Book Reviews, Fantasy, Gothic/Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children ~Ransom Riggs

66 Comments

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children ~Ransom Riggs

–published 2011
–Quirk Books
–352 pages
–8/10

Several years ago I recall poo-pooing the concept of the book trailer. Experience has taught me that the quality of those early trailers had a lot to do with my assumptions about their value and effectiveness. That said, I had not been swayed to buy a book based on a book trailer. That all changed when the trailer for Ransom Riggs’ debut novel found its way to me on Twitter.

I watched it…

And I was lost…

It is easy for a young boy to believe the tales woven by a loving grandfather–of monsters, a magical home, and children with amazing powers. But as that boy matures his grandfather’s tales develop the taint of untruth and what once seemed so very real is now nothing more than fairy stories. So what if his grandfather had pictures of these children, pictures that in childhood were quite convincing? To the boy’s eye these photos now appear faked, doctored, impossible. And so the grandfather stopped telling the stories and a special bond was lost. Then one night tragedy struck and the now adolescent boy saw something–something that should not be real, could not be real. That one night will send the boy on a journey in which he discovers that truth is sometimes stranger, and scarier, than fiction.

Ransom Riggs’ debut novel, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, is something special. It is special because it defies the seeds of expectation sown by the book trailer and dust jacket text. It is special because it combines authentic old found photographs (only a few of which have been slightly altered post-processing) with page-turning prose to make for a unique written and visual storytelling experience. It is special because it reaffirms a truth that book lovers embrace: that books are a portal to undreamed of adventure.

The book trailer sold me. I watched it the day before the book’s release and found myself at the local bookstore over my lunch break that next day to pick up a copy. I wanted it so badly that I broke the male code about asking for help and enlisted the assistance of a bookseller because the book had not yet made its way from the stock room. I walked out of the bookstore and spent the rest of my lunch savoring the introduction and drooling over the book’s design.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is many things and in my tradition of not wanting to spoil the reading experience for anyone I hope to reveal very little while convincing you that this is a book that must make its way into your reading queue. Soon. At its heart the novel is a coming of age story in the grand tradition, expertly weaving in the bittersweet reality of the transition between childhood and adulthood while also touching on the relationship between fathers and sons. It is a novel that lives up to the haunting mood advertised in the trailer while also incorporating elements of fantasy and science fiction as well as history, particularly that of 1940’s England during the Second World War. With Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Riggs has created a novel that can be embraced and enjoyed by both adults and young adults. The story unfolds with a level of tension and suspense crafted to give you delicious chills when reading alone in the dark, while Riggs avoids taking the reader down a path laden with the kind of gore-filled imagery of some contemporary horror stories. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a genre-bending, genre-blending strange and wonderful novel built upon a foundation of the interpersonal relationships between children and adults. It is an accessible story with broad appeal.

As the witching hour approached last night my body was not cooperating with my desire to continue on through the last 60 pages of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, so I read a little more and then decided to go to bed. Such is the draw of this story that, after I had brushed my teeth, I found myself sitting on the floor in my bathroom tearing through the last 40 pages until the end. Not the most romantic place perhaps, but it is indicative of just how engaged I was by that point of the story. Ransom Riggs has created a group of remarkable, memorable characters and placed them under the care of a woman who is even more of a mystery than the children themselves, Miss Peregrine. I couldn’t help but think of Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters the first time I was introduced to her unique menagerie. It will be interesting to see if Ransom Riggs plans to pen more adventures within this world. The novel certainly has an ending and yet one can easily see how the story could continue. If I have one complaint it would be that I would have like to spend even more time with the many and varied characters populating Riggs’ world. So if he continues the story, count on me to be in line on the day the book is released to pick up a copy.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is the perfect summer read. It will give you the right amount of autumnal chills to drive back the summer heat and spending time with the peculiar children in Miss Peregrine’s home will bring back your own memories of magical childhood adventures. As an added bonus the book itself is a wonderful piece of art, crafted with a design sensibility that hearkens back to a time when books were done right. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is well worth adding to your collection.

