Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher: Quirk Books (7 Jun 2011)
Genre: Young Adult – Fantasy/Paranormal Source: Publishers
"...so one day my mother sat me down and explained that I couldn't become an explorer because everything in the world had already been discovered. I'd been born in the wrong century, and I felt cheated."
My Thoughts - Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children is a wonderfully presented book that fits the mood of the premise perfectly. One of the most rewarding things about it had to be the photographs. So often events and individuals would be described with such detail that I often sighed with relief when I would turn over the page and be presented with a photograph linking to the text. This isn't all that makes this book appealing in my eyes. I think what I enjoyed most was the uniqueness of the characters as well as the plot. I don't think I have read anything quite like it and that's not a statement that one can easily make nowadays.
Sixteen year old Jacob has always looked up to his grandfather. The very man who has told him stories of fighting monsters and knowing children with certain abilities. Jacob seems to have a very touching relationship with his grandfather: they are obviously close. Even more so than he is with his parents actually. But then again that might be due to the fact that they don't make much of an effort with him and instead of listening to what he is trying to say they are instead easily influenced by others. But when his grandfather is murdered he has to reevaluate everything: including his grandfathers stories that he had long before started to doubt and outgrow. Now with this new tragedy and the unbearable guilt that comes with it, when a something occurs that links with his grandfathers last words he knows that he has to act on instinct and go where his heart is leading him: the Island.
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children wasn't as creepy as I hoped it would be apart from eerie photos, but when the feeling did kick in I rather welcomed the sensation.
I really didn’t know what to expect when heading into this book but I'm glad to say that I loved it. The whole concept of the peculiar children and this time loop they live in is absolutely fascinating. I have to admit, I'm pretty intrigued. Can I just say that the ending was full of awesome? I don't think it could have ended in a more perfect way, although I questioned Jacob's decision since I wasn't sure if he was ready for the responsibility: if any of them were for that matter. The last picture in particular I couldn't stop looking at. It made me a little sad and built up so many questions. They obviously had something very special, I mean, the two of them lying there so happy and content builds such a powerful and beautiful picture that it makes me wounder what really happened between them. It makes me a little confused to think just what her intentions were with you know who. Yes I'm a little sceptic like that!
I know that the author collects photographs as a hobby of some sort which I find quite intriguing, I also know that many from the book were taken from other collectors, and so, even now I keep staring at one particular photograph that entranced me the moment I laid eyes on it -- hoping that maybe If I looked long enough their identities may have been revealed. I don't know who those people really are and how old the photo really is, but wow, they must have really been happy together. I don't think I've seen a more touching picture really. If I believed in love, I would say that they were sucked in by it pretty deep. Read the book and find the last photo and tell me what you think of the couple lying in the grass. Does it make your heart skip a beat?
There were one or two things I noticed though. Jacob seemed quite young and childish for the age that he apparently was. I actually thought we was around 12-14 at first, and was rather unsettled when I realised his true age. The whole romantic aspect regarding him also left me scratching my head. So, is he falling for a girl or a 60+ women? I think I’d rather not know because when they had these romantic moments it all just felt a little wrong. Not only did he seem way too young to even be considering romance but with someone who had a certain history with a certain someone made me think twice about what in the world he was thinking and what her intentions were. I think it just over complicated things and didn't need to be there. He seemed too young to be trying to save the world, much less try to get the girl/women. Also, although it had its creepy parts I definitely felt like the author could have played around with it and increased the creepy factor.
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children is a novel that I would recommend readers of all ages to give a go. It's a fairly fast read and pretty intriguing with great world building. Perhaps a little peculiar and different from anything you may have read in the past, but definitely not one to disappoint!
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