Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

This isnt something I would have normally picked out. Normally I would have labeled this as "a boy book' but I have grown to love horror and vintage-y style books. The pictures are beyond amazing! if they are photoshopped they are greatly done!

For me, what really made the book were the totally creepy photos that were placed throughout the book. It added a visual image and made it extra "peculiar". Things like a floating girl, an invisible boy, a boy with a face on the back of his head... do I need to go on to explain how this was a creepy book?

I was actually reading this late at night, in bed (it was close to midnight because I had started it that evening and could not put it down). Yeah, you might say that wasn't the best idea. Those wrights certainly were scary, with their white eyes *shudder*.

I was totally on the edge of my seat (well actually I was in bed but you know what I mean) for the whole book and actually jumped whenever a scary thing happened. This is a completely amazing, original horror story.

I loved how the pictures worked perfectly with the story and added just another mysterious, creepy factor to this book.

Everyone must read this book. It is creepy and mysterious. AMAZING! I cannot wait for the second book, because, I mean at the end they were (*SPOILER*) being chased by evil people, their home was blown up, they might dissolve into dust at some point, and their guardian was currently a falcon. (*END OF SPOILER*)

Talk about making you want to find out what happened! EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!

This book does live up with its name, it is peculiar. Not only told with words, but this book contains creepy photos, a girl floating, a boy lifting a boulder and an invisible boy. These photos truly bought the story alive, and it shaped what is an amazing story.

This book reflects its cover, a creepy sort of style that follows the storyline the whole way through. I must say I was a bit frightened when Jacob was exploring the wreck of the house, I thought something deadly would jump out and bite him. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story, and this book is truly unlike any horror books that I have read. It is a true original.

I don't think that the story should of been written in past tense, because it automatically gave you the idea that Jacob survives. It would of been more tensional if it was in present tense. The author must of taken ages to locate all these amazing photos, and even longer to incorporate it in the story. This book took effort, and it truly paid off.

I reckon that everyone must read this book. It has that creep factor, mysteries, the creatures out of nightmares and some seriously awesome powers. This book is way up there on the 'best-books-ever' list, and it surely will be on yours if you give this book a chance. It will blow your mind.

I thought the cover looked creepy(I know, I know, never judge a book by its cover)and decided that I should try to read it. After the first chapter, I was hooked. It seemed so real. The pictures were amazing! I told all my friends to read it. While some were too freaked out about the pictures, at least one of them did. She loved it, even though it wasn't really her style. This book is perfect for anyone who likes things a little out of the ordinary.

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.

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