Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Is it in bad taste to say that I found Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children peculiar? I suppose it is, but it had to be done :P

I rather enjoyed the idea of a story that was assisted by the use of pictures. In reality, though, it ended up being a hit and miss for me. All the pictures themselves were great, but sometimes they didn’t quite work with the story. Sometimes the pictures were a nice addition to the story and sometimes it felt like the story was working just a little too hard to incorporate them.

The story itself, on the other hand, was fantastic. I loved the originality of the storyline. Riggs has some serious craziness up his sleeve. Going in I was just thinking there might just be some peculiar and creepy ghosts of children, but boy was I wrong. This story has some serious depth.

The Nutshell: Looking at the cover and reading the description you can imagine that Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children has the creep factor going for it, but there’s a lot more between the covers as well. There’s a crazy fantastical story, a little mystery, a smidge of romance, and lurking-in-the-shadows nightmares. If you’re looking for a strange, slightly spooky original story then Miss Peregrine’s is worth looking into.

Hit

I just finished it. And, this may be my shortest review ever, but this is officially my favorite book of all time. Made me laugh. Made me cry. Made me cringe, because it all seemed so real. My heart is racing, and I'm still shaken by the whole last chapter. Definitely earned 10 stars, but can only get 5. I truly think that I'll never enjoy a book the same way I enjoyed this one.

I was never going to read this book.

I'd originally bought it as a birthday gift - only my friend had bought it four days before in a Border's closing sale.

Here I was, stuck with a creepy book with no easy return.

So I starting reading.

After 30 pages flew by I considered keeping it.

200 pages later I was hooked. I'd stayed up until 6 a.m. reading books before, but never until 9 a.m. (Yes, I said a.m. Granted I didn't start until 5 a.m.)

Aptly published by Quirk, this debut novel at turns charmed, terrified, moved, and nauseated me. (I don't recommend eating while reading...)

One of the most interesting things is seeing how Riggs wove the photos - all found and unaltered - into a narrative that was not only entertaining, but tightly woven with a terrific twist. It's like reading an extremely well-written creative writing class prompt that continued until it became an emotionally true story. The last two photos are just breathtaking; they stun the heart.

Jacob, the protag, has a wonderful voice, and each character is well-enunciated. This is a rare book that stands out for its originality. Don't you dare buy this in anything other than its hardcover - there's a cute little surprise on the cover underneath the jacket.

I'm so glad a mix-up forced me to read what turned out to be my favorite book of 2011.

This book was peculiar. (I have found myself obsessed with using the title to describe the book. It is just so fun!) A good summer read, but a better fall read. Particularly a fall day in which it is raining and gloomy. Perfect. Not the best book for a hot sunny summer day - like the day I read it. Imperfect. Surprisingly though, much of the book takes place in a hot sunny late summer day. September 3, 1940. Imperfect. It should have been at the very least a breezy, cool autumn day. At least normal time was stormy/rainy/gloomy weather. Perfect.

I'll stop obsessing over weather. I do love weather though, it can make or break some books for me. I think more authors should describe the weather in more detail. Sometimes weather isn't even considered in books and we go through the book left to our own imaginative devices at how the weather is. A humid summer day, with storm clouds rolling in the kind of day that makes a person want to simultaneously stay outside and watch the clouds change and stay inside in the blessed air conditioning, that day slowly changes into a full out thunderstorm with thunder and lightning and high winds dark clouds making it seem much later than it actually is, that would be a perfect weather for a day in Beautiful Creatures. Or a fall day, bright and clear blue skies, crisply cold and startlingly alive with possibility, daring a person to explore the woods with trees changing leaves and as the darkness quickly comes build a bonfire and spend the evening outside staring at the stars, perfect weather for a day in The Thief. Like I said, weather can really change how I -at least- interact with a book. Not that books necessarily are any less good because they lack the weather description, but I believe more books need to include details about how the weather changes. It affects how a person may respond or react to a situation.

Anyway, now I will officially stop obsessing over weather.

I liked Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Everything was not as I expected but I still enjoyed it. It was creepy enough, though it never went all the way (for mE at least) and the plot was surprisingly faster than I thought it would be. I expected a plot similar to The Night Circus, but was actually given a plot more like Fablehaven. I also expected a focus on atmosphere - and the feel of the world - like the Night Circus, but was actually given an atmosphere more like The Replacement. I was expecting characters similar to The Night Circus, but got characters more like Leviathan crossed with Anna Dressed in Blood. Yet, while Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (here on out known as MPHfPC) felt similar to many different books it was also very much unlike any of the books I just listed.

