The Peculiars

by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar.

On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr. Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena’s father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears.


This dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy, and romance.

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Paranormal

354 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

All of my books have an element of mystery and magic, even the realistic stories. And as a friend pointed out, there is a library in every one of them. It must be because libraries have always been magical places for me.

Maureen McQuerry is an award winning poet, novelist and teacher. Her YA novel, The Peculiars (Abrams/Amulet 2012) is an ALA Best Book for Young Adult Readers 2013, Bank Street and Horne Book recommended book, and a winner of the Westchester Award. Her most recent book is Beyond the Door (Abrams/Amulet), a Booklist top Ten Fantasy/SciFi for Youth. It is the first in a MG duo that combines, Celtic myth, shapeshifters and a secret code in a coming of age story. The adventure continues in The Telling Stone. Beyond the Door is a current finalist for the WA State Book awards.

Reviews

[TheBookSmugglers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Original review posted on The Book Smugglers

Lena Mattacascar is a deeply troubled young woman whose father disappeared when she was young. Born with elongated hands and feet, she OFTEN (often!) wonders: are these signs of Goblinism? Is she then one of those Peculiar people? Do they even exist? Was her father really a Goblin as her grandmother likes to say? If so, is she destined to be a wicked, wicked girl since Peculiars are said to have no soul?

On her 18th Birthday, she is given a letter written by her father and decides to travel on her own to the northern wilderness of Scree, a place where Peculiars are said to inhabit, in search of answers. On the way there she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley who is to work for the recluse inventor Mr Beasley. But then her purse and her money are stolen and she finds herself connected to the young marshall Thomas Saltre who makes an offer she can’t refuse: spy on the aforementioned Mr Beasley (what a coincidence!) and find out the strange goings on at his Zephir House and he will in return, help her get to Scree. But Mr Beasley turns out to be a kind man who offers her a job and Lena is then more troubled than never.

There is much I have to say about The Peculiars but unfortunately none of it is actually good.

Let me start by addressing the notion that this is Steampunk (as per the blurb): The Peculiars is not even remotely a Steampunk novel. There are a couple of innovative inventions created by Mr Beasley and mention of Zeppelins but these are not widespread enough to make it an effective part of the worldbuilding at all. Steampunk to me means that not only a world has these developed technological elements but they also must affect the world at large and the people who live in it. As I keep repeating whenever I see the label carelessly attached to just about any book with a dirigible: dirigibles do not Steampunk make!

That said, the premise of The Peculiars is interesting and at its heart, this is a coming of age novel in which its protagonist realises that yes, she is a Peculiar and that Peculiars are not soulless monsters. It very much aims to address the problem of nature x nurture, the question of prejudice and its messages are important ones: everybody is equal; your actions count in the end, etc. The potential for a great story is there but unfortunately this was done with no subtlety at all. Things are basically hammered all the way through. The main problem though is how despite the presence of a positive overall message, the way in which this is conveyed and ultimately executed made me uneasy. For example: the Peculiars are just like everybody but they underwent mutations (and there is some talk of Darwin in the story) and this is ok because Lena and Jimson find A Book (which is hinted to be a religious Book) which shows what seems to be the first man and woman with a baby who is a Goblin. So that’s how you see that being a Peculiar is ok: because it is in The Book. But that’s just for whites and Peculiars though – if you are say, Asian, you are unlucky. Take this quote from our heroine:

"He was an Asian in a buckskin jacket, and he had a pale scar running the length of one cheek. Lena, who had never seen anyone from Asia up close before, suddenly remembered Nana Crane’s warnings about the dark alleys of Chinatown and young girls sold into white slavery."

What am I supposed to take from this? OK, Nana Crane is not exactly a perfect person , but this thought belongs to the heroine and there is no counterpoint to this point of view at all in the book. Zero, nada.

Furthermore, another thing that makes me uneasy is the ultimate resolution to one of Lena’s problems. You see, in this world, Peculiars are not considered full class citizens: they can only shop at certain times, they are persecuted as different, they are sent to Scree to work in mines and they are not allowed to own property. Lena’s father has left her a deed to a mine but in the end, she decides to pass the mine’s ownership to a non-Peculiar man because that would solve her problems and help a bunch of Peculiars. I have no problem with this resolution in principle as if written well, this could prove to be a moment of great conflict for the heroine and for the Peculiars emphasising the crap conditions in which they live and the fact that they have not much of a choice. But our heroine is EXALTED for carrying on with this action because it is for the greater good or some such thing and it proves once and for all that she has a soul and is a good person. There is no questioning about the implications of this act at all – the person who has no rights, who is considered second-class citizen depends wholly and completely on the (male, white) character for her very survival and she is EXALTED for taking that course of action. As Mr Beasley is exalted for helping her (he also helps other Peculiars by operating on them – removing their wings for example).

Which brings me to how Lena is basically an Excepto-girl (as coined by Book Gazing). Even though she is always down on herself because she is SO different from other girls and doesn’t follow “normal” womanhood, her romantic interest repeats all the time how unique and awesome she is because she is so different – and therefore better – than other girls. The book is punctuated with problematic things like:

“girls aren’t generally interested in these things” and she is not an “ordinary girl who talks about marriage and clothes”. She is not a normal woman because a normal woman would never “relish sleeping in her clothes or flying in a homemade contraption”. Being brave is also not desirable in women, no lady would ever whistle, “women are more sympathetic to those in need” and so on and so forth.

In the end she embraces her “peculiarities” but not because they are all equally positive aspects of womanhood but because they make her special.

Add to that the fact that the plotting is so contrived and the narrative itself uneven (at the start there are flashbacks and memories in first person and then they just disappear completely from the narrative) and you just have a mess of a book I wish I hadn’t wasted my time reading.

[Linny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review on Linny's Literature

The moment that I saw The Peculiars' beautiful cover, I knew I would have to read it regardless of my general aversion to steam punk and a few reviews I saw that were far from raving. Well, guess what, the cover has virtually nothing to do with the book. That lovely character with the wings? Pretty sure that's the daughter of the maid of the man that the main character ends up working for.



Just.. what? So right off the bat The Peculiars lost my trust. It never redeemed itself.

I'll be honest, I didn't finish this book. I tried, I really really did. Normally it takes me an average of three days to read a book, but I've been reading this one for two weeks and I had to throw in the towel at 75%. Why, you ask? Three simple reasons.

Why I Had to Stop Reading
1.The Main Character. Lena Mattacascar: TSTL (Too Stupid To Live, if you haven't heard the term before). Please, for the sake of all that's holy, think before you act. And if you do decide to act, please do somthing worthwhile. Thanks. That message should be sent priority to many YA heroines, but Lena was just...



The only thing that I did like about Lena was her Peculiarism. She is supposedly part goblin, which resulted in her freakishly long fingers and feet. She even describes her hands as spider-like. Not totally sure why, but I found that very cool.

2. All of the other characters too. The characters completely failed at making me care about a single one of them. Like many YA, The Peculiars has two different love interests. These characters are supposed to make us drool, sigh, and feel bad about our own love lives. Again, The Peculiars fails. Jimson Quiggley is quirky, annoying, talks too much, and oh yeah, he's already engaged. The other, the marshal Thomas Saltre, hates Peculiars with a passion (which Lena is) and has a freaking handlebar mustache. Not attractive.



