Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children 
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

I've got another series review, or in this case, trilogy! I was incredibly lucky to receive the Peregrine's Home books to review, I've seen people hyping them all over the place but never actually gotten around to reading them myself. Just recently the third and final book was released, and thus I was incredibly grateful to be allowed to review all three! I have to say, these books deserve the hype, and a hell of a lot more of it! I'm kind of mind blown still after reading them! What an experience, what a world. It's a bit of a jolt being back in reality after reading! 

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children 

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

The first book sucks you in from the first page and keeps you hooked on the book and the series from the go. Once you start reading, you just know you'll be reading the other books, not only because of the story, but because of how unique the book is, and because of all the fascinating photos and the way they are smoothly integrated with the narrative. 

Miss Peregrine's Home introduces us to the world, the fantastic characters and the unique format of words and vintage photographs. Some of said photos are a tad unsettling, I'll happily accept the authors explanation of "over exposure" or something because ya know...creepy. But as unsettling as some of them are, they are all fascinating, these snapshots in to history and other time periods. Looking at the photos and wondering who it is in the photo, what their story is....which is what led the author to writing the book! It's even  more fascinating when you think about the fact that some of these photos are from the time when photography was new and was still not exactly precise. 

Anyway, the book was intriguing from the beginning, hooking you in and brimming with originality. Not only in it's format, but in the story and the characters and the world. There's heartbreaking tragedy, a quest like vibe as Jacob seeks answers about his grandfather and the house. I felt like the book was dark, but that could be because the photos where all in black and white so my brain was picturing things in black and white, which is probably not a good thing but still! I had a dark vibe from it. It's not only the photos that are creepy either, the Wights, the Hollowgasts, they where plenty creepy! 

The book was insanely atmospheric, sucking you in to the world of the book, and it was incredibly addictive. Partly because of the lively, lovable array of characters, partly because of the setting and partly because of the originality. Seriously, you all know I love all things unique at this stage! Either way....I was hooked from the start! 

Hollow City

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises. 

I should probably admit at this point, that I picked this up straight after I'd read the first, and had resigned myself to reading all of them in one go....and I did. Genuinely. All day. I have no regrets either. 

In this second book, we get to explore the world of the Peculiars a lot more, and we get to spend more time with the other kids, getting to know them a bit better. I ended up loving them all even more to be honest. I found them such an easy bunch to relate to, Enoch is definitely me when I haven't had enough sleep and I'm grouchy! Each of them is so different, but they all work together, and each of them has something relatable about them. 

This book made me fall even more in love with the setting as we spent a lot of time in time loops, mostly the 1940's, but a couple of others as well and I just loved how well each was created through the authors words and the photos that went with certain passages. The 1940's came alive, each setting had a different vibe and was different from the other. It's vivid enough that you're pulled in there with the characters and you're completely fascinated because it's so authentically written. The visuals from the photos just give the book an entirely other level. 

In this book the suspense is even greater as the kids are trying to save Miss Peregrine and are kind of on their own, on their quest to locate Wren and get her help in restoring Miss Peregrine, while being chased by the bad guys the entire time. The ending really leaves you hanging as well, and the tension is ramping up further and further as you read. 

We get to meet and learn about peculiar animals in this book, and boy did I love Addison, and the visual we where given! They're integral to the storyline and I loved learning about them and getting to know them. One of the way's we learned about them was through a book of Peculiar Tales, and I would love for that to be brought out in real life, because what we did read....I loved and was completely fascinated by. I just love what the authors doing, what he's creating and each new taste of it leaves me wanting more! There's something so compelling about the writing, that even when it slows down a bit....you can't stop reading. This is the perfect continuation of the series! 

Library Of Souls

The adventures that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued with Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls.

As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all. 

I was so not ready for this series to end. Seriously. The ending was perfect, don't get me wrong. But it was bittersweet because I really didn't want to leave the world of the book or the characters. I've literally spent all day reading these three books in one go, because I have no self control, and I got so emotionally invested in these characters and so attached to them and so engrossed and enchanted by the world that closing this book after the last page....I kind of just sat there blinking a bit because it was a bit of a jolt, going from one fantastical world....to well....whatever rubbish was on TV. 

This series has been perfect, it has to be said. The continuation between each one...perfect. The blend of fantasy narrative with vintage photos....perfect. The plot....perfect. The characters....perfect. I could go on but I'm sure you get where I'm going with this. This one picks up straight from the end of the second book, and it's such a journey. We've come such a long way from the first book and here we are. Nearing the end. The conclusion is on the horizon. The stakes are high, the suspense is strong and you're kind of sitting there like....I'm so not ready for this to be over. 

We learn more about loops, more about Miss Peregrine and her family and more about the peculiars, or more specifically their beliefs. I personally found that fascinating and an idea I could totally get behind. It was another original touch, giving even more detail to the peculiars and bringing them even more to life. 

This book, as I've already mentioned, is complete perfection. The ending was so, completely perfect. I'm still not over it and it really made you see how far the characters had come. I was cheering for them and fist pumping because they all got their happy ending. They all got a chance at life, in a way. 

I've loved watching the friendships and the relationships develop over the course of the book. The relationship between Emma and Jacob was kind of, well...peculiar what with her connection to his grandfather and everything. But watching it develop....the author has done such a fantastic job. The relationship was organic, and so realistic, especially in this book and the obstacles they overcome and what happens towards the end and everything. It's just been so well done. The friendships really where beautiful to watch grow between Jacob and the others. Especially when there where heartwarming little moments, like Jacob being given the scarf, and you had a little moment of realization about how the friendship has grown over the books. 

The other two books have led perfectly to this one, without sacrificing the stories in them individually, and you could see everything coming together in this book and everything being wrapped up nicely and perfectly. I loved meeting Miss Peregrine's other brother...slimey though he was. I loved jumping through all the loops. I loved Jacob and his powers being expanded on, and him finding out what else he can do. There where plot twists all over the place and they all had me gasping or being like "noooooo!".  This book was just as compelling as the others and it was full of action, adventure and suspense. Suspense that you could actually feel from the page. You really rooted for the characters which made you get so attached and so one plot twist really upset me, to be honest! 

The Library of Souls is the perfectly peculiar and original ending to a completely enchanting and fantastical trilogy. I found myself fascinated as I was reading and looking at the photos. You go on a journey with the characters and the photography adds another level, another understanding to the book or visualisation of it, perhaps is what I mean! I genuinely have never read anything like this before, and I couldn't love the books or crow about them enough, I think everyone should read them because they're an incredible reading experience!