Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, Hollow City #1 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.
Imagination is the most powerful thing in the world. When I first read Peter Pan when I was a small boy. Amazing, who doesn't dream of a land where there are no adults and where you can play and goof around. But of course with a threat looming around!
The story of Miss Peregrine's follows the adventure of Jacob. When Jacob was growing up his grandfather Abe always told him stories about World War II and what he had seen on a particular island with peculiar people. How amazing it all was. But as Jacob got older he started to question Abe. All to the day when Abe get murdered. In his last year Abe was getting spooked easily and mentioned a couple of times to Jacob's father that he was seeing monsters. When Jacob discovers his father he can verify the monsters. Strickin by this Jacob seeks counseling and feels that there is only one thing left to do. Follow the message that Abe gave Jacob on his dying breath. And thus Jacob and his father set out to the mysterious island.
Jacob and his father get to the island which is still in the ruins of World War II. On one day Jacob sees a girl who has a flames on her hand, she notices Jacob noticing the flames and she runs away, with Jacob in pursuit. At the end of the chase Jacob finds himself in precisely the stories that Abe used to told him. He has found the peculiar children and a whole new world opens up with him. With new adventures but also with dangers lurking about...
The first things that will falls to note when you read this book (I had the movie tie-in) are the photographs and the pictures of the movie that are attached. On one hand I would have preferred to not be in the book as I like to let my thought run wild when it comes to superpowers but on the other hand they do give a very good picture of the children and the surrounding, but I can't say if I would have though different about them had I not known how they look in the movie. A bit of pity for me. But this doesn't take away that Ransom Riggs created quite the supporting character cast for this debut. I loved every child and Miss Peregrine as well. Every child has a different peculiar power, ultra strength, invisibility, and raising the dead. And lets nog forget the "guardian" Miss Peregrine herself who can turn herself into a peregrine and create time loops, where every day is the same day over and over again. I loved everyone one of these characters, peculiar though they were. Due to all the fast events you just bond with them pretty rapidly.
Next to the character the surroundings of where the story takes place also doesn't fall short to impress you. Going from the wonderful lush surroundings of the home of the children to the bleak reality of the "now" time only wishes you were in that carefree environment a bit longer. The location readily invites you to daydream about this place.
All in all Miss Peregrine's is your classic fairytale upped with the ante. It has a magical atmosphere, a lot of suspense and marvelous characters. Let see if the big screen does this book justice!
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