Time to Talk about Books: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” is the first novel by Ransom Riggs. It was published in 2011 and spent 63 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List.

The Plot:When Jacob’s grandfather dies his life is about to change forever. He remembers the stories his granddad told him when he was little – stories about monsters his grandfather encountered and an island with a home for peculiar children. Of course Jacob always considered these stories fairy tales but after awful nightmares about monsters tortured him for a while he decides to find out more and travels to Great Britain. There he finds the children’s home but it turns out it was bombed during the WWII and he is told that his grandfather was the only survivor. Walking through the ruins Jacob suddenly sees a girl. He follows her and from there on nothing will ever be the way it was before.

The Rating:
When I bought the book it was because of the picture on the cover. This photo fascinated me. Much to my surprise more pictures like this one are scattered throughout the entire book. Next to the story itself the photos give a great impression and some of then actually are pretty creepy. It helps to underline the special images the author wants to communicate. What fascinates me most about the pictures is that the all are real. Ransom Riggs put a great effort in finding the perfect ones for his book.
Let me now come to the story itself. Ransom Riggs has a way of writing that makes images flash before you. He has an awesome writing style. His ideas for the story are unique and thrilling. Whenever you think you come to a point where only a cliché can come along he finds a way to make it something extraordinary. I could hardly put the book and read it almost in one go.
I can’t wait for the seconds part that will come out in January 2014 as the “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” ends with a cliffhanger and I really want to know what happens next =)
(Oh and by the way, the book will be turned into a movie, director: Tim Burton! This can only turn out greatly!)

8/10