Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Description

A mysterious island.

 

An abandoned orphanage.

 

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

 

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography,Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows. (Goodreads)

Book Details

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Mystery

Hardcover: 352 pages

Publisher: Quirk Books 

Published: June 7, 2011

ISBN-10: 1594744769

ISBN-13: 978-1594744761

Source: Self Purchase

Author’s Website

Review

I was super excited about this book and told everyone I could about it, and if at all possible made them watch the book trailer. Then I BOUGHT it in HARDCOVER. Yeah, let that sink in. I was more excited about this book than any book this summer. Did it live up to my expectations? Read on…

 

I loved this book. I loved the story. I loved the photographs.

 

I loved this story, because it wasn’t just about adventure and getting to live a fantasy life, but because it was about making hard choices. Everyone is convinced that Jacob has gone crazy from his grandfather’s death and Jacob is starting to believe them. It’s not until he starts to understand that his grandfather’s last words are clues that he decides to find out about the peculiar children.

 

I like that the book isn’t just about Jacob’s journey, but is about his family. The most haunting picture in the book, for me, is of a little boy in a bunny suit sitting on sidewalk crying. In the story, that little boy is Jacob’s father on his first Halloween when his father never showed up to take him trick or treating. While Jacob and his grandfather were always really close, Jacob’s father never had that type of relationship to his own father and he and his sister always believed that their father had cheated on their mother and possibly had another family somewhere. In reality he was protecting the peculiar children and their guardians, even though it was not a life he chose to live.

 

Even though Jacob left his father a letter at the end of the book explaining things, I hope that he shows up in more of the books. I want Jacob’s dad to have a good ending.

 

What does this have to do with crazy pictures and particular children? Well, I didn’t want to say much about the peculiar children, because they were my favorite part of the book to discover, so I’ll let you read that on your own and don’t get me started about Loops!

 

In short-go read the book, it is deliciously creepy, intricate and wonderful, as soon as I get my copy back -I’m going to re-read it! It is worth the read just to see the pictures which are fantastic!

 

Happy Endings,

Kelly

 

5 moons: I absolutely loved it, and will be looking into everything this author writes.

 

 

Recommended For

Teen and up: Some violence and it can be a little scary.