2011 Reading List: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
November 25 – November 31
( 4 stars)
There will never be another series like Harry Potter, but that’s exactly what you’ll think of when you read this book. Obviously the first in a series, Ransom Riggs starts out with teenagers instead of 9-year-old kids, but the same audience my find themselves as intrigued with Jacob Portman and his friends as they were initially with Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
After Jacob’s grandfather dies under odd circumstances, Jacob’s mind is consumed with processing the lifetime of peculiar stories that his late grandfather told him over the years. His search for answers leads him on a journey that becomes the crux of the story.
Just as fantastical, though with no wizards, witches, or wand waving, one of the most interesting things about Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is not the plot but the inspiration. Ransom Riggs (who himself sounds like a character from some novel) is – so I’ve read – a travel book writer and photo collector. He claims to have crafted this book around a collection of old, peculiar photos that he collected (like the cover). These photos play a role in the story and Riggs claims in the afterword that only a few have been altered for effect.
The book moves fast, is an easy read, and has an intelligent story that should keep most readers interested. Some plot points seemed a little bit predictable or else I might have given it 5 stars.
