Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

About the book:
Format: Nookbook
Published by: Quirk Publishing
Published date: June 2011
Genre: Young Adult


Synopsis
A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious 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 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.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

About the Author:
Ransom Riggs grew up in Florida but now makes his home in the land of peculiar children—Los Angeles. Along the way he earned degrees from Kenyon College and the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television, got married, and made some award-winning short films. He moonlights as a blogger and travel writer, and his series of travel essays,Strange Geographies, can be found at mentalfloss.com or via ransomriggs.com. This is his first novel.


My thoughts:
I don't remember stories that my grandparents told me as a child. I do remember hearing my grandmother talk about people in the neighborhood and such but they weren't stories that I held in my memory. Jake on the other hand were told stories of "monsters" by his grandfather as a kid. He was told stories of where he grew up with peculiar children and even had pictures to prove it. Jake didn't believe his grandfather until the day he saw one of the "monsters" his grandfather mentioned to him as a child.
Although Jake had decided that his grandfather was telling him fairy tales, the day he saw the monster he knew his grandfather had been telling the truth all along. Unfortunately, it was too late. Grandpa is now dead. However, Jake needs t face the demons in his dreams by finding closure from his grandpa's stories. 
He and his dad travels to Wales where his grandfather grew up. This is where the story begins to take a turn and a turn it did take to say the least.
The story is built around a fantastic collection of original yet unique photographs. The way the children and their peculiarities were described reminded me of a circus with the freak show acts. But I actually liked these children and didn't find them creepy. The story included quite a bit of history and time travel which I never knew I would find interest in. However, the way this book was written kept my interest and kept me wanting more. 
Ransom Riggs has written a thrillingly fantastic book. This is a new author that I plan to keep on my favorite authors list.

I GIVE THIS BOOK

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I purchased on my own.