So what was MPHfPC? For me it was essentially an adventure story, with some strange pictures thrown in to make things interesting and rather lovely descriptions. More than "rather lovely descriptions" actually. Through much of the book I was gushing over the detailed descriptions of places and spaces and people and objects. I loved that aspect of it. And for the most part the characters were fun, if some were underdeveloped it did not detract from the book as a whole for me at least. Jacob was a good - if slightly idiotic and slow - narrator to follow. Hopelessly naive and bumbling and at times cute. The plot kept me intrigued and moved along quickly and concisely, the description didn't overtake the plot and the book was kept a reasonable length because of it. For what the story was I believe the author balanced description and plot quite well. And left me interested in reading the sequel, without dying because of a cliffhanger.

So what didn't I like? The romance for one. It was just too weird that Emma loved Jacob's grandfather...and they fell in love so quickly, despite Jacob's initial repulsion and thinking that loving her was practically 'incest'. It just felt wrong and weird, and I didn't like it.

The paradoxes that could be created were never addressed. Not even by Miss Peregrine. Maybe it will happen in the second book? I hope so, because if not this will annoy me a lot. In 1940 Jacob is not yet born, but what will happen when he is born and grows up listening to his grandfather's stories...and then when his grandfather dies he goes to Cairnholm...yeah. Or what if he runs into himself. Or what if his grandfather runs into Jacob...etc. etc. etc. This could be a major problem.

At times I don't think the references to the photographs are done very well. He remembers in detail photograph's he glanced over once, recognized blurry faces, and referenced them out of the blue. It just felt like the author was trying too hard to connect the photos, when it might have been better to leave descriptions of some of them out of the plot line all together and just let the reader draw conclusions that "this" photograph describes "this" event. It would make some of the writing feel smoother.

I also wish that there had been more peculiar children, or that the ones were at Miss Peregrine's home had been more peculiar. Some of them were just strange, there peculiar traits perfectly useless and disgusting. Though perhaps that makes sense, not every peculiar trait could be useful or - I believe - the peculiar people would be living much different lives in many ways. However, I wish that the uselessness of some of the traits and the affect it had on those who held the trait had been covered more. The one time that stood out was Claire's during Jacob's first dinner at Miss Peregrine's Home. Or that the characters who had somewhat useless traits had been developed into the plot more instead of left hanging and useless.

All in all I enjoyed the book, it was a nice, quick read to get through and I am eager to read the sequel.

Soundtrack: Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0niLOyhCd5g

Premise - 4/5
Characters - 3/5
Writing Style - 4/5
Story – 4/5
Realistic(the plot made sense) - 2/5
Enjoyment – 4/5

Average Rating - 3.5
My Rating - 4
Cover – The cover is a picture taken from the book, and I think fits the desired feel of the book, but not necessarily the actual feel. I still think it fits the book well enough and don't think something else would have worked.

I really loved this book! The pictures and imagery create such an amazing world that is captivating and beautiful. I did a review on my main blog, so click for super happy fun times!

Overall; 4 of 5 Stars

http://adventuresinyafiction.blogspot.ca/2012/06/book-review-miss-peregrines-home-for.html

Oh my goodness, how I loved this book! The first thing that drew me to it was, of course, the creepy floating girl on the cover. And she isn't the only beautiful and haunting portrait in the book. In fact, there are quite a few. The story revolves around vintages photographs of children with special talents (all of the photos are real antique prints and most have not been altered). They are so creepy and beautiful, I just couldn't get enough. This alone probably would have been enough for me to love the book but, to top it off, it also happened to be a great story!

It revolves around a teenage boy named Jacob and his relationship with his aging grandfather. All of Jacob's life his grandfather has talked about these children and the incredible photos of their talents. As a young boy, Jacob is enthralled by his grandfather's stories, but as he grows older they grow apart and Jacob stops believing that the children were really as special as they seemed. In an attempt to learn the truth about his grandfather's childhood and the children's home where he lived during the early part of World War II, Jacob travels to a small Island near Wales where he must try to find the children and the monster that haunted them.

The story was so complex and rich that I found myself completely wrapped up in it for days, even after I had finished. Jacob is such a wonderful character. In many ways he is a painfully normal teenage boy. He is bored, insecure and somewhat lazy, but he is basically a good kid who just needs some direction in his life. Watching Jacob's personality develop throughout the course of the book was really something. By the end of the book he is a brave, confident young man with purpose and drive.

Another great thing about this novel is the creep factor. It isn't a horror novel really, but it is so unnerving at times that I definitely had trouble getting to sleep some nights. First of all you have the pile of spooky photos, which I've already talked about. Then, of course the setting is this tiny, rainy island off the coast of Wales and, in particular, a huge decaying mansion that seems to have just been abandoned one day. Finally there is the monster, this horrible unseen force that is chasing Jacob and is possibly responsible for the deaths of dozens of children. One word that I could use to describe the whole thing is: haunting. The creep factor can be seen in the book trailer as well. (I wouldn't watch before bed if I were you!)

