Monday, June 30, 2014

Review: Miss Peregrine's House for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #1)Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is a point in Ransom Riggs' book, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, where I honestly said to myself, "This is just as good as Harry Potter". But a few scenes later sullied by genuine enthusiasm. Even so, this first book in what is meant to be a trilogy has enough magic and wonder to spare. What makes this book unique, besides the old-timey pictures that are sprinkled throughout the book, is the way the story is told. Many have called it cinematic in quality, and I agree. I can already see the glossy movie that will eventually be spawned from this book now that it's gaining in popularity. But the characters are endearing, too. I liked every last one of them.

The story concerns a teenager who's been having terrifying dreams after a traumatic incident occurs. He winds up in a sleepy town in Wales where he stumbles upon Miss Peregrine's house, which is full of all kinds of wonder and mystery. It is here where he eventually meets the "peculiar children" in question, and they're almost like a cross between circus attractions and the X-Men. The result is a fun blend.

That said, there are parts in this book that are rather slow. And after the magnificent first 50 pages, it rarely reaches the excitement that was achieved there. But all in all, it's a great book, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. It's definitely one to look for and read if you like YA and time travel stories with a bit of an edge and personality.

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