Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

I'm not sure what I can say that hasn't already been said.

It's original.
If you aren't comparing it to X-Men.

I love supernatural books! I was excited to read it just because it had that very element of weird.

Now, the strange pictures, (that weren't actually creepy, just weird as shit. The story didn't really need them to accomplish this mysterious thing it was going for.

It's interesting.
It got slow at times, but I cant say I didn't enjoy the story.

Overall, a good read. Something a bit different.(

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!

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!

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

[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.

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.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is told from the point-of-view of sixteen-year-old Jacob Portman.

As a child Jacob’s grandfather Abe, a World War II veteran and Jewish refugee, would tell him stories from his own childhood featuring flesh eating monsters and children with the most peculiar abilities.

Jacob as he grows older becomes sceptical of his grandfather’s childhood tales. Even though Abe shows his grandson a cigar box fill of old photographs as proof Jacob challenges Abe that his stories are fiction. Abe chooses never to mention the stories again.

After Jacob finds his grandfather dying with chest wounds from a mysterious attack, Abe tells Jacob ‘Find the bird. In the loop. On the other side of the old man’s grave. September third, 1940’. What does this mysterious message mean? Even more did Jacob really just glimpse one of the monsters from his grandfather’s stories in the moonlight?

Following his grandfather’s death Jacob finds a letter postmarked from Cairnholm Island addressed to his grandfather from Ms Alma LeFay Peregrine.

Jacob tries to convince his parents to let him go to Cairnholm Island, off the coast of Wales, for the summer. Jacob’s psychiatrist Dr. Golan approves of the idea, so Jacob and his father set off. While there Jacob explores the island and searches for answers about his grandfather’s past.

Riggs initially envisioned his debut novel as a picture book. He was encouraged by his editor to use the photographs to guide the narrative and it really works. Each picture is perfectly selected and adds to the story.

The vintage black and white photographs are quirky photos the author collected and from the collection of other collectors.

The novel has been followed by two sequels Hollow City (2014) and Library of Souls (2015).

A film version directed by Tim Burton opened last month. It includes a stellar cast including Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Chris O’Dowd, Alison Janney, Rupert Everett, Terence Stamp, Judi Dench and Samuel L. Jackson.

This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogspot.ca/2016/11/miss-peregrines-home-for-peculiar.html


Jacob's grandfather has always told him stories about the people in the strange photographs he owns, and after a while, Jacob realizes that these stories are only fairy tales and that his grandfather's condition may be getting worse. One day, he gets a panicked call and later finds his grandfather dead, after seeing a horrifying creature that his friend claims wasn't there. He and his therapist come to the conclusion that the creature isn't real, that Jacob is just dealing with a lot of stress, and that it would be a good idea to go to the island where his grandfather sought refuge in the war.

He travels with his father, hoping to find out more about his grandfather's past. When he comes across a ruined house and a small, rather unlikable village, he soon learns that things are not as they seem, and that the strange people in his grandfather's photographs may still be alive after all these years.

I couldn't resist buying this book when I found it at the thrift shop. With the film coming out and seemingly everybody talking about it, I had to know if it lived up to the hype. I can't say that I share the same enthusiasm as many fans of the series, but it was very enjoyable, to say the least.

This book didn't blow me away, it didn't amaze me and it didn't seem entirely original. However, the mix of time travel, supernatural or paranormal powers and some sort of evil monster coming after the characters made this book an intriguing read.

There were several smaller twists throughout the book, however my favourite one took place near the end and I definitely did not see it coming! Those are my favourite kind of twists, and I was very satisfied with it.

However, I feel that the pacing of the events was a bit uneven and disappointing. The start of the book seemed to fly by very quickly, then the middle dragged on for a bit, and finally the ending flew by just as the start had. It took me quite a while to get through the middle portion, and at times I felt bored.

I honestly think that the best part of this book is the photographs. They're weird and creepy! They added a lot to the story, and I liked how they were integrated into the book and writing itself. They weren't just random photos, they tied into the story. I spent a lot of time looking them over, sometimes wondering if clues were hidden within the photos. I wish there had been more photos!

While this book was enjoyable, I don't think that it lived up to the hype. I liked the story and the pictures were a fun addition, but I'm not sure if I will read the sequel.

I recommend this to those who like time travel stories and YA books with creatures and people with strange powers.

"The last act was to infect me with nightmares and paranoid delusions that would take years of therapy and metabolism-wrecking medications to rout out."

I did really want to like this book. I love creepy pictures and most of all I love when the creepiness is coupled with a Victorian style. Thinking back about Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar children I would have loved to enjoy it even more now that I know that Tim Burton is working on a movie about it. If there's something I love more than Victorian eerie pictures that something is undoubtedly Tim Burton. Still I prefer that I didn't know this at the time I read the book. I would have probably been biased. Needless to say I haven't enjoyed this book as much as I hoped to.

The story follows Jacob, a boy who's spent his early years idolizing his grandfather, a man full of stories to tell about his past, stories about wars, an orphanage and peculiar children who could turn invisible or who had an outworldly physical force. When Jacob is 15 he witnesses his grandfather's murder and the man's last words refer to some kind of monster who had been chasing him for ever. When Jacob starts experiencing panic attacks he is adviced by his psychiatrist to take a trip to Wales, the place in which his granpa had lived during his youth and from which all of his stories came from. This is supposed to be a way to give sense to his relative's last words. Now, Jacob, he is the usual uninteresting boy with the uninteresting life, he's got few friends and no life plans. Later on he discovers he's got da powah.

"I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was."

I'm not that bothered with tropes when they're part of a greater story but once in Wales the story seems not to go anywhere. Jacob meets the peculiars that could have been far more insteresting if they had been given a backstory and if they hadn't just been an amusing background. The romance was just cringeworthy. Miss Peregrine was the biggest disappointment of them all. They cast Eva Green to portray her in the movie and that was actually what I had in mind for her character (she also looked, in my head, just like Aunt Josephine from a Series of Unfortunate Events!). I thought she was going to be cool, tough, smart and mysterious, a female Dumbledore (don't ask, my mind does connections that not even I can explain!) but, in the end she had no peculiar traits and was just another character added to the pile. The story had all the elements to become a new favourite of mine but eventually just fell flat.

I will probably keep reading the series but I'll do it solely because of the upcoming movie. If it hadn't been a thing I probably would have given up with these books which is a shame, I've seen the author in few videos on Youtube and he seems such a nice and funny guy but this book just wasn't my jam.