Thursday, February 21, 2013

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Author: Ransom Riggs
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Adventure
Pages: 352
Publisher: Quirk Books

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children isn't like any book I've ever read. And I've read a lot of books.

The plot and premises are slightly similar to Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, but the novel includes enough fresh material to be completely different.

The story follows Jacob, a young boy with eccentric parents and a grandfather who tells stories. His grandfather's stories about peculiar children, a magical island, and frightful monsters seem a little tall to be true. But after a tragedy, Jacob starts to reconsider his grandfather's tales. His search for the truth takes him across the world on an adventure.

I didn't really know what to expect when I picked it up, but the strange pictures and the strong writing pulled me in. I stood reading in front of a Barnes and Noble bookshelf for 10 minutes before I accepted that I couldn't put it down and might as well buy it.

Ransom Riggs lets his voice through the pages, and his use of imagery and description is right on. I found myself on the verge of tears, panic, and laughter in every chapter. His vivid imagery moves the reader.

Even if the book didn't have a signature plot and voice, the pictures set it apart. Ransom Riggs collects old photographs of people he doesn't know. The book is illustrated with some of the strangest of these, which lend a validity and flavor to the story that other fantasy novels don't have. The photographs, like the story, are beautiful and haunting.

This is a moving, beautifully created piece of art.

Read it.




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