Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

• Received for review
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Quirk Books (7 Jun 2011)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 1594744769
• ISBN-13: 978-1594744761

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children", an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here - one of whom was his own grandfather - were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.


Thanks so much to Quirk for sending me this for review.


Cover: A perfect cover for this book.  The eeriness of the photo sums up what this book is about, as well as the photos throughout the book.


Plot:  When Jacob was younger he believed in his grandfather's unbelievable stories.  But soon grew out of them.  But his grandfather's cryptic last words at his brutal death throw Jacob into a tailspin and starts him searching for something that will show his grandfather's fantastic stories were anything but fiction.  But danger lurks around the corner.


I saw this book everywhere in the blogsphere a few months ago for its release in the US so when I was given the chance to receive it for review I jumped at the chance.
I found it took a while to get into a dragged for the first 100 pages or so.  For those pages I wasn't gripped or very interested in the story.  But then gradually the pace picked up and I was a lot more invested in the story.  The photographs were interwoven expertly well and added a whole new level to the story.
I really enjoyed that the book was from Jacob's perspective.  Most fiction that I read is in a female's point of view so it's always refreshing to come across one from a guy's perspective, and Jacob's character and his dilemmas are really interesting- was his grandfather telling the truth or is Jacob loosing her mind?
The peculiar children were a really great concept.  I don't want to spoil anything for anyone but it was really different.  I was reading something completely new and I loved it for that.
A lot was left open for book 2.  When I finished I was not satisfied at all but I understand that these questions will be covered in book 2 but I felt that it took so long for it get going and then it suddenly ends with all these unanswered questions that it left me a little frustrated and unsatisfied but of course I hope to read book 2 because I definitely NEED to know what happens.
Overall I would give this book 3.5/5 stars.  Just because of the slow start and how I felt when I finished it.  I would say to give this book a try sometime.  It's definitely different and I am excited for book2 because I was left with this need to have my questions answered but I loved the whole concept of the peculiar children and really enjoyed that part of the plot.  Ransom Riggs has done something extraordinary in that he has written this book that will appeal to both YA and adult readers.