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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Sampler
A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow-impossible though it seems-they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2014
609 people are currently reading
708 people want to read
About the author
Ransom Riggs
54 books23.7k followersHi, I'm Ransom, and I like to tell stories. Sometimes I tell them with words, sometimes with pictures, often with both. I grew up on a farm on the Eastern shore of Maryland and also in a little house by the beach in Englewood, Florida where I got very tan and swam every day until I became half fish. I started writing stories when I was young, on an old typewriter that jammed and longhand on legal pads. When I was a little older I got a camera for Christmas and became obsessed with photography, and when I was a little older still my friends and I came into possession of a half-broken video camera and began to make our own movies, starring ourselves, using our bedrooms and backyards for sets. I have loved writing stories and taking photographs and making movies ever since, and have endeavored to do all three.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 31, 2016
Before I say anything else, let me register my disappointment with the kindle edition of this book because of how frustrating it was to view the photographs. And the photographs are kind of an important although tacky part of the narrative. There's a letter right at the end which I couldn't read because I can't zoom in on the kindle. As far as I remember, images on kindle can be magnified - but not this one?
So anyway, this book is basically - somebody found a bunch of peculiar photos and then wrote a story to justify. And the photos though rare and artistic for their time, are just tacky and cringeworthy. They may be fake, though the author seems to believe they're real (literally, he got them from people who collect photos).
The people in the photos become the characters in the book but because of the jarring unreal and patchy quality of the images, they don't come alive for me. I wish the author just left the photos as possible representations but he dearly wants us to believe that they're what the characters are supposed to look like. Very shabbily done overall.
The first part of the book comprises of the monologue of this fat, depressed teenager and it's overall quite wearisome. But once you plod through, sheerly because the mystery is compelling, the second half of the book just explodes. I could visualise it quite easily in Tim Burton Technicolor. The movie will be spectacular (hopefully).
So I understand YA fantasy (is this YA fantasy?) has it's set of tropes and a predictable set of plot points, but the way they're arranged in this book is frustrating, and causes all the disappointment that most people face with this book. For example, not to give out a spoiler - you can skip over the rest of this paragraph, the yer a wizard harry moment happens at maybe 50% or even 80% of this book.
In a way that's the author undermining the reader's intelligence. So many of the twists were so obvious when they finally happen it's like - is there a term for a red herring that is so red that it's not a red herring? And this happens through most of the book. Maybe it is a function of the narrator - this is a first person narrative. Maybe the author is saying the narrator is a dimwit. Like Harry was a dimwit (come on Harry was a dimwit). But there are narrators who are not dimwits. Take Katniss for example. So this guy Ransom is a guy you probably want to slap at some point in your life. I mean, do a Google search and just look at his face.
The writing is also very unspectacular. Nothing elegant or even reliable in the prose. There's even scatological humour thrown in that honestly makes you squeeze your eyes and skim over.
Which reminds me - the movie adaptation. Again I understand a cinematic adaptation has it's set of limitations - for example getting past the censor board AND having to package as much entertainment in a bite size amount of time as possible. So that important bit of name switch for 2 characters - see, now that's the screenplay writer undermining the audience's intelligence. What is it with everybody being so supercilious?
Gah, nevertheless, I am glad there's a cinematic adaptation and they've done things to brighten it up, because like I said before, I am not a fan of the fake superimposed vintage photos and the dreary greyish tone the author seems to be keen on.
I do want to read the next book in the series but on the kindle.
So anyway, this book is basically - somebody found a bunch of peculiar photos and then wrote a story to justify. And the photos though rare and artistic for their time, are just tacky and cringeworthy. They may be fake, though the author seems to believe they're real (literally, he got them from people who collect photos).
The people in the photos become the characters in the book but because of the jarring unreal and patchy quality of the images, they don't come alive for me. I wish the author just left the photos as possible representations but he dearly wants us to believe that they're what the characters are supposed to look like. Very shabbily done overall.
The first part of the book comprises of the monologue of this fat, depressed teenager and it's overall quite wearisome. But once you plod through, sheerly because the mystery is compelling, the second half of the book just explodes. I could visualise it quite easily in Tim Burton Technicolor. The movie will be spectacular (hopefully).
So I understand YA fantasy (is this YA fantasy?) has it's set of tropes and a predictable set of plot points, but the way they're arranged in this book is frustrating, and causes all the disappointment that most people face with this book. For example, not to give out a spoiler - you can skip over the rest of this paragraph, the yer a wizard harry moment happens at maybe 50% or even 80% of this book.
