Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom RiggsMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I love the theme behind this book. A bunch of random old photos found and a story built around them. Although some of the pictures were kind of boring, I was hoping for more of the really neat looking ones. But hey, they can't all be weird, right? I also liked the story. It had an original plot, one I hadn't really read anything like lately. The main character is Jacob, and he grows up with a grandfather who tells really weird stories, and has pictures to go with them! Pictures of a girl floating above the ground, clothes standing with no head, a small person holding a really big rock, and what appears to be a face painted on the back of a head, but with a real mouth! As Jacob grows up he of course grows out of believing these stories of his grandfather's. He takes from his parents that his grandfather did deal with "monsters," the Nazi's, as he escaped when his family was all taken to concentration camps, and then fought them in World War II. Until when he is 16 his grandfather calls him all freaked out. When he goes over to check on him, he finds him dead, or dying anyway, and Jacob sees, or thinks he sees a scary monster. Soon after Jacob begins seeing a therapist to help him get over the nightmares and finally figure out he didn't really see what he thought. Jacob decides to go visit this island his grandfather described growing up on to learn about what really happened there. Once he gets there, he finds more of the pictures, and find out his grandfather really did have some adventures on that island. As Jacob gets drawn into this island's mysteries, he has to make a choice on whether to stay with his new friends, or try to go back to his old life.
Now, I did like this, but it wasn't a book that I was constantly wanting to get back to in order to find out what was happening. So, good book, and I think there is going to be a sequel from what I've read from the author having more pictures to write about, as well as how the story leaves off. So, I'm a fan, and will definitely be recommending this one to students at my school, as well as customers at my store.
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