Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

I wasn’t going to read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, but a lady I know insisted that I would like it and it turns out she was right, against all odds, I liked it, didn’t love it mind you, but did find it enjoyable.

Sixteen year-old Jacob travels to Wales to find out the truth behind his grandfather’s stories of amazing children and the orphanage where he found shelter during WW 2.

Reasons I shouldn’t have liked it.

First, I don’t read much YA, even those that adults will love too. It’s not necessarily a conscious choice, just the way my reading tastes have been trending lately. Second, I’m not a big fan of time travel, which it turns out is an integral part of the book, even if it’s a loop, a little outside of the usual time travel scenario. Third, I don’t do monsters, and they’re real in this one. Fourth, the ending wasn’t really an ending. The whole book was more like a set up for the next one, which always annoys me. I’ll read your series, but give me an actual ending, not a “to be continued.” And I almost forgot, parts of it take place during WW 2, and I tend to stay clear of war books.

So, why did I like it?

I don’t really know, something about the story grabbed me. I can’t really put my finger on why, if it was the story-telling or the characters, but it even showed up in my dreams, which is unusual. And the vintage photos are fascinating. Overall, I think it was just an unusual book, with enough eeriness to keep it moving until the real plot kicked in.

Purchase Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children from Amazon or an Indie bookstore.

3½ out of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult – Fantasy

Miss Peregrine’s #1 (No sequel yet, but I’m sure there will be)
Published June 7, 2011 by Quirk Books
352 pages

Book source: Purchased

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