Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs


I had this one on hold for quite a while, and finally got it and finished it a week ago.

It was definitely a peculiar book, that's for sure.  I have to wonder where some authors get their ideas - did they have a bizarre dream that, when written down with detail added, turned into some sort of novel?

This book had a mix of past, present, real, not real, and unreal, with a touch of weird.  A boy loses his grandfather, ends up in therapy about it because of the circumstances of his death, which bring out the stories he was told by him as a little boy... which leads him to the island his grandfather did most of his growing up on.  There, he finds the stories are real, that he's actually part of them, and has to choose to stay in the real world or the world he's discovered.  It pretty much leaves one hanging, almost as if there were going to be a sequel.  I doubt there will be, because it also had a sort of finality to the ending... and even if there were a sequel, I wouldn't read it.  The book was interesting enough at the beginning, but once the mystery was unravelled, the story seemed to drag on and lose its pull on me.  I finished it simply because I wanted to see how it ended, which, in my opinion, wasn't great.  The most interesting part, I'd have to say, is how the author weaved authentic, vintage photographs into the story.  I wouldn't say don't waste your time, because it might appeal to some, but I find my taste is for more realistic circumstances, and this book was full of fantasy.  Oh, well.  Not a complete waste of time.  ;)

No comments: