Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

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. – Goodreads

I was expecting Miss Peregrine’s to be a creepy story, judging by the photographs and the book trailer, but it was definitely more of a fantasy novel. Also, this book felt more like a Middle Grade novel than a young adult one, and if I hadn’t been told Jacob’s age then I would have thought he was younger than he was. That said, Jacob was still a fairly relatable character and I enjoyed reading from his perspective.

The thing I most enjoyed about this book was the photographs that were strategically placed throughout the book. The photographs added a lot to the story and as I was reading I was able to see what Jacob was talking about as he looked at the photographs too.

I also loved what I learnt about the loop. I can’t say anything other than that, because I’ll spoil those who want to read the book, but the loop was an excellent part of the novel and probably one of the most interesting parts! Completely mind-blowing.

I did have a bit of an issue with Jacob’s relationship with his love interest. I won’t go into detail because I don’t want to give away spoilers, but the age difference was a bit much for me and it stopped me from enjoying the relationship too much.