Now we know that beneath the tough exterior she has a good and generous heart, I wanted to know what other great things she would achieve.
Taking Daisy under her wing (pun intended) and teaching her about penguins and the environment was such a great idea.
By teaching Daisy she has taught me and possibly a lot more other people to not use plastic. I was ignorant about just how damaging it is to wildlife, so well done Veronica and Hazel Prior.

I have to admit that I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one. I felt it was written for the sake of it to be honest, rather than there being a good plot driving it. Veronica was wonderful as always, and Daisy's a great character. Loved learning more about the penguins. Lots of good stuff, but for me there was something missing. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Call of the Penguins by Hazel Prior is the follow-up to the wildly popular Away with the Penguins. To my regret, I have not read the first book, but was easily able to warm to eighty-seven year old Veronica. Like Veronica, I am always open to travel and new adventures, and this story ticked the boxes for me twofold. I was swept away to a distant locale, while at the same time engaging with an utterly charming story, one that entertains, but also shines a light on the impact of our environmental crisis. I will be circling back to read about our inspiring protagonist's previous adventures.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for an ARC of this title.

After reading Hazel's previous novel called Away with the penguins, I couldn't wait to read this one. It is all about a very special lady called Veronica who is 87 years old and now in her later life has discovered things that she wished she had discovered along time ago, but she is making up for it now. She has a love for penguins and when she gets invited to help present a wildlife documentary she jumps at the chance to get near to her feathered friends. It is such a beautifully told tale and with penguins involved too it makes it more special. I really came to love Veronica as a person, she is so kind and just such a lovely lady. This story really warmed my heart. It was such a great read and one that I will have to re read as it is just so good.

I read this immediately after reading How The Penguins Saved Veronica and they are both such wonderful books!

You could probably read this as a stand-alone but I highly recommend reading How The Penguins Saved Veronica first. It will make this book even more special.

I laughed and I cried. I'm such a fan of these two books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Random House UK!

I read Away with the penguins and call of the penguins back to back.

This is a brilliant sequel so I am glad I didn't have a long wait.

Veronica is such a fantastic character and really reminds me of Evelyn from Coronation Street with her wit.

I totally recommend this but be sure to read away with the penguins first, you don't necessarily have to but makes the whole penguin experience much more loveable.

I absolutely adored away with the penguins so was thrilled to read call of the penguins, to catch up on pip and Veronica and it didn’t disappoint!
Feisty elderly eccentric Veronica continues to be a penguin ambassador and is never reluctant to take on a new challenge! When asked by the enigmatic sir Robert to take part in a documentary re penguins she relishes the opportunity to travel again and joined by little Daisy, her grandson Patrick and Terry we learn all about the variety of penguins that exist, coupled with much drama, intrigue, matchmaking and resolution with the past. Underlying all this is a strong powerful environmental message to us all re the use of disposable items particularly plastics and the devastating effects it has upon wildlife as so tenderly illustrated in Petras case, it certainly makes you think and should be read by all!
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

Call of the Penguins is the sequel to Away with the Penguins by the amazing writer Hazel Prior. Its a wonderful mix of science and ecology with a very emotional story to get a very important message to the readers. I loved every word, it made me laugh, cry, angry and buy a litter picker so I could be like Veronica😂 It takes you on a subtle educational journey both geographically, ecologically and psychologically. I would recommend every generation reading this story it is an easy read but had a big message within.

Call of the Penguins has the same upbeat, conversational style as Away with the Penguins but is a bit darker at times, reminding us how discarded plastics affect penguins. Veronica meets Sir Robert Saddlebow, a noted environmentalist and becomes a TV and internet celebrity talking about penguins. She also finds out about the downside of fame. Meanwhile her grandson Patrick leaves the penguin colony (and his girlfriend Terry) to research his father, who left home when Patrick was a young boy. He discovers things he'd rather not have known. Then Terry has an important decision to make. Veronica's granddaughter Daisy is enchanting and holds the plot together. A book to lift the spirits.

I loved the first book so was excited to hear that there was a sequel - and I wasn’t disappointed. Delightful characters, a lovely story and an environmental message delivered in a meaningful way.