When reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, I almost put it down, several times, because I thought it was going to be really creepy! The photographs, the beginning chapters all pointed to a creepy, horror story. This book might even be categorized as a horror story. I was compelled, though, to continue reading, and I’m glad I did!

The author, Ransom Riggs hooked me from the first sentence.

“I had just come to accept that my life would be ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen.”

My Thoughts on Miss Peregrine’s

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is edgy and different. It went in the fantasy direction instead of the expected horror, and I for one was glad. I really don’t enjoy horror! The combination of eerie photographs and the unusual plot line very intriguing and compelling. The characters were interesting and kept developing throughout the story. Jacob, our main hero, starts off as a very ordinary, very unheroic young man and develops into a very complex character who is much more than he seems. He pushes himself and is willing to make the hard choices. But, he is also a teen boy who has a strained relationship with his father. And, he’s also a grandson who is grieving the loss of his grandfather. He becomes a very real character that one might be able to relate to.

If you’re looking for the creepy horror story this looks like it could be, you will probably be disappointed. I personally appreciated and enjoyed that turn, but I can see how others might feel “ripped off” by the direction it went.

This book is the first in a trilogy, and the books just get better and better!

All in all, I recommend this book for your middle school and high school kids. And, with the movie coming out on September 30th, it is worth reading before watching!

About the Author

Ransom Riggs is the author of this book. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is his first book, but he has since written two more in this series. Here’s his bio from his website:

“I’m Ransom and I write books. I also love taking (and finding) photographs, making films, traveling to places that are tricky to find on maps, urban exploring, and scuba diving, which is kind of like urban exploring, except with fish and shipwrecks instead of abandoned houses. If you want to connect with me on social media, I tweet and Instagram a lot, and post somewhat less frequently to my YouTube and Tumblr pages. So welcome, have a look around, and please don’t break anything.”

Movie Trailer

Here’s the movie trailer to get you excited about it:

All in all, this is a really great book! If you enjoy fantasy, action and maybe a little science fiction, you should probably give Miss Peregrine’s a shot! I think you’ll enjoy it!