Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs
Release Date: June 7, 2011
Publisher: Quirk Books
Pages: 352
Reading Level: Young Adult

"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."

MY THOUGHTS:

Let me just start off by stating that, plain and simple, I loved This book. Not unlike the numerous reviews I'm sure you've seen on this novel, I definitely think that Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children is going to be one of my favorite books of all time forever more. Now that I've started off what I'm sure is going to turn into a rave, let me continue with specific thoughts I had while reading this book.

To be quite honest, I wasn't sure what to expect going into this novel. I knew it was "creepy", or at least I thought it was, and that was about it. I don't think I even read the synopsis on the back before jumping into reading. However, once you get wrapped up in the story it's not as "creepy" as the cover might make it seem. And, that's saying a lot coming from someone like me who hates scary movies and books. Basically, the story follows Jacob who ends up heading off to Wales to discover the meaning and truth behind the extravagant stories his grandfather told him as a child and throughout most of his life. When he gets to the island that his grandfather grew up on, he discovers an entire mystery and that's really where our story begins.

Looking back, there weren't very many elements of the plot or points in the story that I can think of that weren't necessary. As with most books, the beginning ends up being a hit or miss. If books don't grab my attention and interest within the first few chapters, I have a really hard time sticking with the book and staying motivated. With this book, I didn't have that problem whatsoever. In fact, I finished it in two or three days because I simply didn't want to put it down. Also, I did notice while reading that there's a specific point in the story (about halfway through) where I felt things really pick up and I became really interested in where things were going to go.

In reading Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, I felt myself become very attached to the characters in this story (particularly the children). The pictures actually really end up being beneficial in helping the reader envision these peculiar children. Am I the only one who really, really loves Olive? Even without the photographs, though, I feel as though the book wouldn't lose much in regards to the integrity and pace of the gripping story.

I can't wait to get my hands on Hollow City, the sequel to this book, as soon as possible and continue this journey with Jacob. I'm also currently reading the graphic novel version of Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children (art by Cassandra Jean) and as far as I can tell it sticks very close to the plot points in the novel version. I know some people read the graphic novel as a replacement for the novel, but I would really encourage readers to delve into the original book considering how much reading the words on the pages really moved me.

While reading this book I found myself (as cheesy as this all sounds) laugh out loud, cry, gasp and even say "oh my god!" out loud. Because of all this, I have to give Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children 5 out of 5 stars and a gigantic thumbs up. GUH! This book was fantastic and I cannot say enough good things about it. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for?! Go pick this book up today! You won't regret it.