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The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods
by
This is the story of a sleepy town called Suds. A place where stories fill the air of children who keep turning grey and disappearing without a trace…
Poppy and Erasmus are certain there's something peculiar going on in Suds, and they're determined to unravel its secrets. But when they discover the answers might lie in the darking and twisting woods, can they find the cour
...moreKindle Edition, 336 pages
Published
January 10th 2019
by Usborne Publishing
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Start your review of The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods
This was absolutely wonderful! Everything about this worked for me, from the brilliant characters to the dark and gripping fairytale that unfolded around them. Poppy and Erasmus were superb, as was everyone else around them - especially the chilling villains!
I was utterly absorbed in the story and didn't want it to end. I hope Samuel J. Halpin continues writing because I loved this!
The illustrations by Hannah Peck were also lovely, a great addition to the story. ...more
I was utterly absorbed in the story and didn't want it to end. I hope Samuel J. Halpin continues writing because I loved this!
The illustrations by Hannah Peck were also lovely, a great addition to the story. ...more
Still turning the pages! Just because, Just in case.. the story is not over yet!
This book is a bundle of everything, adventure+tragedy+magic+Horror+Love+Longing+Friendship and many more!
Its not a children book, should be read by everyone to feel the warmth and tenderness of writing and subtlety. Reads like a bed time story, tells the story on so many levels.
Just one wish, wished it wasn't over yet :'( ...more
This book is a bundle of everything, adventure+tragedy+magic+Horror+Love+Longing+Friendship and many more!
Its not a children book, should be read by everyone to feel the warmth and tenderness of writing and subtlety. Reads like a bed time story, tells the story on so many levels.
Just one wish, wished it wasn't over yet :'( ...more
I Loved this book. I loved it. Just loved it. No matter how many times I say this, it’s never enough.
Samuel J. Halpin takes us to Suds- a sleepy town with unexplainable disappearances of children from all over the town. Poppy is visiting the town to stay over with her grandmother when she meets Erasmus who tell her all about these disappearances. This is when they decide to solve the biggest mystery in town. But the secret to all of it lies in the Riddling Woods where Peculiar Peggs live in a mi ...more
Samuel J. Halpin takes us to Suds- a sleepy town with unexplainable disappearances of children from all over the town. Poppy is visiting the town to stay over with her grandmother when she meets Erasmus who tell her all about these disappearances. This is when they decide to solve the biggest mystery in town. But the secret to all of it lies in the Riddling Woods where Peculiar Peggs live in a mi ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I finished this yesterday, & it was like reading a dark, amazing fairytale. I loved it. Definitely filled the place in my heart for spooky MG. Poppy was such a great main character. I loved her. She had already been through so much at a young age. Again, another MG that talks about grief & handles it well. It also shows the different ways each person affected handle their grief. I loved Erasmus so much! Him & Poppy made such a terrific team! Some of his characteristics reminded me of Sheldon fro
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3.75 stars.
Update: After thinking about it more and more, I have to give this one a 4 stars! :)
This book is nothing like you have ever read. It’s so unique and it’s rich with imagination. It’s adventurous and enjoyable! Like I had so much fun reading it.
What I like:
- The whole imagination of this book. Like I don’t know if this is a retelling of a fairytale or not, but it’s great and magical.
- The characters are enjoyable! I adore Poppy, Erasmus and Misty. But POPPY! She loves AGATHA CHRISTIE... ...more
Update: After thinking about it more and more, I have to give this one a 4 stars! :)
This book is nothing like you have ever read. It’s so unique and it’s rich with imagination. It’s adventurous and enjoyable! Like I had so much fun reading it.
What I like:
- The whole imagination of this book. Like I don’t know if this is a retelling of a fairytale or not, but it’s great and magical.
- The characters are enjoyable! I adore Poppy, Erasmus and Misty. But POPPY! She loves AGATHA CHRISTIE... ...more
A beautifully spooky fairy tale.
There is something going on in Suds, and it is up to Poppy and (sadly) Erasmus to find out what is happening and to stop it.
I have been on and off trying to write a review for this book, but I just can't seem to get things right, so I will be writing a good/not so good review instead. I am sure I can do that.
Good:
-The town of Suds. It seemed like such a quaint little town but there is something much darker and sinister going on. I loved how the author described the town, the little shops, the w ...more
I have been on and off trying to write a review for this book, but I just can't seem to get things right, so I will be writing a good/not so good review instead. I am sure I can do that.
