I recently finished reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.
Here's the official blurb from the author's site:
"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."
http://www.ransomriggs.com/
The concept is pretty cool. Riggs has taken a selection of odd vintage photographs and woven a story around them. Basically a young man, Jacob, witnesses his grandfather's death, and remembers the fantastical stories he used to tell him about his (the grandfather's) childhood and the photographs he keeps hidden away from that time. Jacob is disturbed by his grandfather's death and eventually sets off to the island where his grandfather grew up to investigate the strange orphanage where he lived. What he finds on the island makes him realize that all his grandfather's stories were true.
Again, cool concept, but it lost me about half way through. The characters seemed a bit undeveloped and I really did not care of empathize with Jacob at all. In fact, I did something I rarely do, I skipped about twenty pages and went right to the ending.
In discussing this book with friends, I've found two basic reactions. 1) people absolutely LOVE the book and am amazed that I did not. And 2) people, like me, who got bored and frustrated half way through and did not care about the ending.
Interesting concept, but not enough to carry an entire novel, in my opinion.
I'd love to hear some other reactions if anyone here has read the book!
Here's the official blurb from the author's site:
"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."
http://www.ransomriggs.com/
The concept is pretty cool. Riggs has taken a selection of odd vintage photographs and woven a story around them. Basically a young man, Jacob, witnesses his grandfather's death, and remembers the fantastical stories he used to tell him about his (the grandfather's) childhood and the photographs he keeps hidden away from that time. Jacob is disturbed by his grandfather's death and eventually sets off to the island where his grandfather grew up to investigate the strange orphanage where he lived. What he finds on the island makes him realize that all his grandfather's stories were true.
Again, cool concept, but it lost me about half way through. The characters seemed a bit undeveloped and I really did not care of empathize with Jacob at all. In fact, I did something I rarely do, I skipped about twenty pages and went right to the ending.
In discussing this book with friends, I've found two basic reactions. 1) people absolutely LOVE the book and am amazed that I did not. And 2) people, like me, who got bored and frustrated half way through and did not care about the ending.
Interesting concept, but not enough to carry an entire novel, in my opinion.
I'd love to hear some other reactions if anyone here has read the book!
