Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is the first book in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series.
His whole life Jacob has heard the most wonderful stories about his grandfather youth on an island of the coast of Wales. He's had different ways interpreting them, in the end settling on that's what they were, stories/tales his grandfather made to cope with his past. But when his grandfather is murdered almost in front of Jacob, he receives more than subtle hints that he should go and find them, Miss Peregrine and her Peculiar Children.
I'd wanted to read this book for a long time, but never seemed to find the time to actually do so. The Bout of Books read-a-thon that's now taking place was the perfect moment to finally read it. I'm glad I did (and even better, I already have the sequel, and I won't keep that book waiting nearly as long).
I particularly liked the beginning of the story. The hints, the tension, the feeling there must be something to it. The island, one phone, no mobile phones, no electricity (except for some generators), a deadly bog that was used for human sacrifices and an abandoned orphanage, bombed and almost forgotten by everyone on the island. It quite sets the scene. And just when you're about to decide that it were tales after all...
I really liked the world that was created in contrast to that described above. And the pictures, of course. It's the second book I've read in about a week that has an important part told in pictures/drawings and I think it's a great addition to the story. Those really were the parts that stood out for me.
Because when I start thinking about the rest, things are slightly different.
Did I really like Miss Peregrine? - Well, not particularly.
Any of the other characters besides Jacob? - They all felt a bit flat but for their peculiar abilities. I'd liked to know more about them.
Did I like the sort of romance? No, not really.
And I was a bit disappointed by the
(show spoiler)and how that was the real threat and everything. It was just not that original, and turned a great part of the second half into any action scene ever.
Then, why four stars, I hear you ask. Mostly, because by the time these things above happened, I was already sold. So I enjoyed reading (even the last part) so much that I couldn't do anything else than reward this book four stars. I'm looking forward to the sequel, hope the characters will develop some more and it will all be mysterious once more!
One little note I couldn't help but notice: Jacob states to his dad that he's very sensitive to sunburn, and his dad is okay with that. But wouldn't he have noticed this before now? I mean he's a stay-at-home dad and Florida (at least that's what they say) is a sunny place!