Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

 

Author: Ransom Riggs
Pages: 352
Publisher: Quirk Books
Source: Library
Synopsis: 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.

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Presentation is so important in a book. It excites the reader and puts them in a better mood which helps them happily enjoy the story. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was a good book, but what made it great was the phenomenal presentation.

I wasn't entirely in love with any of the characters. Without spoiling, I'll say that I disagreed with many of the choices made. While the reasoning wasn't beyond my understanding, it wasn't the choice I would have made which made me disconnected to the characters. Jacob was an average character. He dealt with a lot and I feel like I only got a brief look at his character before everything happened. And what I did see didn't pull me in too much. The best part of Jacob was the love he had for his grandfather.

The plot was interesting. There were always surprising twists and I never knew where the story would go. Seriously, there were some shocker moments which I enjoyed seeing as I realized I would never have guessed what would happen ever. The idea is original and quirky so I liked it. There were some plot points I found unnecessary and I wasn't as taken with them (I was frankly a bit annoyed) since they were expected in YA novels. I was not happy with the romance. I wasn't ever really bored but the story didn't live up to its full potential, in my view.

The photos were the best part of the book, which is a good and bad thing. Good because they were so interesting and I loved seeing every one of them. Bad because after a while, I kept reading in the hopes of seeing more photos. That kept me reading more than the plot did. Which isn't very good at all. I do have to say the photos were fabulous and it was really cool how Mr. Riggs created such a comprehensive plot from them. It was very creative.

Overall, I liked this book a lot but I didn't love it. I felt off on some parts and that is probably just me because everywhere I look I see glowing reviews of this book. It's very peculiar (come on, I had to use that word at least once didn't I?) and unique. I recommend you check it out and have fun reading it! 3.5 stars,

*** & 1/2 *