Miss Peregrine’s School For Peculiar Children – Review

So I thought I would begin writing reviews of books I’ve physically brought as well as the indie titles I’m given to purposely review, practice makes perfect right?
Now, I picked up ‘Miss Peregrine’s School For Peculiar Children’ because I had heard whispers of a hype around this book. I believe it’s being made into a movie as we speak, so I saw the chance to read another one before it gets ruined by the Hollywood producers. The Cover itself intrigued me, I adored its eerie looking nature and unique imagery. Then as I read the blurb my mind was made up, to use extraordinary old photographs from collectors to form a story, now that’s originality having a bite at the market.

– The Blurb
As a kid, Jacob formed a special bond with his grandfather over his bizarre tales and photos of levitating girls and invisible boys. Now at 16, he is reeling from the old man’s unexpected death. Then Jacob is given a mysterious letter that propels him on a journey to the remote Welsh island where his grandfather grew up. There, he finds the children from the photographs–alive and well–despite the islanders’ assertion that all were killed decades ago. As Jacob begins to unravel more about his grandfather’s childhood, he suspects he is being trailed by a monster only he can see.

The Review
In all honesty because of the out-of-the-ordinary pictures, I was expecting to read a haunting thriller, instead I was taken on a mystic fantasy adventure with time travel to partner. Miss Peregrine’s school for peculiar children is the debut novel in, what is believed to be a three-part series by Author Ransom Riggs. Riggs very cleverly added an entire new dimension to his story through the photos, but in such a way that it doesn’t become a children’s picture book. As the main character ‘Jacob’ uncovers photos that help him with his quest to find out more from his Grandfather’s past, we are able to see the images that he sees. The author’s writing style was very reminiscent of one Lemony Snicket, a book very much designed for the young adult market, but will still be loved by most generations. There were times when I was left on the edge of my seat and immersed in the lives of the children. For all my disappointment that I wasn’t being scared out of my skin, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying a very unique adventure that has definitely left me wanting to read the next instalment.
Rating: 3.5/5