66 thoughts on “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children ~Ransom Riggs”

  1. well damn. I really, really, REALLY do not need to buy another book! AAARRGGHHHHH! but this sounds really good! (sounds a bit like you should have kept it for RIP!!) and by the trailer it looks like it would be a great book to make into a movie!!
    *sigh* go back to sci fi reading will you please?! I can’t afford you to read anything else! lol..

    1. Deslily: Some of the folks I was tweeting with about this suggested the same thing, but once I saw that trailer and knew others would be reading this book now, there was no way I could wait. And I’m glad I didn’t. It was such a great book to move into after liking Fuzzy Nation so much. Different enough to give me a unique reading experience but still had some science fictional/fantasy elements to feed by current SFF mood. You will like this one. You will!

  2. Excellent review, Carl. What an incredible trailer. I understand how it drew you to make a purchase immediately, and that effect when compounded with that of your review means that I’m going to be hitting up Amazon as soon as I hit ‘Submit Comment’.

    Thanks!

    1. Thanks Phil! That trailer was pretty intense, wasn’t it? I hope you enjoy the book as much as I do. It is a pretty impressive debut novel.

    1. I could have sworn you had already started this. Get on it, I need to talk to some others who have read it, have some spoiler conversations! 🙂

  4. This book popped up on my radar a few days ago, and I wasn’t sure about it, but you have convinced me to read it. Look like it would be great for the RIP Challenge!

    1. It would make a great R.I.P. read. I just couldn’t wait that long. 🙂

  5. well phooey, there goes the ‘being good and not buying any books’ idea!
    and am I strange that I really, REALLY want that house?

    1. Sgist: Not any stranger than I am (not sure if that is comforting or not. LOL!) because I want it too. Or at the very least I want to go explore it like Jacob (the protagonist) did.

  6. WOW! What a cool and creepy book trailer. It looks like something right up your alley buddy. 🙂 Glad you dug it so much.

    1. Me too, it would have been quite a disappointment after the expectations I built up for it not to measure up. I read somewhere today that it has already been optioned for its film rights. While I rarely long for good books to be turned into films, this one is just begging for the film treatment. This is one I’d like to see someone like Del Toro or one of his younger proteges take on.

      1. I just recently found this book, and I agree I would love to see Del Toro do this. However, because of all the projects he is currently involved with, it would be a long wait. 🙁

    1. Yes the cover is a perfect little freaky thing, fitting the mood of the book perfectly. You should see the back cover images!

  8. i saw this the other day in an Indie Bookseller’s newsletter and was immediately drawn by the title and cover. Now I must read it much Sooner than the Later planned. Will have to hound the Library into ordering a copy!

    1. L: Yes, do! I am wondering if your daughter might enjoy it as well. Not sure if she likes slightly scary stuff or not.

  9. Now, how lucky am I? I came home from work today to find an email offering me a review copy of this one. 🙂 Hoping I didn’t come across too desperate when I replied in a positive manner. (aka: bit their hand off!)

        1. They could probably feel the heat coming off your keyboard through the interwebs.

  10. Ahhhh!!, I got that spooky, weird vibe just from your review let alone reading the book…lol It’s sounds like one of those things that would creep me out, so I would cover my eyes, and then part my fingers because I just had to see what happened next 😀

    1. Kelly: I won’t say that its *not* creepy, but for me it was less creepy than I expected and filled with many more wonderful surprises.

  11. Hi Carl. I just requested the book from my library. I’m number 12 on the list. Only if I saw the trailer earlier. Hopefully everyone will cooperate and read as fast as they can!

    1. TBM: 12 isn’t too bad, hopefully there are enough copies in the system that you will be able to get to it quickly.

      1. From your review, it sounds like this book will be well worth the wait. And it gives me time to tackle the other books on my list. I’m trying to stay positive…trying.

