Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #1) in 2017 Reading Challenge

Dec 04, 2011 Michelle rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2012-read

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children began with some promise. There was something inherently creepy about the pictures and spooky about the tale- you know that you don’t have all the facts, that something is being withheld, and the tension keeps you reading and looking for more.

Unfortunately, the tension and overall enjoyment of the book drops quickly. Soon the story is being told only so the author can throw another unrelated picture into it, using the characters as props. There is no re Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children began with some promise. There was something inherently creepy about the pictures and spooky about the tale- you know that you don’t have all the facts, that something is being withheld, and the tension keeps you reading and looking for more.

Unfortunately, the tension and overall enjoyment of the book drops quickly. Soon the story is being told only so the author can throw another unrelated picture into it, using the characters as props. There is no real buildup, with 75% of the story nothing more than outright telling the reader facts about this or that and only one measly chapter for the action. Things slowly become less and less believable, not so much in what happens (the characters not being human, believability isn’t even really necessary) but in how the characters act and react.

*~*SPOILER’S FROM HERE*~*

I found Jacob’s character to be the least believable. He has little foresight or retrospect, and lives only in the present without regard to past or future. He takes all of two seconds to decide that he doesn’t mind never seeing his parents or even his own time again because “nothing is left” for him there. There isn’t any consideration for the effect this may have on his loved ones, or consideration of the fact that he’s pretty much giving his entire life up because he’s hot for a (hundred year old) girl he’s know for two weeks… who happened to be his grandfather’s sweetheart. There’s a pretty sizeable “ick” factor just in that alone, no matter how young she looks.

I also find it hard to believe the “children” can consider themselves as such, according to Miss Peregrine. I can’t believe that if I remained in a 14 year old body my entire life I would be as immature and undeveloped as an actual 14 year old one hundred years later.

Another big point I want to hit was how shoddily the ending seemed put together. It felt like a Scooby Doo episode, “AND THE MURDERER IS…. THE BUS DRIVER! AND THE GARDENER! AND THE OLD NEIGHBOR! AND THE THERAPIST! ALL AT ONCE!” To be honest it felt laughable. In fact, by the end of the book I wasn’t really taking anything seriously, just raising eyebrows with a chuckle nearly every page at how silly it all was.

There is definitely expected to be a sequel, which I very highly doubt I’ll bother picking up.
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Nov 01, 2015 Chris rated it really liked it

I don't usually like fantasy type stories, but I had to check out what all the buzz was about this series. I discovered I got hooked by the kids. I will read the rest of the series. ...more

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