The one and only character that I genuinely liked in The Peculiars was the cat, Mrs. Mumbles.

3. It was soo slowww. You know how in the description it says that they must escape to Scree in an aerocopter and Lena will confront her deepest fears? Well, they didn't even begin their escape until about 60% through the book. SIXTY percent folks. Everything leading up to that was extremelly drawn out and dry. And even after that, while some things did start to happen, it still couldn't grab my interest.

It should also be mentioned that, on the few occasions that something interesting was going to happen, the excitement and suprise of the event was sapped from the story becuase of the chapter titles. In The Peculiars, the chapter titles act as that one annoying friend that tells you the ending of the book before you've read it. Example: "Bounty Hunters". Hmm... I wonder who they might encounter in this chapter? *Gasp* Lena runs into bounty hunters?! Who'd have guessed it..



Definitely played a part in making me lose all interest in this book.

So, in a nutshell, this book is excruciatingly slow, full of characters I don't like whatsoever, and ended up being a DNF for me at 75%. With that being said, I think someone could like this book. Someone who enjoys steampunk more than I and finds the everyday goings of cleaning a library interesting (since that's a majority of what happens in the first portion of the book).

Thank you NetGallery for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Desiree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating four and a half stars.

The peculiars is the story of a young woman named Lena who is more or less flawed both physically and mentally. Lena sets out on a journey to discover the truth of who and what she is despite the knowledge that finding out may prove both difficult and heartbreaking. When she turns eighteen her mother gives her a letter and a small inharitence that her father left for her before he left his family many years before. Lena has grown up hearing from her Grandmother that her father was a goblin which made him a no good, heartless peculiar. It is widely believed that peculiars have no souls and are therefor exiled to the borderlands called Scree. Lena boards a train to get to Scree and find her father in order to get answers and find herself. But on her way there she gets sidetracked by a charming marshal, an endearing young librarian, the mysterious Mr. Beasley and the other wonderfully entertaining characters involved with Zephyr house.
The Peculiars is a fun and exciting adventure but it is also much more than that. It is a message that we all very badly need reminding of every now and again. It reminds us that one of the biggest and most important lessons in life is to accept and love ourselves no matter what others say. It is the message that until we give in to being who we are truly meant to be rather than who society wants us to be we will never really know happiness. It is a reminder that we need to try and not only accept but embrace the things that make us all so different no matter how much we don't understand why they are. And possibly most importantly it tells us that things may not always be what they seem and we need to learn about them before we judge based on appearance or what we may have heard from others. Predjudice in any form is wrong.
I have not been so swept away by a book in a very long time. This was such a unique and meaningful YA novel. I had very high expectations based on the gorgeous cover art and the exciting description and I'm happy to say that McQuerry not on lived up to but surpassed my expectations and hopes.

Netgalley provided the ARC of The Peculiars for this review.

[AH · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of the steampunk genre. I love all the cool gadgets and contraptions. It was with great anticipation that I picked up this book. Set in the late 1880’s, the Peculiars had that quirky, Victorian feel. As for the steampunk elements, aside from a horseless carriage, they really didn’t make much of an appearance until about Chapter 9.

The Peculiars is the story of Lena Matascar, a young woman with strange hands and feet. Lena is leaving her home to travel north in search of her estranged father. She travels by train to the seaside town of Knob Koster where she plans to hire a guide to take her further north to Scree. On board the train she meets Jimson Quiggley who is also heading to Knob Koster to work as a librarian for Tobias Beasley.

After some unforeseen circumstances, Lena ends up in Tobias’ home as an assistant to Jimson. Tobias’ home named Zephyr House is a whimsical place. There are a wealth of steampunk contraptions and inventions - lots of clockwork, brass, and gears. Finally, some steampunk. His library is full of fascinating artifacts and manuals. Lena fits in quite nicely in the household and enjoys her new job.
Lena is contacted by the local marshal Thomas Saltre who has been investigating Beasley for some time. She agrees to spy on Beasley and reports on him to the marshall.

I found Lena’s character kind of bland and naïve. She was easily manipulated by others and her insecurities grated on my nerves. It was hard to relate to her character or even feel sympathetic to her plight. She is so concerned that she may be a Peculiar that she goes to great lengths to hide her hands and feet, yet she is ready to spy on others who may be harboring Peculiars.

What exactly is a Peculiar? Peculiars are people who are born with specific birth defects such as wings or strange hands and feet, among other things. In this world, Peculiars are second class citizens with absolutely no rights. They are shipped off to work the mines of Scree. Oh, and it is believed that they are soulless. Lena’s particular form of Peculiar is goblinism. She is part goblin.

As a young adult novel, I found the pacing of this book to be excruciatingly slow. There were moments of excitement then the narrative slowed down. It felt like too much time was spent detailing the mundane, everyday things punctuated by clever conversation. I would have liked to have learned more about the Peculiars and how they came to be and more about their world.

The author did do a lot of research and I especially enjoyed the fact/fiction list at the end of the book. I found the notes on the various types of devices fascinating. While this book was not for me, I am sure it will find some fans in the young adult reading world will enjoy this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.

Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.

[Cassi Haggard · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 stars

The Peculiars is what I would call "prematurely published". It's always very unfortunate when someone allows this to happen. It's an interesting idea for a world but the author seems to lack an actual interesting story to put in the world.

Instead what you get is a book that spends nearly half of it's time preforming chores, another half repeating itself (how many times must it be re-iterated that the letter is pinned in her chemise????) and tries to throws together a flight and camping trip (the go to of ANY book nowadays) near the end. The most interesting tidbits of this book happen off-screen while we find ourself watching Lena sort books or fiddle with her gloves.

I like the idea of a world where Peculiars may or may not exist. A world where people with wings, goblinism or other traits disguise themselves against persecution. What I don't like is watching a fairly unlikable main character stumble around this world cluelessly.

Lena is stuffy but thinks she is wild. I'm not sure where she gets this idea except that her grandmother says she is. She's a grown woman she should be able to figure that out herself. She's rather judgmental and a bit clueless. The largeness of her hands and feet is emphasized repeatedly, as well as the doctor's conclusion that she is half-Peculiar. Yet she still finds herself cooperation with law enforcement AGAINST Peculiars without ever thinking about how this might affect her. But we're supposed to think she's an intelligent main character anyways. Nope can't do it.

This book ambles onward with a heroine who thinks she's wild, a man who thinks she's smart and adventurous, and a reader who finds herself bored to tears. Near the end there's finally some action but by that point I cared more about the percentage of the book finished than the characters.

(I meant to publish this a day ago but my internet has not been working. Apparently ATT wants to reinforce Kentucky stereotypes or it just hates my family. This was written on my lunch break at the public library because I am desperate).

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to force myself to finish this. There just wasn't enough oomph in the story to keep me interested.
The premise sounds good, but the reality of the plot wasn't my cuppa.

