Showing posts with label
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children.
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Showing posts with label
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children.
Show all posts
Please Note: I received an advance audio book of this novel from the publisher, Listening Library, in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Having defeated the
monstrous threat that nearly destroyed the peculiar world, Jacob Portman
is back where his story began, in Florida. Except now Miss Peregrine,
Emma, and their peculiar friends are with him, and doing their best to
blend in. But carefree days of beach visits and normalling lessons are
soon interrupted by a discovery—a subterranean bunker that belonged to
Jacob’s grandfather, Abe.
Clues to Abe’s double-life as a
peculiar operative start to emerge, secrets long hidden in plain sight.
And Jacob begins to learn about the dangerous legacy he has
inherited—truths that were part of him long before he walked into Miss
Peregrine’s time loop.
Now, the stakes are higher than ever as
Jacob and his friends are thrust into the untamed landscape of American
peculiardom—a world with few ymbrynes, or rules—that none of them
understand. New wonders, and dangers, await in this brilliant next
chapter for Miss Peregrine’s peculiar children. Their story is again
illustrated throughout by haunting vintage photographs, but with a
striking addition for this all-new, multi-era American adventure—full
color.
Review:
When the book, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, came out, I was dazzled by the author's creativity. How can someone look at vintage photographs and come up with such a rich story? With the addition of A Map Of Days, the series now has four novels. This one is an action-packed road trip, full of surprises and revelations. I loved it!
Please
Note: One of the enormous pleasures of this book series is seeing the vintage
photographs that adorn the print version of these books. While I love the audio book version, I will also be buying the print version, in
order to get the full experience of this story.
What I Liked:
Setting/Premise:
What would happen if Miss Peregrine's Peculiar children, stuck in the 1940's, were suddenly thrust into the present? How would they react? Would it be exciting, or upsetting? I loved reading about all the various reactions of the characters to things such as television ("Why is everyone so rude?"), pizza delivery, and shopping malls. It was really fun, but also eye-opening what we take for granted in our modern times.
I also enjoyed having the characters on an extended road trip through parts of America. This gave the author many opportunities to introduce different characters, and aspects, of American culture.
Characters:
The story is narrated by Jacob, who has to consider the level of stress that modern life can have on people not used to the fast pace of our society. He is also struggling with his grandfather Abe's legacy. Was Abe a hero or a more complex person who had to make terrible choices? Is Emma (Jacob's girlfriend) always going to compare him to Abe?
I also liked how the other Peculiar children grew. Since they are no longer in the time loop, they are starting to age and truly become teenagers. This brings on confusion, hormones, and defiance. This manifests as resentment towards Miss Peregrine, and a willingness to take big risks.
Story:
The story takes the teens from Jacob's home in Florida to a road trip that includes several time loops throughout America. I love road trip books, so this was a really entertaining aspect of the book.
There was also an exploration of who Abe really was, and what other types of organizations were part of this universe. While Europe has a society centered around Ymbrynes (caretakers such as Miss Pereegrine), American Peculiars are grouped into gangs. I liked that the novel showed the issues with both arrangements. In the European model, many Peculiars are fed up with not having a say in decisions. Meanwhile in America, Peculiars are mostly fending for themselves. Being in a gang gives them a level of protection, but also forces them to work for leaders who could either be benevolent, or corrupt.
Narration:
Kirby Heyborne gives an excellent performance with his narration of this book. The many voices and accents must have been a challenge. But he performs with such ease, I forgot this was only one person speaking.
What I Was Mixed About:
Setup:
Even though it's likely the reader has read the other books in the series, I still think the author has an obligation to summarize what happened, and re-introduce the characters. Yes, this is a pet peeve of mine. I just think it is unrealistic to assume a reader remembers all the details of a book that came out nearly two years ago!
Rating:
Release Date: October 2nd, 2018
Author: Ransom Riggs
Audio Publisher: Listening Library
Audio Length: 13 Hours, 54 Minutes
Narrator: Kirby Heyborne
Print Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Page Length: 496 Pages
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: Listening Library
Format: Audio Book
Recommendation: A worthy addition to this series. Full of new characters, and adventures.
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I am combining two great blog hops: Stacking The Shelves (a Saturday feature by Team Tynga's Reviews), and Sunday Post (a Sunday feature by the Caffeinated Book Reviewer). Both of these features give people a chance to post about what books they received and also an opportunity to catch a glimpse of what others are excited about. I really enjoy see everyone's version of these features!
If you enjoy my blog, please consider following me via Bloglovin, Networked Blogs, GFC, or by email subscription. If you leave a comment and tell me you are a new follower, I will follow you back!
As always, all book cover images are linked to GoodReads so if you see a book you want to learn more about, just click away...
Happenings This Week:
There were lots of changes for me at work this week, as I had a temporary assignment that ended on Friday. I feel really honored to work with kids and I will miss the class, and teachers I have gotten to know over this assignment. Next week, it's on to another placement... I'm looking forward to seeing my usual co-workers and seeing some familiar student faces again!
There were several wonderful book signings in the Bay Area this past week. But, with my son getting his wisdom teeth out on Monday, it was more important to be home in the evenings so I could make sure I could spoil him. He was a trooper!
Read This Week:
These are the books I got a few weeks ago when Ransom Riggs was in the Bay Area. Both of these books were so imaginative and surprising. I really enjoyed them.
I am hosting a giveaway of a signed copy of Tales Of The Peculiar (I bought a second copy when I attended the book signing). This giveaway is open internationally, but you must be a follower of this blog.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
New This Week:
NetGalley:
Since my daughter has become a vegetarian, I am getting a deep appreciation for all the flack people get when they reject meat. This book has been eye-opening!
Edelweiss:
Again, my daughter (who plays violin) is the inspiration for me getting this book. It is supposed to have lots of odd information about classical composers. It sounds like a fun book that I hope will give me a better appreciation of classical music.
One of the entries in my giveaway is to leave a blog post and say what Peculiar talent would you want. I would want to fly! How about you?
Have a wonderful week!
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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.
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