Good:
-The town of Suds. It seemed like such a quaint little town but there is something much darker and sinister going on. I loved how the author described the town, the little shops, the w ...more
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
'.... 1. All the clothes must be brought off the washing line (even if wet) before six o' clock. ..... "
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The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods is about a town - Suds - where children have been mysteriously disappearing for a long time. Poppy arrives in this town to live with her grandma who makes her follow these strange rules, and soon she befriends the weird Erasmus. Both of them team up ...more
'.... 1. All the clothes must be brought off the washing line (even if wet) before six o' clock. ..... "
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods is about a town - Suds - where children have been mysteriously disappearing for a long time. Poppy arrives in this town to live with her grandma who makes her follow these strange rules, and soon she befriends the weird Erasmus. Both of them team up ...more
I always love a story with a twisted fairy tale element and Samuel J Halpin’s The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods, with its intricately imaged magical realism, is 100% my kind of book. Atmospheric and wholly imaginative, Halpin’s superb storytelling had me charmed from start to finish.
When Poppy visits her grandmother in the town of Suds, she quickly realises that something peculiar is going on - from stories of disappearing children, to old wives’ tales about never dusting the window sills, t ...more
When Poppy visits her grandmother in the town of Suds, she quickly realises that something peculiar is going on - from stories of disappearing children, to old wives’ tales about never dusting the window sills, t ...more
The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods is one the most imaginative, exciting and dark children’s books I’ve read in a long while. Samuel’s characterisation and excellent plotting sucked me into the book and I gulped it down in just a couple of sittings. Be prepared for twists and turns in unexpected places and dialogue to die for. I can’t wait to see what Sam writes next!
Samuel J. Halpin has sewn together the finest of fantastical worlds thrumming with a strangely delightful sense of danger & dark magic lurking round every corner. Prepare to become entangled in this splendidly-scary mystery!
"Across the sky they fly by night in airborne wicker hamper. Once they've got you in their sight, there's nowhere else to scamper."
Sometimes, book covers and titles deceive you. But the title of this book is not deceiving at all. It's more like spooky and mysterious. Just as the story line.
It was kind of slow paced but the mystery and suspense was maintained so well throughout the book until the end...when the big revelation came through. The imagination of the author, I could feel it through t ...more
Sometimes, book covers and titles deceive you. But the title of this book is not deceiving at all. It's more like spooky and mysterious. Just as the story line.
It was kind of slow paced but the mystery and suspense was maintained so well throughout the book until the end...when the big revelation came through. The imagination of the author, I could feel it through t ...more
The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods is a story of Poppy, Erasmus, and their sleepy town called Suds. It’s a gripping tale of disappearing children, mysterious twisting woods, unusual incidents, and creepy Peggs living in the woods. Poppy has moved to her grandmother’s place for a few days while her father is away. She befriends Erasmus and observes strange activities going on in the town. Together they unwind the secrets that lie in the riddling woods.
This book gives all the feel of a chilling ...more
This book gives all the feel of a chilling ...more
This was brilliant!
Children have been going missing for years in Suds and Erasmus and Poppy take it upon themselves to investigate why. Not everything is as it seems in Suds & Poppy’s gran seems to have her wits about her with her four house rules.
The folklore/fairytale aspect of this story was amazing. I highly recommend this!
Children have been going missing for years in Suds and Erasmus and Poppy take it upon themselves to investigate why. Not everything is as it seems in Suds & Poppy’s gran seems to have her wits about her with her four house rules.
The folklore/fairytale aspect of this story was amazing. I highly recommend this!
Great middle grade book
4.5 stars rounded up
This was an excellent book.
I liked the relationship between the main character and her grandmother.
I liked the relationship between the main character and her grandmother.
In the eerie town of Suds, children are disappearing.
My full review here: https://bit.ly/2Sdmf4O ...more
My full review here: https://bit.ly/2Sdmf4O ...more
An intriguing book filled with old-school superstition and things that go bump in the night. I would recommend this for the upper ages of the bracket as it does get a little scary in place, but I loved Poppy and Erasmus, and the Peggs were great ghoolies!! I loved looking for clues in the story and found myself second-guessing the ending every step of the way. I am pleased to say that I did not see it coming and found it a thrilling surprise!
There is nothing that this book lacks. It was eerie yet imaginative. Dark and enjoyable. Adventurous and creative. I love stumbling across books that have that hint of a dark and spooky element to it, it is such a rarity to find. Mind you if you are not a fan of creepy books I still recommend that you pick this one up, it wasn’t that spooky to send you hiding under the covers of your bed, but just eerie enough to give you goosebumps.