Lena thinks she may be a Peculiar, because she has really loooong hands and feet. Her feet have soft squishy soles, and her fingers have an extra knuckle.
Sorry, but that sounds gross.
Evidently, people are just starting to find out about the existence of Peculiars, and the backlash is not good.
She meets another family of Peculiars during her adventure, and they have little wings coming out of their shoulder blades. Can they fly? No.
Ok, so these guys are like the X-Men...but without any superpowers.
Boooooring
Lena herself is not a particularly sympathetic character, and nothing about her personality is super-duper interesting. So, when you add it all up?
It's not so awesome. I wouldn't recommend this one. At all.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy, and romance. On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar. On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr. Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena’s father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears.
Hardcover, 354 pages
Published May 1st 2012 by Amulet Books
1/2

Two and a half stars: A steampunk that explores the long standing nature vs. nurture debate.

Lena is turning eighteen.  For her birthday she receives a letter, some money and a deed to a mine in Scree from her missing father.  Lena feels a deep, restless stirring inside.  Adventure calls to her, but proper girls aren't supposed to feel adventurous.  Is this unnatural feeling due to her goblin genes that she inherited from her absentee father?  Her entire life, Lena has been forced to hide her spindly, spidery hands and her abnormally large feet.  A birth defect that is a sign of her goblin genes, but what does it mean to be a goblin?  A goblin is a person with unusual features who is thought to be soulless and a social miscreant, bent on evil outcomes.  Lena has worried endlessly that she is a goblin without a soul who will meet a bad ending.  Unable to deny the call any longer, Lena packs her bags and sets off to Scree, the land of the Peculiars in search of her long lost father and hopefully some answers.  Is Lena indeed a goblin destined for a bad ending?

What I Liked:
*At the heart of the story lies the nature vs. nurture debate.  Are we destined to greatness or failure by the very coding in our DNA or is our fate decided by the circumstances of our environment?  Can a child born of parents with a dark past overcome his or her genetic programming?  A tricky question that has been debated for centuries.  I appreciated the author presenting this dilemma at the center of her story.  Focusing on Lena, a girl with good intentions, trying to fend off her goblin genes.  This is a coming of age story that tells the tale of a young lady finding her own identity and learning to be comfortable in her own skin.  Along the way, her eyes are opened and she sheds some prejudices and sees the world and The Peculiars in a new way.
*I liked that this book focuses on identity and it steers away from the common romance storyline.  It is refreshing to find a read without love triangles and cliff hangers.  This book presents the whisper of a romance and attraction but it is subtle.  A look, a hint, a feeling....no big sparks or insta love situations.  Instead it is a slow and steady building that is just beginning to bud by the conclusion. 
*I enjoyed meeting The Peculiars, the people born with deformities and abnormal characteristics.   Many of these people have been persecuted and forced to live as outcasts because of their conditions.  This book is a stark reminder that just because people are different they are not bad, nor do they deserve to be shunned.  Thankfully, society has made significant strides in moving beyond appearance prejudices, yet there is more work to be done.  Ms. McQuerry with her steampunk tale reminds us to look beyond the outward features and see the person inside.
*I adored the cat, Mrs. Mumbles.  She is a fun addition to the story and she left her mark on my heart. 
*I enjoyed the descriptions and the use of alliteration in the story. The unique descriptions were really nice. 
And The Not So Much:
*While there are some positive highlights to this book, overall I struggled with final rating.  This is not a bad book by any means, but one I can't whole heartedly recommend for the reason that it lacked fire and fever.  The pacing is incredibly slow and not until the book reaches the three quarters point does it pick up.  It was a bit of a struggle to stick with it.
*Lena is a difficult character for me to embrace.  On one hand, I felt sympathetic toward her and admired her courage to take on the world despite her flaws.  Yet, when she encounters a Peculiar with anomalies, instead of being sympathetic and understanding, she runs away.  This upset me because I felt that she of all people should understand what it is like to be different, for everyday she has endured the stares and ridiculous comments regarding her hands and feet.  I hoped that she would handle the situation better, but alas she does not.  Granted, later on she sees the error of her ways, but it was a troublesome issue for me.
*This book is labeled as a steampunk, but unfortunately, it lacks all the gadgets and gizmos that set a steampunk apart.  It is set in the late 1800's in an alternate U.S. history, and it does have a few steampunk elements, but not enough to capture my imagination.
*Finally, this is labeled as a YA title.  I think that this book is beyond the YA audience.  I can't say I would see the average teenage youth picking this one up and loving it.  There is nothing that would appeal to this audience.  It features an eighteen year old for all purposes is an adult and acts like one.  All the other characters, aside from a teenager who appears toward the end of the book, are adults.  The story is beyond the typical YA story line.  Now I realize that these are not bad notations, in all honesty I like finding a book that steps out of the typical boundaries, but in the case, the book is so far beyond the norm that I think it would lose its appeal for young adults.  There is nothing inappropriate about this book at all, it is a clean read.  Don't pick this up looking for a typical/paranormal YA read because it is not what you are expecting.

The Peculiars is a book that failed to excite and engage me.  Granted it is a good read but not one I can urge you to rush out and buy.  This book has a few flaws and a lagging  pace.  The one shining element is the featuring of the age old nature vs. nurture debate and the ultimate answer to this question.  This is a novel with potential but the spark fizzles and the excitement just isn't there.  If you want to read something that follows the nature vs. nurture issue in a steampunk world this book might be right for you. 

Favorite Quotations:

"She was more than the sum of the crimes of her father."

"He was staring at her black-gloved hands, which hung like two giant spiders by her sides."

"What would it be like to believe in something so strongly that you gave your life to it?"

"And all the while the sea remained her constant companion.  It chortled and murmured, beckoning to her as she trudged along."

"But Lena had read enough books to know that adventures could start in the oddest of places."

"Being a quick learner is better than knowing all the answers."

"Don't be overly romantic.  You've read too many books.  Most marriages are just a business contract anyway.  It's for the survival of the species and society."

"Calling him a goblin is just one way of simplifying a man who has made good and bad choices."

"Who can say what demons anyone has to fight unless we're inside the person's skin?"

"Does being the same as everyone else mean being better than other people or does it just make it easier to look down your nose at them?"

"It's not your family who defines you, they're an influence, all right, but they don't have the final say.  We answer for that ourselves." 

A copy of this book was provided to me by Amulet Books in exchange for an honest review.
Orginally posted @ http://rainydayramblings.typepad.com/

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars


In The Peculiars, McQuerry has created a fascinating steampunk, alternate history of the American western frontier. In this new time line, some people are born with genetic abnormalities like wings or elongated hands and feet. Rumors abound about a strange land to the north – a land filled with vast natural resources, beasts, criminals and such peculiar people. These stories are often dismissed by law-abiding, non-peculiar citizens as fantastical tales and the superstitions of gullible and unenlightened people. But Lena Mattacascar knows better.


Lena herself displays physical signs of what her family doctor and grandmother both call “goblinism” in her thin hands and feet with their extra knuckles and stretched out appearance. Suspecting that the father who contributed to her peculiarities and who abandoned she and her mother long ago was in fact a treacherous, morally bankrupt goblin, Lena fears what she might become. As wicked as her father? Craving adventure and riches?


