Peculiar book you would love

This fantasy book by Ransom Riggs is published by Quirk Books and written for kids ages 13 to 17. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.

This book was absolutely fantastic and far better than I thought it would be (and believe me I expected a lot with a title like that). The story starts with Jake Portman telling of the stories his grandfather told him growing up and how these at first terrified and entralled him as a child and gradually became less believable as he succumbed to peer pressure and began to treat them like fairy tales...until the night his grandfather is killed by a creature only Jake could see. And so begins his journey through the world of psychiatry and lies to the eventual truth on the small island of Cairnholm and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. For me this is what traditional childrens tales are all about, creepy creatures, mysterious shadows, strange misty islands and derelict houses that seem to have a life of their own, all topped off with special and unique skills that set a small few apart from the masses. I struggle to believe that this is Riggs' first novel as the writing flows so well (yes there were some spelling errors but I was that engrossed I really didn't care) and combines flawlessly with the real life photos I practically believe every word (yes I even checked to see if there was a Cairholm Island...there's not...that saddens me). I cannot wait to get my hands on the next one... YES there is part 2 :)

I thoroughly enjoyed it for its quirkiness, its characters and of course the creepiness which was only enhanced by the addition of the photos in the body of the book.

Jacob is a great character and I hope to see him developed further in part 2 ... His relationship with Abe was one of awestruck reverence and his relationship with his father is strained to say the least, but it is the relationship with the 'peculiar children' which has a great deal of promise. Each of the peculiars we meet has an interesting and often dangerous skill (or personality, Enoch springs to mind, he is perhaps the creepiest of all!) They have faced peril, loss and love together, but will they find eternal safety? It seems not, for there are factions in the world who despise them, fear them and apparently want to eat them!

I particularly liked the references to historical events, such as Tunguska and Jeffery Dahmer! I love books which meld real life events and people with outlandish and fantastical ideas. They add a touch of realism to the premise of 'talented children living out of time' and to the presence of monsters out there in the big, wide and deeply scary world. This book also weaves into its fabric some intriguing folk tales and the beliefs of archaic cultures, such as birds and their abilities with time. These beliefs are fascinating and compel me to find out more.