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.
Holy wow, this book was amazing! I honestly didn't think I was going to enjoy it as much as I did. I finished it yesterday (yes, it took me less than 2 full days...what of it? :P) and was pleasantly surprised. I think the best part about this book is that even though there is a sequel, everything was tied up nicely at the end, and I don't have to spend the next 2 years cursing Ransom Riggs for leaving me hanging. :)
Miss Peregrine's has a lot going for it. The writing is absolutely beautiful, for one thing. I found myself stopping and rereading phrases and passages, the way I do when something resonates with me and I want to remember it later. One such sentence: "Sometimes you just have to go through a door." Jacob was making a stormy exit after an argument, and even though he had to face the person moments later, he just needed to "go through a door" to feel better. I can so identify with that, and I thought it was wonderful. You'll have to hunt down other nuggets of gold yourself!
The photography aspect was awesome as well. Fun fact: if a book has pictures, I look at all of them before I start reading. I have no idea why, but it's a habit of mine. When I first received this book in the mail, I looked at all the photos several times. Sure, they were weird, but they didn't really have an effect on me at all. However, once I started reading, they got creepier and creepier, to the point where not only could I not read the book at night, I couldn't even have it sitting on my bedside table while I slept (I'm a bit of a wimp, and totally not ashamed to admit it). The haunting prose combined with these strange images made for one creeptastic story, and I ate it up.
I definitely recommend Miss Peregrine's to anyone who enjoys a good spook story. It's not about ghosts at all, but the atmosphere of the novel made me feel like it was. I enjoyed it immensely, and hope you will too.
For those who have read it, what did you think? And if you haven't picked it up yet, will you?
J
PS If you haven't had the chance to read my flash fiction, you can find it here. If you'd like to vote for me, I'm number 221. :)
PS If you haven't had the chance to read my flash fiction, you can find it here. If you'd like to vote for me, I'm number 221. :)
Hello from a fellow campaigner (though of a different genre). As a fine art photographer (art major w/ emphasis in B&W photography back before digital), I now have to get this book!
ReplyDeleteNow off to read your flash piece.
Mine is #326 (I think ...)
I really liked it too! I just read it like... 10 days ago? Something like that... and I agree, beautifully written and it just had this amazing eerie atmosphere... the idea of children never growing up, reliving the same day over and over again... that's what creeped me out the most. Especially THAT day and I LOVED 'Adam' with his outstretched finger. That was an awesome touch. (pun intended)
ReplyDeleteOh hey, I think I will have to read this book, and.... I tagged you over at my blog
ReplyDeleteI too loved this book :)
ReplyDeleteI bought this book quite some time ago but I have yet to read it. I've already looked at all the pictures. :)
ReplyDeleteOh man girl, I picked this up but had to put it back, it just looked like it'd freak me out! I might have to go and try it though :)
ReplyDelete@Sandwiched Writer: I'm an amateur photographer, and I've always held a special place in my heart for B&W. That's the main reason I bought the book. :)
ReplyDelete@1000th Monkey: I'm a huge fan of the whole kids-never-growing-up thing (Peter Pan!), but there was something that was so...not right about this version lol. I still loved it though!
@Mel: Yay, I have a post for tomorrow! :P Also, you should totally get this book ASAP. I think I owe you an e-mail...
@Cristina: Yay! Wasn't it wonderful? :)
@Brooke: What are you waiting for?! Read it, woman! :P
@Juliana: It's soooo worth it! I knew it would freak me out, but I couldn't resist, and the prose was so beautiful that it made the whole creepy journey worth it. I promise you won't regret it if you read it. :)
This book has been on my tbr list for a while now. I haven't read a single bad review of it, I can't wait to get my hands on it.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED this book!
ReplyDeleteI recently read this and have mixed feelings. On one hand, it was magical. The slow journey of discovery was very well done. But once that part was over... it began to fall flat for me. They ending wasn't particularly compelling. It felt like he had switched from one type of book to another.
ReplyDeleteThe photography was... interesting. But in the end he both used it too much and not enough. And why, WHY did he never give any explanation for the freaky clown twins that appeared in not one, but TWO pictures. That was just unfair.
I agree with Sarah about the freaky clown twins! I kept waiting for them to be explained, but they never came back up. Grrowl.
ReplyDeleteOh well. The prose and The Old Man and Jacob's narration made up for it, I think. I can't wait for the next one.
"Sometimes you just have to go through a door" was one of the best lines of the book--I agree.