The ending is satisfying but there is room for a sequel (yeah!). This book was just amazing. The pictures add so much to the story and make it really easy to visualize the whole thing. There is already talk of a movie and according to Rigg's blog Tim Burton has signed on as director! I'm so happy that I was able to read this one and I can't wait to see it on the big screen!

[I am going to have to get into mild spoiler territory here. I've been pondering how to avoid it, and I just can't. It's alluded to very early in the book though, and I don't think your enjoyment will be lessened knowing this in advance. Even so, my apologies.]

First off, this book is nothing like what I expected (I should mention that I checked it out from the library as an e-book, so I didn't know that it's typically classified -- mis-classified, in my humble opinion -- in the horror genre). I thought it was going to be a bittersweet story of a young boy digging into his grandfather's tragic past, and learning a valuable lesson. I knew creepy vintage photos were incorporated, but I figured they'd be like a metaphor for the way his grandfather had tried to dress up what had happened to him, to make it all seem magical and mysterious instead of just sad and depressing.

Because I was thinking that "tragic past" meant something like "Holocaust survivor." I was pretty sure monsters = Nazis.

But no. Monsters = freakin' monsters.

This story is full of fantasy, magic, and unexpected twists and turns that totally blew my mind. I had no idea where it was going, and when I turned the last page, I found myself dumbly attempting to flip another non-existent page, and yelling, "that's it?!"

Needless to say, I sincerely hope Mr. Riggs goes forward with the sequel(s).

What makes Miss Peregrine's even more interesting is the vintage photography that is incorporated into the story. Authentic (yes, they're real!) and decidedly creepy photos are woven seamlessly into the narrative, adding a level of realism and creepiness that both grounds the story and enhances its impact.

It's not without its flaws. It is a little slow to get moving. Jacob spends a good chunk of time on the island before anything really happens. But once it took off, I couldn't put it down.

Keep in mind, I definitely think it's mis-classified as horror. It's much closer to YA/mid-grade fantasy. I think the cover misleads people (bad font choice, publisher). I don't think the intent of the book is to scare the reader; I think it's to enthrall and amaze. So there are a lot of people out there who are kind of peeved that this book "wasn't scary enough." I'm obviously not one of them. No, it's not scary. It's creepy (which can be attributed largely to the photos), but mostly it's just a fantastical adventure story.

Oh my gosh. That's what I repeated a zillion times after I had finished this book. Still repeating it now, as you might have noticed in my blog post :s
I could think of dozens of words to describe this book, but I think peculiar is the best. Because this book was nothing like anything I have ever read. It was filled with vintage pictures, that went pretty well with the story, and they made the story more realistic. And that's an amazing thing, to make a fantasy novel seem realistic!
The children in this book terrified me in the beginning. 80-year-olds trapped in children's bodies? That must be horrible for them. But then I started looking at their behaviour, and I figured that their appearance matched the way they behaved, and only the things they knew didn't match their bodies. Wouldn't their brains have outgrown their bodies? :)
The story in this book was sometimes hard to follow, becaurse there was so much happening. If this book was twice as thick, I think there still would be happening a lot. Even when you didn't read 1 or 2 lines, the story would make no sense at all. I had to re-read an entire chapter after I put the book down, just to remember everything important that had happened. The author really put lots of information in a relatively short story.
There was a lot of character development, which is great. I don't like a book when the characters don't develop at all. The developing of a character makes the character seem human, and not just a few drops of ink.
The story told in this book intrigued me a lot. I held my breath reading it and finished it as soon as I could. I wanted to know how it ended so badly! Luckily, I didn't make the mistake I made while reading the last Harry Potter book *MASSIVE SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ HP7* . I *accidentely* read the final 2 words: "Harry said." And well, that spoiled the entire book...
There was a little romance in this book, but not much, just enough.

A very original book for both teens and adult that freaked me out, made me swoon and every other emotion in between. Definitely a must for all fantasy-lovers!

rating:
4.5 stars

This book is instantly atmospheric (the photos certainly help!) and the writer maintains the sense of disembodied unreality throughout the narrative. Jacob is a strong character who makes a good narrator, even though I was disappointed that no one else in his life seems to be a match for his strength. I enjoyed the creepy and compelling story of the children who live in the home, and felt on edge as danger closed in.

What keeps this book from getting 5 stars from me is that I couldn't quite understand the mythological set up that allows the most important part of the book to happen. I can't explain more without spoiling the book, but even with my willing suspension of disbelief, I felt like I needed a bit more explanation or to be shown HOW it worked so I could visualize. I also felt like the characters were a bit emotionally distant from me, the reader. However, I think that was more the product of the writer's story-telling style, and not necessarily a fault.

Overall, this is a strange, compelling read that I think readers drawn to dark, atmospheric stories will enjoy.