As the years have passed, I have found myself staying away from YA literature. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but it’s easy to get lost in the endless series. I’ve been reading more standalone books lately but I still have my exceptions. I will be reviewing one of my particularly favorite exceptions. Note: there is a movie adaptation that came out in 2016 but I knew from the trailer that it had been changed too much to my liking.

Jacob Portman was just your average sixteen-year-old boy who loved listening to his grandpa’s stories. When tragedy strikes, Jacob knows he must journey to Wales in order to find the truth behind his grandfather’s life. While he searches through the former sight of the mysterious school he learned about, Jacob realizes that these peculiar children were more than just that. Soon, he uncovers the deadly reality behind his childhood stories as he delves into the world of the peculiars.

Riggs’ book is particularly unique in the way he tells his stories. He collected strange vintage photographs and wrote the story around those. They appear every few pages, providing interesting visuals that help add to the story. This fantastical and dark world of the Peculiars can suck you in within the first few pages. Riggs finds a perfect balance between childlike innocence and morbid curiosity in a way that both teens and adults can enjoy. It is fairly reminiscent of the X-Men and has just as much action. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a mysterious and gripping journey that spans the ages.

Note: This series is currently a trilogy and I am not sure if there will be a fourth or not.