        1. Positive is good, and I certainly understand as I have done little but add to my book pile this week.

    1. This might just be a bit too scary for them. Lydia and Jessica would possibly enjoy it. Has some language in it, but not much.

  14. I’ll have to see if the older ones will actually let me read to them.

    Maybe if I show them the trailer they will agree.

    1. Yes, the trailer should be a pretty good indication of whether or not they are going to be interested in this at all.

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  16. Wow…I am so happy that I actually bought this one now!! It sounds amazing and like the kind of book Ive been wanting to read for awhile now!

    1. Chris: Isn’t it a great looking book too? I know Heather is reading it right now as well and it will be fun to get both of your opinions on it one way or the other once you are finished.

  17. You are so not being kind to my whole “cutting back on acquisitions” thing. If you don’t mind, could you review a bunch of crappy-sounding books for the rest of the summer?

    1. Debi: LOL! I just made a similar promise recently. I can squarely lay the blame for both this and Anya’s Ghost to Twitter (Heather and Neil Gaiman to be precise). So I feel your pain!

      1. Great JenClair! I hope you enjoy it and definitely want to read your review once you’ve read it.

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  21. I have mixed feelings when it comes to book trailers, but there were a couple that were good or very good. This one is very good indeed and it would convince me to buy the book all by itself. But looking over your review and some more information I will definitely buy a copy of it next time when I place an order. Which luckily it is this week 🙂

    1. Mihai: I understand that. Like I said, I’ve never really been impressed with them before this one, and thankfully the book lived up to the trailer. Of course had I seen this book in the store and not seen the trailer I would have snatched it up anyway, it is just too cool looking to ignore. I hope you enjoy it!

  22. Pingback: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs | Capricious Reader

  23. This book is most definitely on my list of to-reads. I hope to read it this Fall for RIP. When I first saw this post go up, I thought, “wow Carl! You tore through this book in lightening speed AND already posted.” The posting part was most impressive considering I am lagging in that department myself.

    When I read how you finished the book, after brushing your teeth, I laughed. The vision is humorous, 42 year old man sitting down in the bathroom to finish the book. Oh, I laughed in a good chuckle kind of way. Thanks. The trailer, like you, sold me on reading this book, but your thoughts made it even clearer that this is a must read.

    1. You don’t have to justify your laughter, it is quite the goofy image. Me sitting on the rug leaning back against the wall. It not like I couldn’t have gotten up and walked 10 feet to a couch. I think part of it was, unconsciously, to avoid sitting back in a place where I would nod off, as I was doing when I decided to quit reading and go to bed. I wish I could say this was the first time I’ve done this but it isn’t. I’ve finished more than one book on a late night reading jag in my bathroom.

      This will be a great RIP read and I’m hoping several will join you in reading it then.

      1. Ha. I should keep your bathroom trick in mind when the witching hour is upon me AND I really don’t want to stop reading the book in hand. 😀

        1. It also lessens those annoying moments when you end up dropping a brand new pristine book and squishing a corner because you dozed off! 🙂

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  26. Great review Carl. I’ll be reading Miss Peregrine to my pile for RIP (and am happy to tell you that there will be a book two, out the Spring of 2012, which was announced just the other day by Quirk books)! And you are right, the book trailer is super professional!

    1. That is good news indeed. My sister borrowed my copy and loved it and my wife is reading it now and really enjoying it. I wish I could have resisted because it would have been the perfect RIP book, but that trailer just tempted me way too much.

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  28. I’ve just finished this one, my first book for this year’s RIP challenge and was just such a perfect fit. Thanks for making it pop up on my radar in the first place.

    1. Hey, you are welcome Fence. What a great first read for R.I.P., eh? I thank my Twitter friends for turning me on to the trailer. I’ll be over later to check out your review.

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  36. If anyone is interested in learning a little bit more about the book and movie, there’s some here:
    http://thepeculiarchildren.wikia.com/…
    This is also an open page in need of some editors! PLEASE feel free to do so!
    So far, Ransom Riggs has suggested Tilda Swinton as Miss Peregrine.

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