Monday, August 11, 2014

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Review of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

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Synopsis:
A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of peculiar 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 it's decaying bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine's children were more than just peculiar. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for a good reason. And somehow - impossible through it may seem - they may still be alive. (Taken from Goodreads)

Stars Given: 

Overall View:
When looking for another book to read this book stood out to me because of the creepy front cover and the very catching blurb, unfortunately I must say that this book didn't really live up to my expectations. It is filled with lots of photographs and I don't fell like they worked well with the text, the book would have improved if there where no pictures. But I must say that it was a very good idea to add photographs, however I feel like the author has written his story around the pictures rather than the pictures being added to the story. The book got off to a slow start with the first truly exciting part happening around  two-thirds of the way through, this meant that the climax was poorly explained and was to quick for my liking. Having some

monsters thrown into the mix made it worse as I could understand the difference between the Wights and the Hollows (two monsters) and why they targeted the children. There is a sequel to this ('The Hollow City') but I don't think I will be reading it. 

Characters:
Jacob - 
Description of Character: Jacob is an outcast at school, so much that he has to bribe a tough guy to 'protect' him from bullies and when his Grandpa dies everyone thinks that he has finally gone round the bend. Once convincing his Dad to come to Cairnholm (the remote island) he sets about looking for clues to his Grandfather's final words at the run-down old orphanage.


Review of Character: Jacob is VERY curious, too curious for my liking. No normal boy would want to journey to a remote island just to find out the meaning of his Grandfather's final words. I think that the author should have found a alternative way to get Jacob to the island which is far more believable. He is portrayed in a very 'don't care' fashion as upon seeing children that were friends with your Grandfather that can also have peculiar powers I think that he would be just a little shaken, but no, he just waltzes in there and makes friends with everyone. The author has created this character very poorly in my opinion and to improve it he should make him be more believable. 

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