Author: Ransom Riggs
Pages: 352
Pub: Quirk; 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Time Travel
Etc:
*sigh* I absolutely loathe books with long titles. They seem overly ambitious and I NEVER get them straight. I think I've referred to this book as: Mrs. Pedigree's Unique Children, Mrs. Uhhh, School for Strange Children; "The book with the strange children in it". You see what I mean folks? How can I suggest a book when I can barely get its title out.
Luckily for the author, this book has entered the blogsphere by storm so just a random "Mrs." and "Children" and you're able to find it via google or amazon. *pressure averted*
And I totally GET why it's taken readers into a whirlwind frenzy of OMG-ing and ooohhing et al. The use of such disturbing and creepy pictures interspersed within the pages was a #win for the author. Because ya'll...those pictures ARE creepy. It is reminiscent of the circus folk that evidently used to traipse around the country. Those people really did exist, right? Back before it wasn't PC to gawk at strangeness. (Quinkydink enough, Miss Peregrine's children used to travel with the circus. Or at least some did).
What I didn't expect, even though I skimmed most reviews, was to find a time travel novel. Immediately I wanted to begrudge the story because of this. Time travel just does.not.interest.me. It's so hard for me to suspend my disbelief. Even though why yes, I could believe in a young girl whose body doesn't seem to follow the law of physics OR the gravitational pull. So shoot me.
There is also an adventure and a mystery and even a little bit of romance.
BUT, I was pretty meh about the whole thing. Perhaps it was the hype? Or perhaps because the cover looked so freakin' creepy and the book fell short because my mind is too twisted and ITS creepiness is in the subtleties and not knowing.
If you haven't read it yet, I'd still say go for it. The pictures alone made it worth the purchase.
I"m on the (very long) hold list for this at the library. I admit, while I used to be very excited about it, once I realized it was YA, my excitement lessened. I've read too much paranormal YA in the last few years to be terribly interested in it anymore. I was hoping it would be more adult, like The Night Circus. Still, I'll read it. I was hoping it would come ot be before RIP was over but I think I'm still #32 or something ridiculous like that, so I'll have to get to both it and The Lantern after RIP. Ah well.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't care for time-travel...do you have a weak point? Fish-out-of-water-time-travel is one of my favorite obvious set ups in stories...
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about feeling meh. The pictures were interesting except that on a few occasions I felt like he made the story just to go with the picture. But it's funny but I also agree with you about the levitating girl I could appreciate but the time travel... I don't know, LOL.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I fell for the cover, too.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty meh about this one too. While I loved the images, the story didn't quite grab me.
ReplyDelete