When she receives a letter that her father, Saul, left to her for her 18th birthday, Lena decides to set out on her own for Scree to search for her long-lost parent. However, as she journeys northward, she gets more than she ever bargained for – adventure, danger and romance in the wilds of Scree.


Lena. Though interested in her story and the eventual outcome, I just couldn’t bring myself to like her. Actually, that’s not exactly true. In the beginning, I thought her very intriguing and was beginning to build that oh-so-important character-reader connection, but then it just kind of fizzled. When the reader is introduced to Lena, she is cautious and distrustful which befits her background and how she views the world. She is someone who is extremely conscious of her abnormalities, and has never felt comfortable in her own skin, especially given that her skin has been cursed with that dreaded genetic trait of “goblinism.” Curious stares and whispers have followed her throughout her life, and besides her mother and grandmother, she’s never closely associated with anyone else because of the barrier her perceived difference creates. She seems strong, extremely curious about the world around her, independent, and appears to have a good head on her shoulders. Good so far. Lena is starting to grow on me.


Then… it starts heading downhill. She strikes up an association with a certain character, giving them her trust in a gesture that seems out of step with how her character has been established thus far. It just doesn’t sit well. Her association with this character causes her to make some horrible decisions that have devastating results. The situation that Lena finds herself in could potentially have lent itself to some amazing opportunities for character development, but sadly there are virtually no consequences for Lena’s character. In fact, her rash actions rather serve to further her personal aims. It should matter – what her decisions lead to – but the weightiness of the situation is glossed over and almost forgotten. I guess in the end, I just felt like Lena’s character was really building toward something big – a revelation, an epiphany, maturation – and in my opinion, that didn’t happen. Despite her trials and tribulations, she comes across as shallow, naïve, and perhaps a bit self-centered. Don’t get me wrong, I love flawed characters. I don’t like when those characters show little growth.


Jimson. I found him to be an extremely enjoyable character. His passion for life, for knowledge, his curiosity as to how things work, how he can lose himself in a scientific concept made him interesting. Add in his optimism, friendliness, loyalty and his willingness to see a person for who they are rather than what they are, and he becomes incredibly endearing. He’s braver and more cool-headed in the face of danger than one might initially suspect; just an all-around decent kind of guy who I liked getting to know over the course of the novel.


The world of The Peculiars I found to be a curious one that I’m dying to discover more about. McQuerry drops hints, names and factoids that link our world and Lena’s world very closely. And yet, it’s very different. Little mentions of things here and there that couldn’t or didn’t exist within our history. It’s a strange world that doesn’t lack for description but that also remains frustratingly vague. It is as descriptive and as in-depth as it needs to be, and yet I found myself wanting and needing more explanation behind Scree and why and how these people exist… and also, possibly wanting a map. Add to this the political climate with its slight dystopian vibes and the various social issues the Peculiars raise by simply being, and this odd American frontier with its very peculiar people has my undivided attention.


McQuerry also weaves through the novel several thought-provoking themes. Specifically, that of the question of tolerance, humanity, self-worth, and even civil rights. There are a lot of issues regarding the Peculiars and the treatment of them as second class citizens and sometimes even less that. Because of the setting of the American frontier it made me wonder more than once if McQuerry is making a statement on the United States’ past mistreatment of indigenous peoples and minorities, or if she’s just making a broader statement about how humans treat the things they don’t understand. Either way it’s interesting. Also, an ongoing question in the books revolves around the soul, the nature of the soul, the existence of the soul and who possesses one. Both themes spark some interesting, though perhaps at times forced, philosophical discourse and thought.


Overall, though I couldn’t connect with the heroine in the way I wished to,The Peculiars was still an intriguing story with an endearing male lead, an appealing alternate history, and a world that piques the curiosity.

[Abria Mattina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to The Peculiars because I enjoy a good steampunk novel. The book begins with Lena, a self-deprecating oddball who has just turned eighteen and inherited money from her absent father. She decides to go into Scree, his home country, to find him and research her roots. The early chapters of the book contain a lot of action as Lena’s journey to Knob Knoster, the nearest border town, doesn’t go as smoothly as planned. It looked like it was going to be an exciting ride, but as soon as Lena got to Knob Knoster the action promptly declined.

The chapter titles kind of threw me off. They were the sort of thing I’d expect to see in Middle Grade fiction, where the chapter title pretty much gives away what’s about to happen in the upcoming chapter. It was the wrong move for this reading level, I think, and the self-spoilers became pretty annoying after a while.

Content wise, The Peculiars is a clean book. No swearing, violence, sex, or criminal behaviour — the things authors can get away with in small doses when the protagonist is eighteen. However, I probably wouldn’t give The Peculiars to a young teen, and I say that primarily because of Lena. I think a character like Lena would only reinforce negative body issues in young women. As a Peculiar, Lena has long narrow feet and abnormally large hands with an extra knuckle in each finger. She spends the entire book fretting over these characteristics, hiding them from view or worrying about what people think of her. Instead of turning her hands into an asset, she moans and complains the whole time. When people make crass remarks or bully her about it, she runs away and cries over her misfortune. Lena finally does stand up for herself at the very end of the book, but by the time that rolls around, readers have absorbed three hundred pages of self-flagellation and shame. I’d rather hand a young teen a book about accepting the things that make us different, owning our unique traits, and standing up for oneself. Young girls already get far too many messages about shame and imperfection in our society.

There is a sexualized undertone in the novel in response to gender roles. Lena is concerned with what everybody thinks of her body, but when it comes to behaviour her focus is on attracting a man. There is subtle commentary about what a woman ‘should’ be:

“Maybe being brave was not highly desireable in women. Normal women would have fled, like Pansy.”

The book is full of remarks on things women “don’t do,” like whistle or enjoy excitement. Granted, the story is set in an era where women’s options were very limited, but modern readers are living in a world of increasing gender equality. No young girl needs to hear a litany on all the things she can’t do just because she’s female. Lena’s character also strongly implies that women need to have a jealous streak and competitive nature when it comes to finding a man. The damsel-in-distress theme is also played upon. During a scene where Lena is getting a justly deserved scolding from another character, Lena wonders why Jimson doesn't come and "save her" from the situation.

It’s not just Lena’s thoughts that are problematic, but her actions. In many ways Lena is the villain in this story, but whenever her actions have a negative outcome, McQuerry glazes over it and Lena is back to being self-centred, frivolous, and accepted by her companions within a few pages. It’s like the reader is supposed to forget that she made huge errors in judgment and risked everyone’s safety.

The Peculiars moves at a slow pace and probably could have been trimmed by ~100 pages. Eventually the characters get to Scree and the adventure mentioned in the flap copy, nearly three quarters of the way into the book. By that point the book felt completely like a Middle Grade novel. I found the action boring. It read almost like Kenneth Oppel’s This Dark Endeavour, like the author was throwing out over-the-top “intense” and “harrowing” situations just to motivate the reader, not to move the plot forward. I think in many ways The Peculiars missed its target audience. It’s written like a Middle Grade book, but the protagonist is eighteen (she often acts like she’s twelve, though) and engages in activities that only adults would have access to.

