BY CHRIS SURPRENANT
Arts Editor
Centuries-old children, a mysterious island, and angry villagers—Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs encompasses all three for an unsettlingly haunting story. Enriched with disturbing vintage photographs, Riggs’ debut novel tells a unique story about an outcast looking for a way out, for something that makes his life worth living. Ironically, those who make his life worth living have been alive much longer than he has.
Living his life one day at a time, Jacob Portman isn’t exactly what one would call a lover of life. Friendless, aside from a green-haired fair weather acquaintance, Jacob has formed a special bond with his grandfather, Abe. A teller of fantastic tales for as long as Jacob can remember, his grandfather appears to be losing his marbles when he starts to fear the stories he often recited to Jacob. Upon his mysterious, gruesome death, Abe leaves Jacob a cryptic message about his past, only prompting more questions. Believing his grandfather was just reciting more nonsense Jacob dismisses the message and is left to cope with his lack-luster parents.
After Abe’s death, life stops for Jacob. Reclusive, unhappy, and wildly unsure of himself, he embarks on a journey to discover just what happened to his grandfather and why. Visiting the island of Cairnholm, Jacob meets several old friends of his grandfather’s, including Miss Peregrine and the children she looks after. Miss Peregrine’s wards all have “peculiar” abilities, such as levitation and invisibility. Jacob, along with his new companions, stumbles upon the unworldly horrors that led to his grandfather’s death.
Riggs effectively grabs the reader’s attention with so many diverse characters. Though Jacob may be the main focus, the secondary characters are the more interesting. His love interest Emma, for example, is literally a ball of fire when she wants to be. There is also Olive, the endearing levitating child who must wear weights to walk on the ground. Perhaps the liveliest child is Millard, the matter-of-fact invisible boy whose logical thinking is a hoot to read. Though Riggs’ descriptions suffice to capture the imagination, the photographs throughout the novel enrich the spooky tone for which he aims. Some of the photos are truly unsettling and will give readers a bit of a shiver, just as Riggs intends.
The mythology that is intertwined throughout the novel can get a little blurry at times. In one instance, Miss Peregrine attempts to describe to Jacob how she and the children are able to live among Cairnholm’s residents without their knowledge. Several types of “peculiars,” as they are called, are described, each with their own purpose. Their enemies are referred to as “wights” and “hollowgasts” that want to invade the world the peculiars live in. Such complexity may be a bit of a turn off, and is hard to keep straight. However, the complex layers create the foundation for a good story, and the associated loose ends will become neatly tied up.
Riggs’ work practically seems to beg for a sequel, and screams for movie adaptation. A lot is given to the reader in this first book, so at times certain characters and explanations are underdeveloped. Jacob’s father, for instance, is an amateur bird-watcher. Instead of creating sympathy for a man unloved by his wife, he comes off as a sulking sad-sack who throws his own pity-parties. Given a little more depth, Riggs would be able to create an interesting dynamic between him and Jacob.
This is a work of fiction that young adults will surely enjoy, although older readers may also find it a quick, enjoyable read. With its imaginative setting and perfectly peculiar persons, Ransom Riggs’ Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will certainly keep readers wanting more.