To be fair I couldn’t fault this book. It was all rather magica ...more
To be fair I couldn’t fault this book. It was all rather magica ...more
In his debut novel, Samuel J. Halpin tells the story of a girl named Poppy, who goes to stay with her grandmother in the eccentric town of Suds, and is caught up in investigating why children frequently disappear under unusual circumstances, and have done for many years. First of all, the mystery is super intriguing, and I really enjoyed following along as Poppy and her friend Erasmus uncover more and more of the truth. Poppy and Erasmus made a great detective duo, and I thought the development
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I liked the mystery and the buildup of the story. Poppy and Erasmus were compelling characters, and the all the characters and relationships between them were full of heart. The actual mystery was also unique and clever, although I felt that reveal was slightly crammed together, and it felt like a bit of information overload (even though it was all good info). I was struggling to keep up with what was happening at end, and to connect the reveal with all the little secrets sprinkled throughout th
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"You must be careful not to be too clever, my little button. Overthinking clogs the brain like soggy cereal clogs the sink."
The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods is one of the most endearing middle-grade mysteries I've read in a long time. The story is wonderfully dark whilst still full of humour and emotion. The perfect book for a youngster who may be intrigued by the idea of a grim, intriguing fairytale.
I'm confident in saying that Halpin wrote a book that could compete with classics like Roah ...more
The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods is one of the most endearing middle-grade mysteries I've read in a long time. The story is wonderfully dark whilst still full of humour and emotion. The perfect book for a youngster who may be intrigued by the idea of a grim, intriguing fairytale.
I'm confident in saying that Halpin wrote a book that could compete with classics like Roah ...more
I loved the elements of fairytales, the creepy setting and Polly's grandma's rules for keeping safe in the town of Suds, which reminded me of the superstitions surrounding me growing up. I liked Erasmus (which seems to be an unpopular opinion) and though that the Peggs were suitably creepy - they would certainly have given me nightmares when I was a kid!
The stories of the Peggs, Erasmus and his mother and Poppy and her father were woven together well and I liked the little details like the magic ...more
The stories of the Peggs, Erasmus and his mother and Poppy and her father were woven together well and I liked the little details like the magic ...more
I feel like this was wrong timing for me to read this book because I feel like it's the sort of book i'd normally enjoy but I just really didn't get along with it. The elements were all there independently but it just didn't work all together for me to enjoy the book. I'm honestly still not entirely convinced I understand the plotline of this book even now that i've finished it.
Poppy was a bit of a peculiar (heh) character who seemed to go along with things super quickly without any questioning; ...more
Poppy was a bit of a peculiar (heh) character who seemed to go along with things super quickly without any questioning; ...more
Great descriptive sentences pour out through The Peculiar Peggs.
I loved the mix of fairy tales & local wives tales that put together helped Poppy get over the anxiety she had felt since her mother died, to help her friends.
Young Erasmus is a quirky character I felt quite deserved a book to himself.
With a pig called Churchill, a dog, a large catfish & witches who fly through the sky in a wash basket, this amazing legend of a book will have readers of all ages reading under their bed covers wit ...more
I loved the mix of fairy tales & local wives tales that put together helped Poppy get over the anxiety she had felt since her mother died, to help her friends.
Young Erasmus is a quirky character I felt quite deserved a book to himself.
With a pig called Churchill, a dog, a large catfish & witches who fly through the sky in a wash basket, this amazing legend of a book will have readers of all ages reading under their bed covers wit ...more
A delightfully weird and wonderfully moving fairy-tale, with more than just a flavour of Roald Dahl (Particularly 'The Witches'), that also tackles what can be difficult subjects - grief, the inadequacies of parents - without sugarcoating it; I particularity liked... well maybe "liked" isn't quite the right word, "appreciated" the descriptions of Poppy's anxiety because I could recognise it. And the relationship between Poppy and her gran so sweet, as well as her budding friendships with Erasmus
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I absolutely LOVE this book!!! It's amazing! The story drew me in from the very beginning and I couldn't wait to get to the end. Mystery, adventure, some drama and some angst, a bit of humor here and there, it had a bit of everything and I hugely enjoyed reading it. I cannot wait for this author to publish another book and can only hope it will be as good as this one. Will certainly follow the author to see when he publishes another book, if he does, I hope so. Brilliant brilliant writing from a
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