As steampunk novels go, The Peculiars was lacklustre. I wouldn’t recommend it to fans of the genre, and I wouldn’t recommend it to Young Adult fans either (again, because of Lena’s influence).

[Nafiza · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a very, very long time to get into this book. I think my biggest issue was with the main character. She seemed to be making rather dubious decisions that, really, were just…stupid. I understand that she was looking for some kindness and the man in question pushed the right buttons but come on now. Her choices made me question her intelligence and that’s never a good thing. However, she was redeemed at the end which is not exactly a very good thing since it’s the end of the book but since this is a series, the book succeeds in leaving me interested (finally) in the main character and the adventures she will have as she comes into her own self and finally comes to terms with who and what she is.

I also was expecting some steampunk and there is some but it’s so faint, it’s just like the smell of beef in a broth that contains none. That aspect is also developing so I can see its potential when the series continues. As for the romance (or the lack of it), I wasn’t too bothered by it. I mean, it exists, somewhat, there are complications but all in a believable sort of way. There are no swoony bastards that you’d want to kiss as well as kill. Just as well.

How should I word it…hmm…for a book that deals with the fantastic, we are presented with very human characters who retain their human-ness despite the um fantastic. The world building is very concrete and the side characters are quite compelling so the book deserves credit where it is due. Apart from the lackluster protagonist, I found the novel to be engaging and probing at rather sensitive issues such as discrimination, genocide, usurpation of land and resources, the little book packs a punch if you let it.

I really think this is a book you should read and make your own mind about. As I said, the main character was an obstacle to my enjoyment but that doesn’t mean you will react to her the same way. Besides, she kinda grows on you. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

[Jill Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book. Totally clean. Lena is shy and naive, self-conscious of how she looks, especially in regards to her hands and feet. Jimson is loyal to Mr. Beasley and enthralled with invention and progress. He doesn't care much for Lena's faith, which adds some interesting discussions here and there. And Mr. Beasley is the enigmatic inventor, who reminded me somewhat of Doc Brown in the Back to the Future movies.

I enjoyed the premise of what makes one human. The Peculiars with their strange deformities are said to be unable to go to heaven by missionaries in the story. The missionaries were written as firm legalists to their beliefs, though one changed her mind in the end. I'll be interested to see where the author takes this subplot.

Lena's search for her father gets derailed by the marshal's quest, but it all comes around in the end. Her confusion about who to trust is likely a relatable experience for a young woman inexperienced with advances from a handsome man. The marshal is sneaky--I didn't trust him. But I could see how Lena might. This is not a fast-paced book, but I was never bored and look forward to the second book in the series. This is a fun, thoughtful, clean read.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read!
Lena has been born with elongated fingers (an extra knuckle) and feet. This makes her..."peculiar". Perhaps she is part-Goblin. Peculiars are taken away from society to a mysterious wild-land known as Scree, where there are mines, highwaymen, and Peculiars.
On Lena's 18th Birthday, she receives a letter from her absent father, that she has inherited a fortune (of sorts).
Desperate to know her heritage, Lena boards a train, meeting a scientifically-minded librarian, Jimson, and a young Marshall, Thomas, who both seem to know more than they let on.
She joins Jimson at his job, working for an eccentric retired scientist with painted eyebrows, Mr. Beasley. Mr. Beasley may be working with these Peculiars and Thomas recruits Lena to find out how and why.
So begins a thrilling adventure filled with Blimps, a disappearing winged girl, and a terrifying frightening "ghost" of lore, all culminating in the vast mysterious landscape of Scree. Can Lena find her father before the law catches them?

I love a historical mystery that contains (but doesn't feature) real historical figures. It makes the reader go, "Huh, I wonder if that actually happened or that this figure might have met someone like the characters." This Steampunk Adventure features a plethora of "steam" based inventions and "new ideas", particularly in transportation and the medical fields. There was a lot going on in the 1800's in reality, and just as much fills this steampunk world.
Aside from History and invention, the book takes a good look at the ideas of false charity (missionaries in this case), prejudices, sexism, and human slavery. These provide some good discussion points as well.
While predictable in places (cough, Love Triangle), other twists do provide eyebrow raises enough to keep the reader engaged.

The ONLY let-down for me is that this feels like the story could go on, but after the climax, it snowballs very quickly to its conclusion. However, that doesn't mean it isn't a fun adventure full of banter, mystery and action.

[Emily Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!

Warning: This review contains girlish squeals, rambling and quite a few capitals. It probably won't make much sense.

I LOVE THIS WRITING. Sorry for the all-caps, but I cannot stress that point enough. Here, let me give you a tidbit:

"Her hands spidered out like daddy-longlegs."

I love creepy bug references.

"It belched great sighs of steam in satisfaction."

And a little alliteration.

This book has the strangest names for people and places. It's so creative and really intriguing. I knew from the first chapter that I would love it. It's perfect. PERFECT, I TELL YOU.

Jimson is adorable and sweet and I want to hug him. He's quite naïve and always says what is on his mind, even if it's not the right thing to say. And he really grows as a person as the story progresses. Plus, HE WANTS TO BE A LIBRARIAN. He's the perfect man. He really cares for Lena and he's a great, enthusiastic and strange character. Jimson is really awesome. I loved the parts with him best.

I love Lena, too. She reminds me a lot of myself, though she is far less outspoken than I am. She loves to read, loves books in general, much like myself. She tends to shy from company, and though it is for different reasons, I do, too. She's so sweet and gives a observant perspective. Everything is so new to her that her descriptions make sense and aren't annoying.

THERE IS A CAT IN THIS STORY. Mrs. Mumbles. Oh goodness me. Another reason to love this book. Cats are my favorite animals of all time. So the story was made ten times more awesome just by Mrs. Mumbles' presence alone.

The most interesting character in this book is definitely Mr. Tobias Beasley. He is almost completely without hair, this includes eyebrows. He must paint them on. He's clever, smart and very brave, while maintaining a great sense of humor. PLUS, Tobias is one of my favorite names ever because the characters named Tobias are usual completely awesome. i.e. - Tobias Hankel from Season Two of Criminal Minds, and Tobias aka Four from Divergent. Need I say more?

Marshall Thomas Saltre is a character that you love to hate. Lena holds some interest in him, but I think it's mostly her naïvety and that fact that he compliments her. If I was in her position, I'd kick him where the sun doesn't shine and run away. He always seemed very creepy and condescending, in my opinion.

"Jack Sprat could eat no fat; his wife could eat no lean; and so betwixt the two of them they licks their platters clean." - I love, love, love this little tongue twister that Lena gives us early on in the story.

Why did it take me so long to read this? WHY. Seriously. The writing is just magnificent. I am addicted to the author. I've never really read Steampunk novels before. I think in total, I've read two others, which were Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel and Kady Cross's series. I enjoyed them, but this one was so much better - no offense, it's in completely different ways.

The writing is slow. I'll admit it, it does do some dragging, but it really works for this novel. There is a huge pick-up in the writing closer to the end of the book, when the real adventure begins. It all fits with the personality of the protagonist. This book has a lot of scientific discovery and discovery of Lena herself.

The basic idea of this entire review is that I LOVE THIS BOOK. I think it's amazing. I know many others disagree, but if you open your mind and give it a shot, I think steampunk lovers of all kinds would love it, too!

[Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Genre* Steampunk, Alt-Historical Reality
*Rating* 2.5

*Review*

On the day of her eighteenth birthday, Lena Mattacascar receives a letter from her father Saul who went missing when she was five years old. In it, Lena receives a small inheritance along with a deed to a mine in Scree. Soon thereafter, Lena leaves home and travels north in search of answers about her heritage.

Lena was born with large hands and feet, and thus everyone believed she was a goblin, or a Peculiar including her own grandmother. Others believe the term Goblin means that a person is up to no good, or an undesirable. Still others believe that Peculiars are people who were born with birth defects like wings on their backs, and thus are separated by society and sent to live in Scree.

While traveling by train, she meets Jimson Quiggley who is traveling to Knob Koster where he is set to work for a Mr. Beasley and become his personal librarian. Before she can continue on her journey however, Marshal Thomas Saltre asks Lena to become his personal spy in the Beasley household because he believes Beasley is up to no good, just line Lena’s father who he knows personally. Lena’s decision to work for Saltre comes with the painful reality that she has been played like a ball of string.

Beasley’s home is a Hodge podge of steampunk inventions including an Aerocopter and a strange cat that seems to actually speak. As Lena becomes more acquainted with Beasley and Jimson, she knows that she has made a terrible mistake by agreeing to work with Marshal Saltre. In a daring getaway in an Aerocopter, Lena, Beasley, Jimson and Merilee Pollet make their way towards Scree and answers to Lena’s fathers own fate.

The Peculiars is set in an alternative reality 1800’s with a flavor of steampunk thrown in to make things interesting. McQuerry uses real historical characters like Meriwether Lewis and the Pony Express in telling her story. This was the interesting part.

Lena, however, was truly bland, and often times boring. There came a point in the story where I was asking myself if I should continue reading, or give up for something more interesting. As you can clearly see, my record of not abandoning a book this year remains intact.

The world building is decent enough to keep any steampunk aficionado interested. I believe the most interesting character is Mr. Beasley. Beasley is not only an inventor, but he is also a doctor who has been trying to help those who are considered Peculiars fit into regular society.

As always, my opinions are my own. If you disagree with my reviews, I will respectfully debate the merits behind your views. However, as this is still a free country until the politicians further destroy the constitution, I am entitled to my opinions and therefore would ask that you respect my opinion.

Title: The Peculiars
Author: Maureen Doyle McQuerry
Genre: Young Adult, Steampunk, Fantasy
Published: May 1st 2012
Publisher: Amulet Books
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.

*ARC Recvd 02/24/2012 via Netgalley.com*

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I was given this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to NetGalley and ABRAMS)
18-year-old Lena has always been different. Born with strangely narrow, long hands and feet, and fingers and toes with extra joints, she has always worn gloves to try to hide her problem. Her Nana says that Lena was born this way because her father was a goblin(!) and Lena lives in fear of being labelled ‘Peculiar’.

Living in an alternate world in the late 1800’s, criminals, and people who are ‘Peculiar’ are all sent to live in a place called Scree, where they are forced to work in the mines there as slave labour. Lena’s father disappeared – possibly to Scree –when she was 5, and on her 18th birthday her mother gives her a letter from him. The envelope also contains money and maps; maps for Scree.

Setting off on an adventure to find her father, and to discover if she really is ‘Peculiar’, Lena voyages to the town closest to Scree. Here she intends to find a guide who can help her locate her father, and guide her through Scree.

Disaster falls though when the train that she is on is held up by some ‘Peculiars’ and her purse is stolen. Low on funds; Lena gets a job with a man called Mr Beasley in order to earn enough money to continue on her journey. But Mr Beasley is being watched by the local Marshall, who tries to blackmail Lena into spying on Mr Beasley for him.

Lena must now work out where her loyalties lie, whether ‘Peculiars’ really exist, and if she really is one of them.

I really enjoyed this book. Lena was such a genuine character, who always tried her best, even when people scorned her and tried to label her ‘Peculiar’. Her mission to find her father was a journey of discovery, not only to find her elusive father, but to also learn some things about herself, and even people in general.

The secondary characters were also great. I loved Mr Beasley and his strange inventions, and his cat that was just so clever! I also liked the fact that the story was balanced by the addition of two missionaries who were so sure that ‘peculiars’ were soulless!

I loved the mystery surrounding the girl with wings, and the question of whether Lena really was half-peculiar or not, and what this meant for her.

At the end of the book there were also some historical notes, explaining where the author got their information from, and the similarities and dissimilarities between Lena’s world and our own which was really interesting and showed that the author had put a lot of time and effort into researching this book.
Well worth reading!
8 out of 10.
(Book length: 3447 kindle locations)

[Erica (storybookend) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was rather boring. And I’m sad to say that, because it did sound interesting. But it failed to interest me, or excite me, or make me eager to keep reading. Most of my disinterest was because of the characters. They were flat and boring. They didn’t feel real to me. And Lena was the worst. (which is really bad, because if the MC doesn’t generate enough interest in the reader, her involvement in the plot will seem pointless, and her relationships with the other characters will be stupid and boring).She was one of those too stupid to live ‘heroines’. The choices she made were so stupid. And I know characters make stupid choices all the time, but some authors have the ability of making the reader understand the character’s decision, and can make that stupid choice they did help them as they grow and learn and are shaped into that likeable, believable person. Lena was not this person. She betrayed a few people, and I never saw any real redemption or personal growth in her. I didn’t see how this wrong decision helped her to change, or realize the horrible thing she did and have her try to make things right. She knew what she did was wrong, and she did feel bad, but I saw more of her feeling sorry for herself, and wondering if they could ever forgive her, which, I guess they did right after she committed it, because they never really felt like they’d been betrayed, (at least that’s the feeling I got when I was reading). And here’s another thing I didn’t like about her. She was selfish, and thought more about her sorry self and her disgusting hands and feet, and thinking that Jimson could never love her because of what she is, even when Jimson is kind to her and pays her more attention than she deserves.

Another thing that took me away from the book was the dialogue. It was too formal and stiff, and therefore made the characters feel stiffer. The plot wasn’t captivating like I wanted it to be. Exciting stuff happened, but I didn’t feel excited. The ending wasn’t so great, and didn’t make me at all excited to read a sequel, (if there will be one, and most likely will be).

So this book was rather unsatisfying for me. Hopefully there are people who will like it much more than I did.

Thank you to Amulet Books and Netgalley for the arc.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited to get this book the premise sounded interesting. I thought a story of Goblins with possibly a new approach enjoyable. However that is about as far as it went, this story was painfully slow for me. The plot looked to have potential and then stalled out after the first quarter of the book. It did pick up a bit toward the end or last quarter, but by this point I didn't much care what happened. I think this book might have good potential if marketed for a younger age group eight to twelve year old change the ages of main characters and keep them just as friends that would be all it would take. There just was not enough depth, to plot or characters for my liking. I started off liking Lena the main character but as time went on I lost respect for her. She was a lousy friend to Jimson, and Mr. Bearsly, naive, shallow, self serving. She does redeem herself a little in the end but it just was a little to late for me. She seemed rather immature in her friendships for an 18 year old girl to not out right confront them and be honest in her suspicions and concerns. Jimson was probably my favorite character he was naive and gullible, but kind and good natured. Mr Beasley was an interesting sort mysteries and concerned for others well being. The plot was soooooo slow, and had spurts or moments of movement, most were predictable, and not that exciting. I would say if you are a younger YA you might enjoy it as for myself it was just not up to speed.

clean language
clean romance wasn't much at all

Thank you to Netgalley and ABRAMS publishing.

