Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs

This book was nothing less than interesting. I've been seeing it everywhere and have actually wanted to read it for some time now. Luckily enough I just figured out how to get ebooks from my library and this was one of the firsts on my list. Going into it, I hadn't read a synopsis or anything about the book and was happy to find that I still enjoyed what I was reading. The vintage pictures were fantastic and really helped to visualize the different characters and put myself more solidly in this fictional world. Even though it was slow there in the beginning, I found myself chugging through the rest of the book. And the ending, oh boy.

Jacob always figured that there was something peculiar about his grandfather, but these thoughts were never more real to him than at the moment of his death. Wanting to delve deeper into his grandfather's history, Jacob travels to a remote island where he discovers the decrepit remains of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. While uncovering the truths about the home's former inhabitants, Jacob indeed finds out about the monsters that his grandfather was always fighting, and determines that he himself might be in the same danger.

This book was so refreshing. Refreshing in the sense that every now and again a strange yet fantastic book comes out that manages to strike so many different feelings of awe. Not only was this book just interesting, but it was tied together very well. The photographs were used exceptionally all throughout the story and gave the reader what many books do not: images of the characters. 

While it is fun to picture the characters in our own minds, I still think that it's cool that we get to see what the characters were based on. 

The characters in this book are probably what makes the whole thing a bit wonky for me. Actually, just the main character and his love interest. In the prologue I really did like Jacob and figured that he surely had potential. Then, starting the first chapter and seeing how whiny, pretentious and just overall selfish he was, I started not liking his character at all. We start out with him trying to get fired from a job that he's only got because it's a family tradition within the family business. Then and throughout the remainder of the book he continues to talk about how he doesn't really have any friends, absolutely despises being rich and not wanting to take over the family business. 

Look, I get it that you don't want to work this job, but must you go about it in a rude and disrespectful way? Just talk to your family about it and I'm sure that they'll understand. Also, you don't have to keep shoving down my throat the fact that your family is so rich and that you'd rather have nothing to do with it. I don't care that you're rich and wanting to take the "high road", I'd much rather that you said nothing at all if this is all you're going to spiel. 

Next, the main character's love interest: Emma. Sure, she appears decent at first and possesses a cool talent, but the fact that she rushes into a relationship so quickly with Jacob only a few days after she's been all mopey about his grandfather. 

I just really didn't enjoy the romantic aspect of this book. Honestly, it probably might have read better without it.

The plot definitely kept me going the entire time. I was just as curious as Jacob to learn about these peculiar children and all of their talents. 

Pacing-wise this book did pretty well. Once I got past Jacob's whining and nonsense in the beginning, I was able to get more into the story.

Overall Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was an intriguing read. Combined with vintage pictures and an interesting story, this book ranks pretty high in my thoughts. Even though two particular characters weren't that great in my mind, I didn't let them deter me from enjoying the book. I will most definitely look into this sequel. 

☆☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If you're looking for something new and interesting to read.

If you're curious about the pictures.

Other thoughts:

* While it appears to be described as a horror novel, I didn't really take many scary horror-esque bits from the book. Besides maaaybe the tragic part in the beginning and parts of the ending. But, even then it wasn't too bad.