Book Review – Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

By

If you’re a fan of the recent film version, Riggs’ debut novel is a must-read. His engaging writing transports you into his gothic and fantastical world, combining imagery and expression to make it difficult to put down. The voice of the protagonist, 16-year-old Jacob Portman, is full of personality and is relatable to anyone who has struggled finding a place to belong. It’s one of those books that you can read over and over, and always find some part of the puzzle you hadn’t noticed before. Riggs brilliantly entwines mystery, horror and thriller into one, making the readers’ heartbeats almost as fast as Jacob’s, while the slower-paced scenes allow time to catch your breath and gather your thoughts.

As a warning, this book it not for the faint-hearted; the imagery is quite graphic and grotesque at times, so if horror isn’t your thing, I would avoid reading this book. However, it makes a wonderful coming-of-age story, and Riggs makes a point of showing what young people are capable of in a world where adults can’t always be depended on.
The book is given an added charm by the inclusion of the macabre antique photos that inspired Riggs; they give the book an enticingly haunting atmosphere and add to the believability of the story. The fact that the photos really exist gives a certain gravity to the characters, placing them in the real world.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is an inspiring and exhilarating read that deals with the protagonist’s experience with grief, and it’s also a wake-up call to the things children must come to terms with to grow up. Amongst the suspense and horror there are some truly heart-wrenching scenes that really make you feel for the characters and make you root for their success. It’s a fantastic beginning to a series that will continuously leave you wanting more. If you enjoy books with a darker side and some truly peculiar characters, and if you don’t mind a few nightmares, this is the perfect book for you.

The Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs is available for sale here!

Posted in Book Review and tagged , , .
Share

Related Posts

  • Ida
    19/06/2017

    Book Review – Ida by Allison Evans

    An exploration of both time-travel and identity, Allison Evans’ Ida is a beautifully diverse and emotional story that I feel I’ve been waiting to read long before I knew it existed. Time travel is usually a hit-or-miss for me, but the reader learns about Ida’s powers more or less at the same pace as she [...]
  •
    14/03/2019

    Book Review – The Murderer’s Ape by Jakob Wegelius

    Jakob Wegelius’ middle-grade novel The Murderer’s Ape tells the story of Sally Jones, an anthropomorphic gorilla working closely with a man known as ‘The Chief.’ Together, the two journey all around the coastlines and rivers of Europe and its surrounding areas aboard a grand sailing ship known as the Hudson Queen. When a midnight expedition …

  • Stone Girl
    03/08/2018

    Book Review – Stone Girl by Eleni Hale

    Eleni Hale’s Stone Girl is an incredibly powerful and honest story about the Australian foster care system. Drawing on elements of Hale’s own childhood, the novel is a confronting look into the troubling conditions faced by the children most in need of care. When twelve-year-old Sophie is moved to a foster home after the death …

  • Neverland
    31/01/2019

    Book Review – Neverland by Margot McGovern

    Margot McGovern’s Neverland is a complex look into mental health through the lens of a mythical world that most people will be familiar with. Kit, who has repressed memories from traumatic events in her past, finds herself on the island that was her childhood home, now a facility for mentally ill teenagers. As she struggles …

  • In The Dark Spaces
    22/02/2018

    Book Review – In the Dark Spaces by Cally Black

    Cally Black’s In The Dark Spaces is an immersive sci-fi thriller that features some incredible aliens and insightful thoughts on human nature. While it’s full of action and danger, the heart of the story revolves around family, morality, communication, and love in all its forms. Exposition is scarce, but this works in the book’s favour. [...]
  •
    14/03/2019

    Book Review – The Girl Who Fell by Violet Grace

    Released to the public on September 3rd of 2018, Violet Grace’s novel The Girl Who Fell tells the tale of Francesca ‘Chess’ Raven, an adolescent girl living with a woman named Gladys after the death of her parents. Chess Raven is a hacker, and becomes swept away in a grand and interesting adventure after the …