"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" | Book Review

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"

Happy Friday the 13th!

I'd been wanting to read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children for almost two years, but for one reason or another, I never got around to it; that is, until a couple of weeks ago!

Written by Ransom Riggs (how cool is that name? I love alliteration), Miss Peregrine tells the story of Jacob Portman, a 16-year-old boy who grew up being told fantastical stories by his grandfather, Abe, but who has now lost his faith in the stories and characters. That all changes one fateful night when Jacob's grandfather is brutally murdered by a creature that Jacob glimpses in the woods. Jacob sets off to Wales to find out the truth behind his grandfather's strange tales.

Although I'd wanted to read this for a long time, I hadn't read any reviews or heard anything about the book, other than "it's intriguing" because of its pictures - which is certainly true. Because of this, I didn't really know what to expect, but I though it'd probably be some kind of supernatural story, based on the levitating girl on the cover. As it turns out, this story is a blend of fantasy and sci-fi, specifically of the time travel variety - and who doesn't like a good tale of time travel?

At the beginning of the novel, I didn't like the protagonist. I found Jacob to be irritating and insufferable. But he grew on me once he became more independent and on his own, started to look into the mysteries surrounding his grandfather's life and death.

The pictures were very cool and definitely added to the eerie feeling of the story. There were some freaky photos in the book, including one of Santa Claus that is nightmare-inducing.

Despite disliking Jacob for the first few chapters, I really enjoyed Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. The story itself is not revolutionary or anything, but it's a fun read, especially if you're interested in odd, fantastical stories and characters with strange abilities.

What's the strangest book you've ever read?