BOOK REVIEW 'Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children'

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children
By: Ransom Riggs
THIS WAS NOT MY FAULT. I have full intention on publishing the last two weeks, but when the Patch switched over to the new format my account got all screwed up and I couldn't log-in. But, that's all cleared up, I'm back and ready to start a summer of great reads and superhero movies.
To start off our summer of nerdyness, we now take you to an island off the coast of Wales, with our main character, Jacob Portman. 
When Jacob was younger, his Grandpa would always tell him stories of his childhood and all of the adventures he had, including fighting monsters you couldn't see, living in a house full of 'Peculiar' children, all with special abilities, and the old bird that watched over them. Of course, no one other then Jacob believes him, but even that faith is fleeting as he grows older.
It's not until too late and Jacob's regrets about what he did and didn't do with his Grandfather are eating him alive, that he decides that maybe these stories need some further attention. So, him and his father leave the US and travel to an island off the coast of Wales, the island where Jacob's Grandfather spent most of his childhood. 
The island holds more secrets than it knows engraved in time and space, holding the lives of children once thought to be dead during WW2, and the rest of the novel explores Jacob having his own adventures with them.
 Overall, I really liked the book. The story line was nothing like anything I've seen before and I love all of the Peculiar's abilities and their creativity. We have one boy who is completely invisible (my personal favorite), a girl that defies the laws of gravity, a boy who can give life to almost anything dead, and a girl who can hold and create fire. Having those added character traits created for some really fun and interesting stories that the children have together during Jacob's stay. 
Has anyone here seen the Doctor Who episode 'Blink'? It's the one with the weeping angels that in the end Steven Moffat tries to make you scared to look away anytime you pass a stone statue? Well, Ransom tries to pull a Moffat and make you scared of your own shadow with the monsters in this novel. I like that. The monsters are creative and scary and I am so looking forward to seeing more of them in the next books. 
I almost forgot the most peculiar part of this book! It includes it's own pictures. No, it is not a picture book and I highly recommend not reading this to your children if you don't want nightmares to ensue. But, the author collects old pictures, and when he started writing the novel, he connected pictures to each character and situation. These pictures are included and sprinkled throughout the novel like little Easter Eggs to be found within the pages. The pictures in black and white have this certain beauty about them that just being included sets the novel apart even more from anything I've ever read. 
My only even sliver of a complaint with this book is that it is plotted really strangely. The first three chapters are pure exposition, then five more chapters of Jacob's peculiar adventures, and its not until Chapter 9 do you really know what they're fighting, and after that is when all heck breaks loose for about 2 1/2 chapters. Then a half more chapter of wrap up, and the novel is done. It's kind of unusual, but also my picking up on it is kind of nitpicking. 
I also just have to mention out of my sheer excitement, it's in the early production to be a movie! And Tim Burton is supposed to be the director! When I saw this I started freaking out. I'm not a huge Tim Burton fan like some, but I have seen a few of his movies and this novel seems perfect for his style. I have a feeling he could create something great out of it and I can't wait to hear about casting. 
Pages: 352
Read In: 9 days?
Rating: 8/10
Ages: 11-up
The Four Categories: paranormal creatures, death, romance