Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
Quirk Books
2013-06
368
After a family tragedy, Jacob feels compelled to explore an abandoned orphanage on an island off the coast of Wales, discovering disturbing facts about the children who were kept there.
Review:
I’m not sure what I expected judging by the cover and the blurb, but this was most certainly not it. It exceeded any expectations I could ever have for it.
Young Jacob grows up listening to his Grandfather’s fantastical tales, never believing they were true after he hit school age. Then he makes a discovery that will change his life forever, and one that can be compared to a Lemony Snicket type of tale for a slightly older age group.
However, it is much more than that. This is one of the rare books that weaves a unique and new fairytale. It isn’t happy, and it isn’t sad. Great challenges are faced. Children are in peril. It’s everything the Brothers Grimm tales were before we somehow decided our children needed things to not be too scary or dangerous.
The world is incredibly rich and full of surprises. Each child has a story, and none of it is revealed too early. It leaves us as confused and wanting more as Jacob himself does. The imagery is amazing, and the use of actual vintage photographs is a brilliant storytelling tactic that also leaves you wondering what happened to those children along with their fictional counterparts. I would recommend the book for the photos alone.
Well-written, no plot holes, and a desire for more make this one worthy of a five-star rating seldom seen from me. The world needs more fairytale and adventure. I have little doubt that this one will endure for generations to come.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence, Animal Death
