Finished: September 2011
Pages: 352
Oh my goodness, I loved this book. It was just creepy enough to be delicious and not give me nightmares. I signed up for Carl's RIP challenge and put together a list of choices I had sitting around my shelves. Then I made the mistake of looking at other people's lists and saw this one on several. I decided to treat myself to a copy on my Kindle.
From Amazon:
As a kid, Jacob formed a special bond with his grandfather over his bizarre tales and photos of levitating girls and invisible boys. Now at 16, he is reeling from the old man's unexpected death. Then Jacob is given a mysterious letter that propels him on a journey to the remote Welsh island where his grandfather grew up. There, he finds the children from the photographs--alive and well--despite the islanders’ assertion that all were killed decades ago. As Jacob begins to unravel more about his grandfather’s childhood, he suspects he is being trailed by a monster only he can see. A haunting and out-of-the-ordinary read, debut author Ransom Rigg’s first-person narration is convincing and absorbing, and every detail he draws our eye to is deftly woven into an unforgettable whole. Interspersed with photos throughout, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a truly atmospheric novel with plot twists, turns, and surprises that will delight readers of any age.
From Me:
This is most definitely a young adult novel, and very much a first time book by Riggs. That being said, it is still a great read. The book grabbed me with the first sentence and I found myself cheering Jacob on at every turn. This book reminds me of a much gentler version of a book I read many years ago--The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. This book has monsters, mystery, heroes and some fantasy and time travel thrown in. One of the main complaints I have seen for this book is that some people did not appreciate the whole idea of the pictures being interspersed throughout the book. They felt it was distracting and not beneficial to the story. My thoughts are that the photos are what helped make this book different and unique and added to the creepiness. The only complaint I have is in regards to the Kindle version-in a couple of instances there are copies of handwritten letters included and they were extremely difficult to read on the Kindle--the pictures at times could be a bit dark and hard to see also-especially when I was reading in bed at night. But that is all I think of to complain about. This is not my usual genre, so maybe I don't have really high expectations? Anyway, I adored it and will be sure to read the sequel when it is released-and that is a fact you should keep in mind while reading, if you don't like cliffhangers, it might not be for you.
Kim, I have read that a lot of other people have the same problem with an e-reader for this book. Having read that I went out and got a hardback copy and I am glad now that I did. I can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting for this book as I ordered it the other day. SO looking forward to read it!
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