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Synopsis (From GoodReads):
Before Miss Peregrine gave them a home, the story of peculiars was written in the Tales.
Wealthy cannibals who dine on the discarded limbs of peculiars. A fork-tongued princess. These are but a few of the truly brilliant stories in Tales of the Peculiar—the collection of fairy tales known to hide information about the peculiar world, including clues to the locations of time loops—first introduced by Ransom Riggs in his #1 bestselling Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series.
Riggs now invites you to share his secrets of peculiar history, with a collection of original stories in this deluxe volume of Tales of the Peculiar. Featuring stunning illustrations from world-renowned artist Andrew Davidson, this compelling, rich, and truly peculiar anthology is the perfect gift for not only fans, but for all lovers of great storytelling.
Review:
How would I describe the stories in this book: whimsical yarns flourished with macabre twists. If you have read any of Ransom Riggs other books in the Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children series, you will not be surprised by this description. This novel takes place in the same universe and is meant to be a book that Peculiars would have read as children. As strange as I am making it seem, this is an imaginative book filled with stories that will delight middle-grade readers and terrify their younger siblings.
What I liked:
Variety:There are 10 short stories ranging from the relatively tame The Pigeons of Saint Paul to the truly gory The Splendid Cannibals. Each story is meant to teach a lesson to Peculiars. Many are cautionary tales warning Peculiars about the responsibilities of having peculiar talents. Some are meant to be history lessons on the origins of various beings in the Peculiar universe. All of these narratives paint a picture of a world of magic and possibility, where those who do not fit in are the heroes.
Inclusiveness:
There are many different main characters showcased in this book. I enjoyed that it was not Ethnocentric to one particular culture, but included many cultures. Cocobolo takes place in Asia, while The Boy Who Could Hold Back The Sea has an Irish setting. Most of the settings are not defined but have elements of various locales and types of people.
What I Was Mixed About:
I think this book does work as a stand alone collection of fairy tales. However, I think a reader would miss much of the depth in these stories if they have not read the other books in the Miss Peregrine series first. Also, these are NOT for readers younger than fourth grade. Besides the fact that some of the stories are truly disturbing, I think the vocabulary would be too advanced for younger readers.
Rating:
Release Date: September 3rd, 2016
Source: Bought by me
Format: Physical book
Recommendation: A delightful addition to the universe of Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children. This is definitely for middle-grade readers and up.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Awesome! I still haven't read Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children yet but have been wanting to for years. I love short stories and especially those with a touch of the macabre in it ;). I'm assuming this is a US only giveaway though?
ReplyDeleteThis is open internationally! Please enter the giveaway!
DeleteYAAAAY! I can't believe no one entered yet, though! I'll share it on Twitter in a bit :)
DeleteOh, the talent I would like to have is telekinesis, for sure. I dream about it a lot, but then, when I wake up and try to turn on the lights with my mind, it utterly fails *sigh*.
DeleteWait, it's out?! Huh. That crept up on me!
ReplyDeleteThe ability to fly
ReplyDeleteAh, I can't believe this is INT! :O I love this series. <3
ReplyDeleteInvisibility!
To churn out amazing food from thin air loll..
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
-Ishita
I'm actually not sure what Peculiar talent I'd like to have... I have to think on that one! Thank you so much for the giveaway! This book looks so "peculiar", but good!
ReplyDelete