Author: Ransom Riggs
Published: June 7th 2011
Genre: Young Adult
"I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was."
As a little boy, Jacob Portman would listen to his grandfather's stories. He was enthralled by a magical place filled with unusual children and "The Bird" who watched over them, while pouring over his grandfather's photo album that contained creepy yet beautiful photographs of these strangely talented kids and their keeper.
Now as a teenager living in Florida and working at his parents' drug store, Jacob has no time or patience for the old stories. He dismisses the tales as a simple outlet for his grandfather's PTSD from WWII and the photographs as a product of a talented PhotoShop artist.
However, tragedy strikes and Jacob witnesses something that he will never forget, which sends him on a journey to a small European island and into the world of floating girls, invisible boys, and the woman trained to keep them safe. But danger is lurking just around the corner, and Jacob might just be the only person who can help.
Miss Peregrine's is probably the best YA Fantasy novel that I've read since the Children of the Red King series by Jenny Nimmo, which, coincidentally, also features children with extraordinary abilities. The story is wonderfully written; I was taken up in an instant and wasn't put back down till the very last word.
One compelling feature of this novel is the inclusion of the photographs that Jacob finds in his grandfather's album. They aid the reading experience by allowing you to see exactly what the author wants you to see. Riggs began collecting these strange and sometimes frightening photographs from flea markets and private collectors long before he began writing the manuscript. He then created characters and a story around the photographs, tying them together in an almost believable way. The fact that someone somewhere actually took these pictures is amazing! I've included some of my favorite ones in this post.
Even though the work is considered a fantasy novel, I think YA readers will still be able to relate to the main character, Jacob. He deals with the same trials and tribulations that plague all young people: complicated familial relationships, friends (or the lack thereof), girls, and finding one's purpose in life. I've since discovered that this novel is part of a trilogy. I can't wait to get my hands on Hollow City and Library of Souls. This is definitely a book that you'll want to add to your reading list!
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