The author of this prodigious fictitious novel, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, is the one and only Ransom Riggs. This novel was published in June of the year 2011. The novel reveals the tale of a boy who, following a horrific family tragedy, follows clues that take him to an abandoned orphanage on a Welsh island. The novel is told through a combination of narrative and indigenous photographs from the personal archives of collectors listed by the author. Jacob Portman is 16 year old teenager, living in Florida and suffering from incurable heedlessness . One bright spot in his life is his Grandpa heedlessness, an elderly man with a dark and maybe sinister past and an odd collection of old photos. When Grandpa Portman is tragically murdered, the police say a pack of feral dogs killed him. Jacob, though, saw the beast that did the deed. It was a monster, just like the one Grandpa Portman had claimed was chasing him – the very same story Jacob had grown to disbelieve. Motionless about his grandfather's death, he is now in search of an answer. After reading this tale, I believe the overall theme is to really watch out for life changing decisions, they may just alter your current lifestyle into something unimaginable.
The story is told in the first person point of view. It all begins when Jacob Portman's grandfather is murdered for what he believes are the dark monsters of the unknown. That specific event leads Jacob to a trans of confusion and suspicions on his behalf. He easily convinces his father to take a trip to a Welsh island for "bird watching". Once they arrive, Jacob notices that everything and everyone there is so strange. Their personality is just not normal. That unravels the curious Jacob into discovering his grandfathers past as an orphan. The intended audience for this book are mainly for young adults because this really makes you realize that once we get older decision making gets tougher. I believe this novel falls into the category of Historical fiction and mystery for young adults. This book is breath taking to me because I LOVE novels that are mysterious and have just a hint of horror, which the climax of those type of novels is way more interesting than any other bland book.Moving on,The photographs are tucked into the pages as illustrations. While you read, it feels like the author has allowed the photos to steer the narrative into the "right" direction. This makes the novel seem like an adventure. While it sounds odd to admire an author of a fantasy book for exploring, I refer more to the process of a writer opening himself up to things beyond his control. It is a risk to allow an object to pull the story off a plotted path. And it is precisely this risk that rewards the reader. Last but not least, I noticed that the author has a very unique way of capturing the authors attention. He uses such old vintage photographs at play. The author’s ability to use the photos to play with the reader’s imagination, while still holding the tension of the plot, is extraordinary. This kind of attribute can feel like a self-conscious reminder of the authorial hand. But in this case, the use of found art is an elegant tool that reinforces the message of the book. This is a very positive effect of grasping the intended audience's attention.
And then I wonder: is it the role of grandparents, themselves, that is used to introduce mystery and magic into modern day American tales, or is it simply the immigrant tale itself? There is still a kind of mystique to immigrant culture, or so it appears in contemporary American literature. There is some kind of an assumption that the immigrant brings with him/her magic or old traditions from their countries that don’t exist in America. This novel really made me think of a few questions just out of curiosity. This book also made me realize that should really not be looking forward to adulthood. This by far has been the uniquest book I've ever read.
This book could have not been better at all! It has a little bit of everything.I would recommend this book 100% to be read completely, because you will enjoy every second of it!
Chelsea C.
12.18.2013
Rating:***** 5/5
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