In a way that's the author undermining the reader's intelligence. So many of the twists were so obvious when they finally happen it's like - is there a term for a red herring that is so red that it's not a red herring? And this happens through most of the book. Maybe it is a function of the narrator - this is a first person narrative. Maybe the author is saying the narrator is a dimwit. Like Harry was a dimwit (come on Harry was a dimwit). But there are narrators who are not dimwits. Take Katniss for example. So this guy Ransom is a guy you probably want to slap at some point in your life. I mean, do a Google search and just look at his face.
The writing is also very unspectacular. Nothing elegant or even reliable in the prose. There's even scatological humour thrown in that honestly makes you squeeze your eyes and skim over.
Which reminds me - the movie adaptation. Again I understand a cinematic adaptation has it's set of limitations - for example getting past the censor board AND having to package as much entertainment in a bite size amount of time as possible. So that important bit of name switch for 2 characters - see, now that's the screenplay writer undermining the audience's intelligence. What is it with everybody being so supercilious?
Gah, nevertheless, I am glad there's a cinematic adaptation and they've done things to brighten it up, because like I said before, I am not a fan of the fake superimposed vintage photos and the dreary greyish tone the author seems to be keen on.
I do want to read the next book in the series but on the kindle.
May 21, 2021
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, written by Ransom Riggs, is a book about these children who have special abilities which one is never growing up. The book follows around Jacob, who is our main character. He grandfather used to tell him all these crazy stories about all these crazy monsters. Jacob never believed him, he thought he was just making up stories to tell Jacob as bedtime stories. Once an unfortunate event happened with his grandpa, Jacob needs to find out what happened to him and if his stories are actually true. He goes on an adventure to find out the truth about everything. The plot of the book was easy to follow, which is a good thing to me. Some of the parts of the story were a little slow but, in those moments, the characters are connecting in many ways. The characters to me were a little one dimensional. Their personalities are just about their special abilities, I would have liked to see them in a different way. Emma, another one of the main characters, has a little more depth to her, we get to more sides of her then just mean and a little nice like the others. “She put the tube in her mouth and blew, her cheeks puffing out with the effort, then took a breath from it and passed it to me. I sucked in a welcome lungful of air. We were twenty feet underwater, inside an old shipwreck, and we were breathing.” This quote shows the slowness of them connecting as well as the adventurous side of Emma. This book is a very good, relaxing book to read. The characters are likable, and the plot is easy to follow. I would recommend this book to middle school kids maybe, or even fifth graders because it is an easy book to read but also a more complex book than “Diary of A Wimpy Kid”, to name one.
February 3, 2024
Amazing book wonderful way to ise old photographs
September 22, 2016
Excellent
I was surprised how quickly I finished this book. I couldn't put it down. Well written, great characters. I'm excited to start the second book.
I was surprised how quickly I finished this book. I couldn't put it down. Well written, great characters. I'm excited to start the second book.
September 4, 2016
This might spoil some stuff, but here goes nothing...
I loved this book. It was one of the best books ive read since harry potter, and thats a lot to say for this. I am 10 years old, and I have seen a lot of people who say that this book is for a younger demographic, so that might be why. I don't care about how much I can relate to him, although that is a big problem because he is a slight bit spoiled. But, overall, this book is fantastic and although (here come spoilers for hollow city so dont look unless you've read it) they go on a pretty boring, long and not really fun adventure in hollow city, (now you can look) this book and the 3rd one are one of the best books I have ever read.
I loved this book. It was one of the best books ive read since harry potter, and thats a lot to say for this. I am 10 years old, and I have seen a lot of people who say that this book is for a younger demographic, so that might be why. I don't care about how much I can relate to him, although that is a big problem because he is a slight bit spoiled. But, overall, this book is fantastic and although (here come spoilers for hollow city so dont look unless you've read it) they go on a pretty boring, long and not really fun adventure in hollow city, (now you can look) this book and the 3rd one are one of the best books I have ever read.
September 22, 2016
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May 22, 2016
Interesting book
This is a pretty interesting book. I really enjoyed reading it and look forward to the next one to see what happens when they get to the island. The book is written well and keeps you interested. It is hard to out down before you get to the end. I love the pictures in the book.
This is a pretty interesting book. I really enjoyed reading it and look forward to the next one to see what happens when they get to the island. The book is written well and keeps you interested. It is hard to out down before you get to the end. I love the pictures in the book.
August 16, 2016
Too short! The adventure was just starting!
Great characters, I got very involved from the start. Can't wait to see what happens once he gets to the island. I just hope the next book is not too expensive. A movie is coming out (by director Tim Burton) so I want to read the books before I see the film.
Great characters, I got very involved from the start. Can't wait to see what happens once he gets to the island. I just hope the next book is not too expensive. A movie is coming out (by director Tim Burton) so I want to read the books before I see the film.
August 30, 2016
Eerie
Kept my attention throughout. Disappointed when I reached the last page. Will now have to get the next installment. Simply good.
