Author: Ransom Riggs
Date of Publication: June 7, 2011
Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book
Buy This Book: Amazon
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.
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 Review:
This book has been on my radar for a long time now but it's taken me a long time to get to it, mostly because Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children isn't something I would usually read. However, after hearing such wonderful things about it I knew I had to finally give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up really enjoying this novel. From the fascinating plot to the haunting vintage photographs this novel was unlike anything I've ever read and I enjoyed every minute of it.
The most enchanting thing about this book was the inclusion of the vintage photography. I've always loved going through old pictures at antique stores and wondering what stories were behind the people in the pictures. Riggs took that a step further and wrote a whole novel about those people and it was such a pleasure to see how the author envisioned each of the characters. Some of the pictures were so mysterious and haunting that I found myself flipping back to look at them again, curious about their story.
Not only did I love the pictures but the plot Riggs created was absolutely fascinating. I absolutely loved reading about each of the children's abilities and I especially loved Olive, something about her just make me picture her as an adorable little girl floating up to the ceiling. One of the other things I found really interesting was that, while all of the children have something about them that makes them peculiar, not all of their abilities are necessarily useful, like Claire's. I wonder if her ability will have it's time and place in the future and what the circumstances will be.
Riggs also did a wonderful job creating the perfect atmosphere for the novel. The dreary island of Cairnholm, with limited access to the outside world, was the perfect place to stage such a peculiar story. I couldn't help but get completely wrapped up in the story and part of that was due to the setting. The setting is really what sets the mood and the dark, dreary, and isolated feel of the island was perfect for a story about children with strange abilities and the monsters who are out to get them.
I was much more impressed by this novel than I expected to be. Riggs truly did a fantastic job merging photography and writing and I'm eager to get my hands on the next novel in the series. I'm excited to see more vintage photographs!
4/5
Sounds interesting!
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