Ransom Riggs’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is the first book in the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series. Jacob grew up enraptured by his grandfather’s stories of adventure. The old WWII veteran told stories of how he escaped the Holocaust on a small Welsh island full of strange children and how he fought monster during the war. He showed the young Jacob strange pictures of his adventures and Jacob believed every word. As Jacob grew older, the faith faded to doubt. The stories became fairy tales and the photographs looked fake. Sadly, Jacob’s grandfather passes away and leaves Jacob with many questions. He begins to hunt down his grandfather’s peculiar past in order to discover the truth and fiction in his childhood stories.
Jacob Portman isn’t the worst of characters. He grew up in a wealthy family, captivated by his grandfather’s fairy tales. In his hometown, Jacob had one friend and didn’t care about the luxuries he had. His nonchalant attitude can quickly turn people off, but as the book progresses, Jacob’s bravery and determination shine.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a great read. The plot draws you in slowly with its intrigue until you are hopelessly invested in the story. The beginning of the book has a very creepy tone that is enhanced by the unnerving pictures scattered throughout the book. The book feels like is building up to a horror novel, but never gets there. The creepiness tapers off and the book changes to something very different from what we originally started with. During this book, the world of the Peculiars is introduced. The explanation leaves little to be desired and creates an interesting world for the characters to explore in the following installments. Unfortunately, the characters are a bit dull. Ransom Riggs introduces a large cast of characters, but only a few of them get enough attention to be remembered. Out of the few notable characters, only one was explored in depth. The love interest was given some attention, while all the other characters were given one personality and one strange ability to make them seem special. I give this 352 page book 4 stars.
Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children
Ostracized and hunted, the peculiars have hidden themselves in time loops. Inside these time loops the can freely express their strange abilities and kept in eternal youth. Unfortunately, not everything can be sunshine rainbows. These peculiar children are hunted by hollows and wights.