Kept my attention throughout. Disappointed when I reached the last page. Will now have to get the next installment. Simply good.
September 26, 2016
Cliff hanger.
This book was good! Hooks you in! But then it leaves you completely hanging. I hate it when books do that.
This book was good! Hooks you in! But then it leaves you completely hanging. I hate it when books do that.
March 16, 2022
I don't normally enjoy fantasy, but this was better than other fantasy that i've read. Jacob (the main character) is there when his grandfather, Abe, dies. The police say that he was killed by a pack of dogs, but Jacob knows that he saw something else. People think that he is crazy, but he ends up going to a small island, where a letter that was written to his grandfather was sent from. He ends up finding the people that sent the letter, but they are peculiar. Jacob learns that he himself is peculiar and learns that this is where he is meant to me. He ends up saving people's lives and staying with the peculiar children, meaning he can't return home.
I would recommend this book to any young adult. This would be a great book for kids who don't love learning, because the book is engaging from the beginning and isn't super long.
I would recommend this book to any young adult. This would be a great book for kids who don't love learning, because the book is engaging from the beginning and isn't super long.
July 22, 2025
I added this popular book to my growing library and read it at age 68 as I am reading through old to modern classics and favorites. I have been including young adult and children/teenage books such as The Chronicles of Narnia, A Little Princess, Peter Pan, etc. to find what my grandchildren might enjoy in the hope of encouraging them to take some and read more on their own.
I found this intriguing at my age and definitely think I would have enjoyed this at age 12 and up.
A warning to parents if you have a concern about frightening a nightmare prone child they probably should not read this one as there are monsters, danger, death, and violence in this fantasy.
I do wish the story had been completed in one volume as I have no desire to read 6 books in this series, but if my grandchildren read this and want to continue on, I would buy them the books.
I found this intriguing at my age and definitely think I would have enjoyed this at age 12 and up.
A warning to parents if you have a concern about frightening a nightmare prone child they probably should not read this one as there are monsters, danger, death, and violence in this fantasy.
I do wish the story had been completed in one volume as I have no desire to read 6 books in this series, but if my grandchildren read this and want to continue on, I would buy them the books.
March 19, 2022
I listened to this book but also had a hard copy so I could see the photos that were included. I enjoyed it but think I would’ve liked to read it. Definitely set up for a series and I think I will read the next book instead of listen.
I also was hoping for more on the peculiar children more back stories or just more info about their peculiar-ness. Maybe more is to come in future books?
I had also seen the movie but it was years and years ago so I didn’t really remember much!
I also was hoping for more on the peculiar children more back stories or just more info about their peculiar-ness. Maybe more is to come in future books?
I had also seen the movie but it was years and years ago so I didn’t really remember much!
February 22, 2017
Two chapters?
I would think that one book would have an entire story. What was there was good but is written like a weekly TV episode......just wait til next week!
I would think that one book would have an entire story. What was there was good but is written like a weekly TV episode......just wait til next week!
July 18, 2017
By far better than the movie!
August 25, 2017
Not as good as I anticipated. Not interested in pursuing this author
January 8, 2018
A very good start
Very well written, and extremely mysterious! This sample definitely makes you want to read the book. It seems like an opening to a great new series.
Very well written, and extremely mysterious! This sample definitely makes you want to read the book. It seems like an opening to a great new series.
April 8, 2018
I actually liked the film better... something rare for me.
November 18, 2018
It was a quick read once I had the time to read it. Engaging story! I bought the second book.
July 7, 2020
Such a great page turner
November 10, 2020
Free intro to a good book
I guess that the title says it all. But you have to put so many words here to submit the thing
I guess that the title says it all. But you have to put so many words here to submit the thing
Read
May 4, 2021Absolutely loved this book!
June 3, 2021
book
This was really good!! I want to read the next book! I want to read the whole series! I enjoyed this book!
This was really good!! I want to read the next book! I want to read the whole series! I enjoyed this book!
December 31, 2021
Now I have to read the whole book. This sampler was interesting and has me hooked on wanting to read the whole book.
January 19, 2022
Didn't expect the picture was from collection that already exists. It's a vintage classic tho maybe fake but artsy. And that's enough. Enjoyable story.
April 12, 2022
It was very fun, if not stressful. I will continue for sure.
August 9, 2023
I didn't realize I'd want to have the other to read as well. It's slow and then everything picks up pace. I love it!
February 27, 2017
great book a must read
February 23, 2017
Couldn't put it down
It was very intriguing and kept me reading..can't wait to get next one! It didn't start like I had envisioned it kept me interested and wondering..how great is that!
It was very intriguing and kept me reading..can't wait to get next one! It didn't start like I had envisioned it kept me interested and wondering..how great is that!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews