Not just a book for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs quirky, spooky, YA lit-fic horror crossover, set in Wales, is a sure-fire delight – with this adult, never mind the YAYAs!
Riggs is/was an avid collector of strange photos from long gone times, and began, particularly to be fascinated by faded, peculiar photos of children. Probably they were attempts at trick photography techniques, with the photographer playing around with exposure, framing, shutter time and the like, but he had amassed a steady collection of these from various flea markets and vintage sales, as the afterword to my copy, where an interview with Riggs is included, explains.
So, the photographs and the development of a fabulous story to link them, developed. The central character in this book, 16 year old Jacob, is shown some of these photos by his Polish Jewish grandfather, and then discovers more, and the people and meaning behind them.
Jacob is in many ways a typical adolescent of his kind. Gifted, (though not really initially understanding in what way) intelligent, introspective, a loner, not quite the son his controlling parents might wish for, he is nevertheless extremely close to his grandfather, Abraham, who appears to be retreating into senility, with paranoid stories of monsters. Following his grandfather’s death, which damages and fractures Jacob, he becomes determined to try and track down and discover more of Abraham’s past as a young boy, leaving his native Poland as the Nazis moved in, and arriving as part of a kindertransport at a school on a remote island off the coast of Wales; that is Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
How Peculiar those children were, not to mention the Peculiarities of Miss Peregrine herself, and how Jacob (first person narrative) discovers his own connection to all this is a wonderful journey. It is extremely well-written, twisty, turny, mind-mangling and with some genuine shocks which do not feel gratuitous. And it has also a lightness of touch, Jacob has a self-deprecating, self-mocking sense of humour and is a fine companion for the reader.
And those photos (which made me choose to get the real, rather than eread, version) are most weird and wonderful
Although personally I felt that the inevitable fight between the goodies and the baddies
at the end was a bit clichéd, I am aware that such battles are needed, but this was the one section of the book where Riggs did not quite sustain his absolute originality for me, and also, the one area of the book where I realised I was not the intended audience.
Terrific page-turner.
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children Amazon UK
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children Amazon USA
On the subject of pictures, how’s the new Voyage for illustrations? The Fire’s pretty good – much better than the old keyboard, since it does them in colour, but I still find that books have them oddly placed sometimes…
Infinitely better than KK but yes, placement inevitably odd as the pages are differently sized than in a wood book, partly because the reader sets the font and size and orientation which they prefer. Pics often on the next page rather than the one with the text. I do prefer pic rich books in wood format
Yes, so do I – I think the limitations of screen size will always stop the e-readers competing as far as pictures go.
I had a wee look through this book in Waterstones a couple of months ago – the pictures fascinated me but I didn’t indulge myself as it was YA. Think there was a follow-up too actually.
Yes he has brought out a second.
For some reason, the cover of this book reminds me of another book I just finished by Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I’ve passed this book quite often in the bookstore, but I’m not sure I’ll be picking it up.
We gave our son a Voyage for Christmas, lucky duck. One of his relatives gave him a $50 Amazon gift card to buy books. Plus, he’s downloading books from the library. Will have to take a look at it once of these days when I can pry the device from his fingers. 😀
Oh I hope you enjoyed the Gaiman. I loved it to bits. Which is just as well as it looks as though my online book group are well on their way to choose it as February’s read, so I will have to re-read. It was certainly a book I expected to return to.
I’m very pleased. The January choice is an author I enjoy, Jasper Fforde ( though my booky-blog chum nemesis FF spits at him crossly). I don’t know the book chosen though, but expect to enjoy.
Funnily enough (I know it amused FF) the December choice was one she 5 starred and I hated so much I have had to say I couldn’t bear to read it, and expunged it from the Kindle. I’m not good with books with violence or the threat of, dangled over the reader.
And then the November choice was one I refused to buy, as I didn’t want to put money in the author’s pocket, and failed, twice, to get to the end of Look Inside on Kindle, in a mixture of utter boredom and utter irritation at the author (its an autobio)
So at least Jan and Feb will be read in good spirits. The discussions are very often superior to the books discussed.
And…lucky Voyaging son. I’m glad to see an early out of control TBR habit is being nurtured!