Title: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Author: Ransom Riggs
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books; Book Club edition (June 7, 2011)
My thoughts:
Here is a completely different take on a very popular topic. Mr. Riggs has taken the plotline that many fantasy novels have today and turned it into something completely different…in a good way.
Jacob Portman is a normal teenager who leads a boring and uneventful life (according to him). He is fascinated and intrigued by the stories his grandfather used to tell him about his past life – about growing up in an orphanage on an island and about the peculiar children who lived there. He described children who could levitate, who could pick heavy objects and of the one who was invisible. As Jacob grew up he knew these stories were just made up.
But when his grandfather dies in mysterious circumstances, he decides to find some answers by journeying to his grandfathers orphanage somewhere close to Wales. What he finds there is completely unexpected, fascinating and overwhelming.
I loved loved loved the plot. I thought it was innovative and very mysterious. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. The author created a beautiful atmosphere with the Island and the mysteries that surrounded it. I wished I was on the Island with Jacob. There is a lot more to the story than what I just told you but I wont disclose more because I want to keep it spoiler free.
Now the bad – yes, it’s not perfect. There were a lot of loopholes or if you see it from a different perspective, I didn’t understand some of the story. The ending was rushed and there is a sequel. I’m kind of bored with the whole sequel obsession in YA. Why can’t people write a book that is complete in itself? Also I found Jacob to be very decent considering the fact that he is a teenager and a boy.
I still really enjoyed reading the book and would love to read the next one. The pictures in the book helped with the story and made it more fascinating. Initially, before reading the book, just looking at the pictures, I thought this would be a horror novel – but it isn’t. I know some people get turned off by horror novels, so don’t be.
I think you would enjoy this book even if you don’t read YA.
Some of the pictures from the book
August 12, 2012 at 7:06 pm
I have this book and didn’t realize it’s YA and that there’s a sequel. It sounds like it’s well worth reading.
August 13, 2012 at 3:07 am
I’m with you; I used to love series. I remember when I started reading YA, I was excited every time I found a new one! Now, not so much. Plus, this one has a huge cliffhanger! I liked it though, I’m definitely curious to see where it goes.
August 13, 2012 at 3:49 am
I have this book from the library, sitting on my shelves right now! Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
August 14, 2012 at 6:01 pm
Glad to know it’s not a horror novel because I’ve flipped through a copy and the photos are so creepy. Looking forward to reading it.
August 17, 2012 at 5:06 am
Hi Violet,
Long time, no speak. It is good to catch up with you and I love the new look site!
I have this book on my reading list, after a recommendation from another blogger, however if it doesn’t have a definitive ending because of the sequel, then I may not bother with it after all.
I am notoriously bad at manging to read a seroes of books in any kind of cohesive order, so to have to read the sequel to discover how it all ends, would just be too much for me.
Glad that you enjoyed the read though and thanks for the good review,
Yvonne
August 17, 2012 at 7:18 pm
I am so over the sequel obsession too! When I read a book I’d like to know it’s the whole story.