[Colleen Houck]

This one doesn't feel like it should be a stand alone. The worldbuilding was so well done, I think it warranted a second or even a third book. I love the idea of Peculiars living among the human population and a doctor who helps them. I loved the house and the journey across the land via a primitive version of a helicopter. If you like steampunk, check out this book.

[Melanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. It was too slow and by the looks at the reviews, not worth trying to finish it.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, I almost didn't purchase this book because of the 3 star reviews. However, the book summary was interesting enough that caused me to have hope. I am very glad that I made my own decision and decided to read "The Peculiars" because I really enjoyed it.

Lena Mattacascar has lived a very lonely life with her mother and grandmother. Her father left when she was just five and her unusual physical characteristics have caused her to be scorned and the butt of people's cruel jokes and remarks. Lena has extra long hands and feet which she always covers with gloves. The doctors have informed her mother that it is just a genetic disorder; but her cruel grandmother accuses her of being a goblin like her 'no good' father.

On Lena's 18th birthday, she receives to envelopes from her father. The first contains a small monetary inheritance and the second constains a map and deed to a mine in Scree. Scree is a wild domain where it is rumored 'the peculiars' live. It is also a mining area rich in coal and copper. Lena's mother is adamant that she should not venture there but Lena wants to find her father. So, she sets out by train to locate him.

While on a train, Lena meets Jimson Quiggley, a young librarian on his way to Knoster to work for a wealthy man. He has no experience and very little training. However his curiosity in Science is amazing. When Lena goes to the dinning car for dinner, she witnesses two men one armed and the other dressed. They demand the release of a prisoner enroute to the prison in Scree. It seems Scree is a penal colony for peculiars and they are considered without souls. They are used to work in the coal mines twelve hours a day.

As Lena manages to make her way back to her box car, she realizes that her purse is missing. When she returns to the dinning car to find it, she walks straight into the chest of the marshall, Thomas Saltre. He interviews her about the crime. The last stop for the train is Knoster so Lena and Jimson part ways. She misleads him into thinking she will be staying with a cousin when in fact she will be staying at a boarding house for women.

Lena attempts to locate someon who will guide her to Scree and after interviewing the owner of a local tea shop, she is once again confronted by the marshall. He takes her to dinner and enlists her assistance in discovering the habits of Tobias Beasley, owner of the library Jimson has gone to work for. He assures her that if she assists him he will provide her with a personal escort into Scree.

When Lena goes to Zephyr House to see Jimson and Mr. Beasley what she finds is kindness, room and board for her assistance with the library. Will she be able to find out if something unusual is happening at the House? Will it be something sinister? or Has she been caught in the snares of an even greater evil? These are the questions that will answered once you have read this book.

I found the writing to be good, the world building excellent and the characterizations superb. I could empathize with Lena's character and the plight of the peculiars. If I had a criticism, it would be that I was left wanting more. I am not sure if this is a series or just a single title book. I sure hope there will be another book. Ms. McQuerry what do you say?

[Chantaal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.

The Peculiars is a novel that seems like tons of fun and could be host to a thrilling adventure and a journey of self-discovery, but it simply falls flat.

The story starts off strong as we’re introduced to Lena Mattacascar, who has extra knuckles in her hands and feet, something she believes to be a sign of goblinism, which might make her a Peculiar and thus unacceptable to society and herself. Most of the novel centers on Lena’s growing struggle with herself, what being part goblin might mean, and how she can accept herself for what she is — if she can even reach acceptance in the first place. The only real excitement happens in the first big set piece of the novel, as Lena meets Jimson Quiggley on a train, and their train is stopped by someone breaking a hostage free. Excitement! Action! Intrigue!

Then we spend a huge chunk of the middle of the novel with Lena and Jimson getting to know each other, getting to know Mr. Beasley and his library, and Lena moving into Too Stupid To Live territory.

I truly wanted to like Lena after we first meet her, but I liked her less and less with every stupid decision, rash action or conclusion jump. It’s obvious to us as readers that she’s seeing everything wrong, but she’s so willfully stubborn about everything, so caught up in her own self-loathing and her view on Peculiars that she can’t grow as a person. What little growth we do see happens in the last 50 or so pages of the novel, and that’s too little too late.

Jimson Quiggley and Mr. Beasley, along with Marshall Sartre and a whole host of secondary characters didn’t feel drawn in enough. With the novel focusing on Lena’s internal struggles it makes sense that the other characters wouldn’t be as prominent, but there can be more to a character than “he’s very rational and likes books” and “he has drawn on eyebrows for some reason.”

As for the steampunk element, there wasn’t much of it. There is an aerocopter, yes, and some other attributes that would put this novel in the steampunk genre, but it doesn’t have the feel of steampunk; it simply feels like historical fiction with some slight alterations.

Overall, The Peculiars showed some promise in the ideas and basic story. While a part of Lena’s story is interesting, it doesn’t hold up to the poor execution of the novel as a whole.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Maureen Doyle McQuerry, for the three gifts you have given a reader of The Peculiars: an interesting story well told; new, fun words to look up or words used in ways I’m not used to using them; and characters for whom I developed such affection that it made me a little wistful to reach the end of the story.

First, I was drawn into Lena’s adventure right off and was eager to return to see it through whenever I would have to set aside the book. The storyline skirted artfully through what is normal and what is not; through surprises and disappointments; and through failings of the characters and their redemption. With two of McQuerry’s principal characters at the threshold of adulthood, the conflicts and challenges were universal (that is, as universal as they can be in a steam punk fantasy world) and appropriate for young adult readers.

Second, as for the words, the first one that made me stop and sound it out while enjoying it was – goblinishness. Meeting it was like taking a bite of a scrumptious dessert in many layers – you know what it is, you know you like it, but it takes a while to taste and get its feel in your mouth. And then there were more words that helped stitch the story to its setting, words like bandylegged, wimple, spumy, riprap, and mullioned. How could I not know these words? How is it they aren’t already friends? Even better than meeting unfamiliar words was discovering McQuerry’s turns of phrase that suited her scenes so well: “contentment was not a familiar companion,” and “Margaret’s words were slippery,” and ”a reverberation of fear”. Lovely, just lovely.

Third and finally, having been drawn in nearly half way through and then unable to extract myself to attend to other should-have-been-more-pressing chores, I finished the story, flipped through to the last page, and read the last words. While saying a mental farewell to Lena and Jimson and the others, I couldn’t help but wonder if McQuerry has finished the sequel yet, and when would I be able to rejoin the friends and their adventure?

(Review also posted at eigenblog.eigenseide.net)

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read to page 201 and skipped around the end.

