Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Details:
Title: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Author: Ranson Riggs
Publisher: Quirk Books
Date: June 2011
Genre: Mystery, Horror, Paranormal

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And 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 who once lived here—one of whom was his own grandfather—were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate 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.-- Goodreads

My Thoughts:

What really drew me to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was the inclusion of historical images. I don't really read a lot of horror (not really sure if this is horror, more like really good creepy paranormal), so I was a little nervous about reading this. But the story and world-building were wonderful and it wasn't difficult for me to jump right into the story.

The story was interesting, strange, and creepy right away, but I really got into the story once Jacob got to the island. The world of the small island, the home his grandfather grew up in, and the peculiar children is different from anything else I've read -- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is unlike any other paranormal YA novel. The whole plot was unexpected and interesting, which I think is really saying something for paranormal right not.

I don't want to give too much of the story away (because the surprise, mystery, and build-up are just so good), but I will say that the children of Miss Peregrine's Home and their stories and peculiars are fascinating and make the story not so much a horror story, but a strange exciting mystery story.

The book is beautifully designed. The images are integrated nicely into the text and the whole thing just looks and feels like an old photo album. It's probably one of the best interior designs I've seen in a while.

I want there to be more; I don't think the book is part of a series and it stands alone just fine, but I really didn't want it to be over. I wasn't ready to Riggs' world behind yet.

Rating: 

Super awesome book trailer: