Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Title: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs

Year: 2011

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Age: 6th grade up

Summary: A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. 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 were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. (summary from amazon.com)

Review: This book took me right to the edge of my creepiness tolerance. I’m easily scared when reading—no Stephen King for me—so I’m impressed with myself for finishing this one. What makes it particularly creepy are the photos. At pertinent points, Riggs illustrates the story with old photographs he collected from yard sales and flea markets. Girls float, the back of a head has a mouth (REALLY CREEPY!) and a beanstalk shoots to the sky. Sometimes, the plot feels a bit too much like it was cobbled together to fit the photos, but it mostly works. The characters are not particularly memorable, but they serve the plot. Read this one for the atmosphere and the creepy moments.

I read this on my Kindle, and I must say the pictures lose some of their creepy on the tiny e-ink screen. Pick up a print copy of this one for maximum enjoyment.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in a creepy mystery.