Review: Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Okay, so, I have a little confession here. I only heard about this book because I watched the film first.

*shocked gasp*

Yeah, I know, it should be book first then movies. But, in this case it was movie first. And I was fascinated by the movie, so I decided to buy the book! And boy, was I glad I bought this book. It was so intriguing.

Anyways, here it is (yes I chose the original cover, because even if I like watching movies that come from books, I rarely like the movie book covers, plus this is the cover I got):

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

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.

So,  what can I say about this book? Other than it was very peculiar. 

Yes, yes, I know that seems like a cop-out seen as it is actually called Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children. But, it's the truth.

Also the truth: it took me a while to get into the book.

I don't know if it was because of what I had seen in the film, and so I already had expectations, or just because I was so fascinated by the photos in the book, but yes, I found it hard to get into.

However, I did eventually start to get hooked on this book, and all the children in it. I think the further I got in, and when it started to divert from the film a bit, I got into it much more quickly. 

The photos were what made this book for me. Fascinating photos of the people or things that were described in the book helped me to visualise characters more easily, which then made the plot a lot more real for me. Plus, as the book was filled with the pictures it just made me picture the whole story world myself, and considering sometimes I have problems being able to visualise people clearly this made the book all the much better.

I would definitely suggest reading this book if you love to visualise characters, and even if you're not much of a reader the film was good too, and might convince you to read the book after.

But, overall, I liked this book, and you can tell how much I got into it after the rocky start by the fact I was itching to buy the next two books in this trilogy as soon as I had turned the last page of it, as the cliffhanger at the end was frustratingly good (in that I was frustrated it ended like that and I couldn't read more, and that yet it was one of the most interesting cliffhangers I had read before).

So, yes, read this book, and marvel at the astounding pictures Ransom Riggs has used inside.

Any comments on what you thought of this book? or even the film?