Home       About Me       Review Archive

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Publisher: Quirk 
Published: June 7, 2011 
Pages: 352 
Source: Bought 
Rating: 3.5 Stars


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.

In short: I loved the eeriness of the tone and the writing in the first part of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, but was remiss when the second half was nothing like the first.
The moment I saw this book - the title, the cover, the blurb, the trailer - I knew I needed to read it. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children seemed unlike any YA book I had ever read or heard of and I was immediately eager to read such a unique and odd-sounding book. You can't deny that the packaging of Miss Peregrine's - with the inclusion of the creepy, old, black and white pictures - makes it intriguing as heck and though it was perhaps a bit gimmicky, I can't deny that the images were a major part of my interest in reading it.

And indeed, I felt like the old pictures complimented the story really well - at least, in the first part of the novel - and added to the overall dark tone. The pictures don't do all the work though: Ransom Riggs is a superb writer and he infuses the story with an overarching gloomy atmosphere that really adds to the creepiness of the plot. I really liked the way Jacob was written as well. Though not everyone will enjoy his sardonic tone and his teen angst, I felt as though there was a realism to him that I really appreciated.

It was the second half of Miss Peregrine's that I liked less and where it felt like the tone does a complete one-eighty. What started out as a dark and eerie story turns into a lighter, quirkier one. It's not that the second half was bad, it's just that I wanted the creepy gothic horror that was promised to me by the packaging and what I ended up with was a sort of superhero adventure story. And even though I liked the concept of the time loop and the mythology and the children as quirky superheroes, it was not what I was expecting and the change was a bit jarring. Furthermore, the inclusion of the old pictures, which were utilized so well in the beginning, became a bit forced and arbitrary in the second half, much to my dismay.

Overall, I would still recommend Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children to anyone looking for a creepy-ish read with a cool concept and a male protagonist - just keep in mind that what you might have been expecting from the packaging isn't necessarily the case.

Other Reviews:
Muggle-Born.net
Novel Sounds
Small Review

Author Links:
Blog
Twitter
YouTube

36 comments :

  1. Thanks for the honest review. The fact that it goes quirky actually intrigues me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's the attitude I needed to have when reading this!

      Delete
  2. I also read this book because I loved the packaging and that part was really awesome, but I didn't care much for the overall storyline. I wanted a dark horror story too. Good review- you were clear about what you liked and didn't like. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! It really was a brilliant promotional move and a bit gimmicky, like I said. So I was let down a bit.

      Delete
  3. Aylee, I wouldn't have expected this one to be a superhero adventure story either. I love YA stories which involve superheroes - although I don't like comic books for some reason - but I'm pretty sure my enjoyment factor would go down too if I was expecting a creepy gothic story and got something else.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I really wish I had gone into it without my very specific expectations because I likely would have enjoyed it more. I love superheroes, too!

      Delete
  4. I keep meaning to read this one, but for some reason I find myself forgetting it. Thanks for the review. I do want to read it despite the disappointing second half. I think the concept of the pictures it kind of cool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would be interested in reading your thoughts, for sure! The concept of the pictures was cool (at least in the first half).

      Delete
  5. I agree completely. I wonder if I would have liked the book more if I had a better idea of what to expect. It's weird how the first half seemed like it was a totally different book from the second half. I think it would have been better if the author had picked one half and developed it instead of smushing the two together.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Uh huh, exactly. I liked the ideas for both halves separately; it was just so odd that they would be paired together because they seemed like completely different books. Preferably he would have developed the first gothic half more though, because that part was more interesting and unique.

      Delete
  6. That sounds quite disappointing. I have this book and though I haven't read it yet, I've seen the creepy pictures. I was expecting a full out creepy novel so hearing that only the first half lived up to that discourages me from reading it. Glad to know you still liked it though. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Aylee. :]

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, I hope you still read it and enjoy it though! I still think it's worth a read - just keep an open mind.

      Delete
  7. Superheros? Really? Yeah, that's strange, but as you said, perhaps that was the purpose. I once spent an afternoon at B&N browsing through the pictures in this book, but I could never muster up the interest to read it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heh, well the pictures were the best part in some ways, so maybe your browse is sufficient enough for this one.

      Delete
  8. Great review and I completely agree! I was so into it at first and the pictures! Man were they ever creepy! But then it turns into some MG novel that left me way underwhelmed. I did not expect that at all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, if only the feel of the first bit was maintained for the entire book because I was really into it at first, as well. Oh well.

      Delete
  9. Great review, I really like the look of this book, but odd to hear that the second half is so different from the first

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ugh. I know what you're talking about. Sometimes it's almost as if mysteries have to stay mysteries, ya know? I've been wanting to read this for a while, but I've heard a lot of mediocre reviews about it. Maybe just as some quick fluff, huh? Great review, though!

    A Splatter of Ink

    (Hey. Hey you! Do you like poetry? Do you like poetry contests? Do you like poetry where you can win some awesometastic books? Click Here to Enter!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I wouldn't write it off right away. You might still enjoy it!

      Delete
  11. The second half turns more into a superhero adventure story? That would through me off a bit, especially if the first half was more eerie and gothic and intriguing. I am really curious about the pictures though, those are a huge draw for me and I can't wait to find the time to pick this one up:) Glad you enjoyed it for the most part Aylee, even if the first half outshone the second!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a bit jarring, but I definitely wouldn't stay away from reading it just for that reason. I would really love to hear what you thought of it, Jenny!

      Delete
  12. This one's been on the NYT list for so long, I don't know why I haven't picked up my copy yet. But I guess I'm just chicken? I'm afraid it's too scary, but then, I might just pick it up - I do love novels narrated by male protagonists!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nah, don't worry - it's not that scary! I really enjoyed this male protagonist.

      Delete
  13. Thanks for the review. i don't really know much about this book other than the author is a friend of John Green.
    LOL
    I don't really think is a book for me because I'm a bit chicken and the picks look freaky.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure if it's the book for you either, Alex. But don't worry, it's not super scary. Just a little creepy at times.

      Delete
  14. The shift in tone was so weird to me too! Honestly, I felt like the packaging was misleading on this one especially with the story line and that attributed to how I felt about the book overall. Like quirky superheroes is not what I thought AT ALL. Fantastic review, Aylee!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, the packaging was both good and bad. Good, in that it was intriguing and interesting. Bad, in that it ended up being pretty misleading. So the packaging was somehow both my favourite and least favourite part of this book.

      Delete
  15. I didn't review this one because it was so strange. I loved the description of the island, and the creepy undertone to the whole story until the guy gets into the time loop, and then it kind of fell apart for me. Also, some of the characters were seriously underdeveloped. And what is it with the strange apocalypse plot? Odd. I did really like the time-loop idea though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah... it was odd and some of it didn't really work. I really appreciated the idea of the time loop too though. It was pretty neat, if a bit confusing at times.

      Delete
  16. I hadn't picked this one up because I had read so many mixed reviews. The way you described the first half makes me want to read it right away, but the huge change in the second half makes me wary to start this one. The way the pictures are used reminds me of David Leviathan's book Every You, Every Me. Thanks so much for your honest review!

    By the way, I love the new banner! So cute!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Tessa! I didn't know that about Every You, Every Me. I wonder if I would like that one more. It really depends on how the pictures are used. I would still recommend this one though!

      Delete
  17. So disappointing that the tone shifts halfway through. Sounds like it would've been fantastic if it had stuck with the eerie tone!

    Nice honest review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, it really had a good thing going in the first half... oh well!

      Delete
  18. Great review! I agree with you -- I loved the first half of the book and all the pictures, but then the second half just didn't do it for me. I do want to read the sequel, but it's not a book that I'm overly excited for. I wish it would've stuck with the dark mystery of the first half!

    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is there going to be a sequel for sure? He left it so open. I guess I invested enough time in the story that I would continue on, as well. I hope it can go back to the creepy feel of the first half of the first book!

      Delete