The Peculiars

A Book Review of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

by Jahzeel Dionne V. Ybasco

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“There are peculiars all over the world,” Miss P, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Having a different world where diversity is tolerated and encouraged is a famous theme in the fantasy genre that it does not come as a surprise Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children reminds me of Harry Potter, Pendragon, and X-Men . Special beings mingling with normal humans, wise old people taking care of the young ones and passing on the legacy, protagonists having to live up to their peculiarity, their gifts, the nature of their powers–this formula contributes to MPHPC being a page-turner.

Apart from that, foreshadowing has been played quite well~a little too well perhaps or is it just in my nature to notice those things? I am quite neutral to works which small sentences lead to even bigger events but I love subtlety. Given that the novel has been written in the first person narrative, most of the words and how they are presented make it easier for me to know what is going to happen in the next chapter–even the next paragraph. An attack without warning has a bigger effect than one heralded with trumpets. Then again, probably it is just me.

Those photos! If there is one thing I immensely enjoyed in the novel, it is the set of photos. The characters live in my head as I read but it is helpful to look at the photos of what Riggs wants his readers to see. There was a time I dreaded looking at the next page because the character has been described so well, so scary, so real and seeing at the picture would then engrave that image in my mind. However, I still had to look, so turn the page I did.

The fantasy-hungry child in me immensely has enjoyed the novel. The 20 something person has second thoughts. It makes me question the idea of time travelling. I am not a science geek but I find the concept of the loop quite confusing– doesn’t it affect the present in any way? If the loop has not been affected by external factors, then it will continue moving in a loop. However, since I grew up in a very different generation, I have come to understand the significance of any small action as it may have an impact on the future. Considering that Jacob is a lead character in the series, while reading the last chapters of the novel, I asked myself, “If Jacob suddenly meets his grandfather in the loop, what will happen?” An even bigger problem is, owing to circumstances, the injured Miss Peregrine cannot make the loop again, forcing the peculiars to leave the confines of what they have called home. If other people saw the peculiars, wouldn’t that change their future too? And there is even a probability they won’t see and be with Jacob at all, much less need his help.

I am looking forward to reading the sequel of this very promising series. After all, the first part only serves as a taste of this peculiar yet astonishingly beautiful world Riggs has created. Most probably, the Library of Souls holds answers to my questions regarding the loop and I absolutely have to know how Miss Peregrine is doing –she definitely reminds me of Professor McGonagall.

“Mutants and Proud” -Xmen

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I bought Ransom Rigg’s Trilogy and the box-set came with great individual photographs of the peculiars. Talk about a peculiar book. However, I will continue reading the sequels once I have gotten around to finishing rereading the Harry Potter series for this year. Good old habits die hard.