Lena has resolved herself to be one of those seriously stupid protagonists who make the wrong choice no matter what others she trusts tells her or even what she commits to in lieu of what is polite (who gives a flying leap) or to do the thing she is TOLD is the right thing (and decidedly NOT the right thing to do if she'd given it a thought!) It's like she has no conscience or thoughts of her own - she just merrily does what a creepy sheriff tells her to do despite him threatening her and despite being one of the people he persecutes. She won't even think about asking the kind-hearted man who gave her a job when she was down on her luck and whom treat her like family for an explanation before planning a raid on his property! And that is not even thinking about the man who helped her whose job she is threatening!! And it's not even about following corrupt laws or whatnot because they are the law - no she steals other people's belongings just fine without a single concern that what she may be doing is WRONG! Then only AFTER she's put everyone she lives with and who has been kind to her in a tight spot does she calmly sit and listen to their perfectly reasonable explanations! AND SHE BELIEVES THEM! So why the hot hell didn't she ASK FIRST!!!!!

Skipping around the end I didn't find Lena getting any better nor do her companions suddenly start helping her to realize their are consequences for her actions! She just gets them into mess after mess with everyone going along with the trouble!

This isn't even talking about the problems with the writing, the world or the aimlessness of the plot!! That's just my complaints about the protagonist! The cover is pretty but it's hiding major flaws that just aren't worth anyone's time.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so when I think of a Goblin, I think of something along the lines of THIS , not a pretty girl with abnormaly long fingers and feet. But, Lena is not sure if she is actually a Goblin or not. He Father might have been, he left when she was a little girl, and now, on her 18th birthday he has left her some money and a map to her inheritance in Scree (the place where felons and "Peculiars" go). So, naturally against her Mother's and Grandmothers wishes, she is determined to go. She has to know the truth, whatever that may be. Along the way, she meets Jimson the librian to Mr. Beasley. They are very interesting themselves. Lena is in a unfamiliar land and doesn't know who to trust. The obvious choice of the "police Marshall" or these people who took her in.


Well, this was enjoyable and different. Lena and Jimson were a fun pair, but there was something a little lacking for me. I think I wanted a little more story. It was like we got all this story on Mr. Beasley and Lena's life, but the moments in Scree were really rushed. I'm sure there is another book and that's why I'm feeling that way.

3 stars. pretty enjoyable, likable characters, original.








Poor Lena

[Kara-karina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Egalley thanks to Abrams

Well, I'll keep my review short on this one as I don't have much to say.

First of all, I understand now why they needed to change the cover, because this book needs all the sellable points it could get. However don't be misled, - Lena is not blond and she doesn't have chicken wings. Her Pecular trait is goblinism - long hands and long feet.

I really struggled with The Peculiars and was tempted to DNF it a few times. It was excruciatingly slow to the point of boredom, and didn't deliver promised "dark and trilling adventure", unless you count the adorable cat shot in the leg and a malfunctioned aerocopter.

There are a few steampunkish elements, but it's all done in an unappealing and overly descriptive manner.

My main problem however is the main heroine herself. She makes all the wrong choices, she is quite vapid and treacherous, and I couldn't understand why Jimson and Mr. Beasley kept making allowances for her mistakes.

Overall, a great disappointment. Fascinating topic, interesting setting, wonderful inventions. It all should work, but instead leaves you unmoved. A pity.

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this ended up less steampunk and more proto-steampunk than I had hoped, The Peculiars is well, a peculiar but utterly delightful novel. Lena the main character is interestingly flawed - both personality-wise and appearance-wise - and her exploits to find her father and herself in the bargain are never less than entertaining to read. The ending is left somewhat open for a possible (please!) sequel in the hopefully not too distant future; you can be certain that if/when it appears, I'll be searching out a copy.

Full review to follow. Review written! Withheld until closer to the release date, but guys, this was oddly fun.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, this one just didn't do it for me. My favorite character was Ms.Mumbles(the cat). This book is called 'The Peculiars' but it lacked peculiars, I wanted to know more about them. The different gadgets that were in this book only left me confused, and the main character only served to get on my nerves with her idiotic choices.
I received an ARC from netgalley.com

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overview: The Peculiars is about Lena and her quest to find her father and to find out if she is indeed part goblin like her mother and grandma say. With an extra joint in all her fingers and toes, she has spider like hands and long, sensitive feet. Peculiars are shunned by society because of their unusual genetic mutations and have no human rights as they are thought to not have a soul. On the train ride to Scree (where her father is thought to be) she comes across a few individuals who complicate her trip and help lead her to her journey of self-discovery.

Review: The first issue I have with this novel is that the blurb states it is a steampunk, fantastical romance. None of these are very cemented into the story, characters or world building enough for me to agree with that statement. The only fantastical element is the idea of peculiars, although they’re more people with genetic mutations than a whole new species. The romance is non-existent and the novel is hardly steampunk at all. Technology isn’t a big element in the story and world building and doesn’t really even show up much and it feels like the only thing that even makes this novel have any link to technology is the fact that Mr Beasley is an inventor.

The underlying messages of the novel are good ( nature vs nurture, prejudice in religion, racism, the faults in blindly following a person in power (whether that be a god or an officer), the importance of kindness etc) although they are not done subtly.

To add extra salt to the wound (and although I understand it is set in a ‘steampunk’ 1800s) it is also sexist with the notions that no woman can be adventurous or brave, have their own ideas, travel alone (because then you would be assumed to be a ‘working lady’ (sex worker), should NEVER show a temper and definitely never raise your voice, especially to a man. To make matters worse, instead of it being treated as an issue of gender equality, Lena’s independence and personality are palmed off as just being Goblin qualities.

The resolution is boring and doesn’t have a single impact on the world and only very subtly on a few of the characters.

Overall a disappointing read that took me longer than it should have purely because I procrastinated picking it up every night, because it was slow paced, indescriptive, and anticlimactic.

[Mavis Ros · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Lena heard him leave, but she did not turn her head.”
“A lone woman traveling to Scree for any purpose was sure to draw attention and arouse suspicion.”

When I think of the word “Peculiar,” I immediately thought of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children from Ransom Riggs. I haven’t read that series yet but I want to always give it a shot.

Anyway, The Peculiars did win a yalsa award for best fiction and it gave me the vibe that I’m really gonna enjoy this underrated standalone.

It was fast-paced and addicting. I’m into anything that involves a steampunk, historical fiction setting.

You follow Lena Mattacascar who wouldn’t understand how she turned out to have the hands and feet of a goblin. And what her purpose lies as a Peculiar(creatures or half-human.) So in order to find out the truth, she has to search for her father, who had disappeared to Scree for unknown reasons and never came back.

The ending felt too short. I wanna know what Lena, Jimson, Mr. Beasley, and the others were up to on their new beginnings.

Maybe one or two more chapters will end the story in a closed chapter.

[Abby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Two days of my life I’ll never get back. The plot was extremely promising but your delivering sucks. Lena got on my nerves. Nobody acts like this. The chapter names are stupid and reveal too much. I don’t like the Jimmy-whatever guy. He gets on my nerves. The book moved WAY too slow. She takes freaking forever to do the simplest tasks. And she’s WAYYYY too over dramatic. I hated this.