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

I wasn’t sure whether I would like this book or not so I hesitated picking it up for ages. But I am so glad I finally read it! I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to continuing with the series.

Rating: 4/5

So if you don’t know what the book is about then here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow-impossible though it seems-they may still be alive.

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.

This book was so unique and I was completely hooked once I started. I was up reading late into the night and I really loved the way the photos were incorporated into the story and the book. It was a unique experience to be able to see the characters and added a new dimension to the story. The photos really brought the story to life.

The story was the right amount of eerie and creepy especially as I am not really into these types of books usually.

All the characters were really interesting to read about and the children were especially interesting as they may have been children but they were also over 80 years old due to living in the time loop for so many years. So they were much wiser and mature than you would expect from a child or teenager. They all had distinct personalities and were all really interesting.

They all had really interesting abilities which made them peculiar. And I’m looking forward to seeing more of them and hopefully we will meet new peculiars too.

They also had a lovely family dynamic where they all love and care for each other which contrasted starkly with Jacob’s family, who didn’t seem to understand each other even though they did care for each other in their own way.

I also really enjoyed the way time loops were incorporated into the story and it was an interesting way to see time travel as you can essentially go back in time when you enter a time loop.

I enjoyed how we got the backstory of the peculiars through Jacob trying to follow the clues left by his grandfather and having to piece everything together. And then by the end there was some plot twists which I did not see coming at all!

I think the only thing I’m unsure about is the romance between Emma and Jacob. Especially as Emma was romantically involved with Abe, who is Jacob’s grandfather. It felt a little weird to me.

Overall I really loved the story and it wasn’t what I expected it to be. I am really looking forward to continuing the books to see what the children will do next.