Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

• Author: Ransom Riggs (website/instagram/twitter)
• Publisher & Date: Quirk Books Publishing, 2011
• Pages: 352
• Intended Audience: Young Adults
• Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Paranormal, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
• Goodreads Rating: 3.78/5.0 
• Sneak Peak by Jess:  

      Jacob Portman is your everyday, very average, mad-at-the-world teenager who woefully works at his family's pharmacy. His disappointment with his ever so boring existence and his cynical outlook on life and family, makes the stage for the reader at the very beginning of the book.

       As a kid, his grandfather was his very own super-hero. Grandpa Portman shares stories from his past; stories of the WWII, stories of growing up in an orphanage, and most importantly stories of strange and extraordinary kids. 

       At sixteen-years-old Jacob is put in a life-altering situation. A horrific tragedy sends his life spiraling out of control, and he is now left to decipher the stories that have long been clouding his mind. 

      Unfathomable disasters, hidden family secrets, abandoned orphanages, and a box of strange and inexplicable photographs will leave you wanting more in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. This all but ordinary novel takes its readers on a mysterious journey across the seas, across time, and across a land of very strange occurrences.

"A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows." - Goodreads.com

    First of all, I was dying to read this book as soon as I laid eyes on the cover. It's intriguing, right? Well, I have never been more pleasantly surprised to go against the quote, "Never judge a book by its cover." What Ransom Riggs accomplishes in his very first novel, mind you, is astonishing. 

    Jacob's overall story is great, and honestly, I kind of envy his adventure. I thought that it may be a little cheesy at first- simply because I am not always into the "paranormal" bits, but I was completely surprised at how much I loved it. One of the my favorite aspects of the book is how Riggs takes you through time and incorporates so much history throughout the story, and you can't get much more paranormal than time travel! So, I guess I am a fan. 

   Riggs develops his characters in an unique way as well. (Although, there are quite a few, and it was hard for me to keep them all straight at times. Good thing there are pictures!) You are introduced to them over the course of the book, which I loved, but he also randomly adds photographs here and there that he has personally collected for himself over the years. (Pretty cool hobby if you ask me!) It was interesting to me, and almost creepy in a sense, how seamlessly the photographs accompanied the plot. It would not surprise me at all if this style of writing became popular all of a sudden. Nice touch.

    But I think what I loved most about this book is the way Riggs writes. He is such an animated writer, and as a reader, you fall in love with his language. From his syntax, to his specific word choice, I guess I just was not expecting so much from a newly published author. 

    I highly suggest giving this book a shot. If you're into mind-boggling, super-twisting, mysterious, and kind of creepy suspense reads, then you'll be right at home. Also, I am a huge fan of learning a little bit about the author before/after I read something, and Ransom Riggs is a pretty interesting fellow. I would definitely suggest you swing by his website to see how he came up with the idea for writing Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Favorites:

-Quote: "I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was."

-Character: Horace Somnusson- He is a intellect with an exceptional way with words. My kind of guy right there.  

Cons (as I see them):  

-As I already mentioned, it was hard to adjust to all of the characters' names at first. Just sort of confusing. 

-I was not completely thrilled by the way it came to an end; however, I knew there was a sequel, so I wasn't too worried about it.