Summer Writing : from Kyla, a 7th grader

My Book Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children 

By Kyla 

This book was quite compelling to me at first glance, and like all books, I’d hope it digs right into the action. Or at least give me something to read for, like a mind-blowing plot twist.

My father got this book for me last Christmas. At first, I wasn’t thrilled to read it, but I occasionally would read it, hoping that it would become interesting. The beginning of the book was quite a drag, in my opinion. It consisted of an analysis of the main character’s normal livelihood and how his grandfather who passed away used to tell him stories. (which I am not a fan of) So I put the book down for awhile. Finally, at the end of the school year, I decided to give it one more shot because it was one of the book options for summer reading and itt was quite convenient to pick it back up rather than buying another book.

I was forced to trudge though the humdrum beginning. Then, something marvelous happened! Once I finished the first 3 chapters or so, it got EXTREMELY intriguing.

The main character, Jacob, stumbled into an alternate dimension where one day, March 9th 1940, repeated over and over again in a constant loop. There in that dimension, he found the abode from his grandfather’s fables where a lady named Miss Peregrine (who has the ability to transform into a bird and create loops) would shelter peculiar children. The peculiar children had to fight evil wights, whose only purpose was to kill them and take over all the loops.

Jacob truly wanted to help, but he had his own conundrums. If Jacob settled in the loop, he wouldn’t be able to go back to his time and his parents would be worried sick. But if he returned to his time, his friends in the loop would perish and he, himself, would have more of a chance of passing outside of the loop.

At the end, Jacob’s peculiar friends persuaded his father to let Jacob reside in the loop with them. At first, Jacob’s father was hesitant, then he agreed, possibly because the day before, he got drunk and now he believed he was hallucinating. So together, Jacob and his peculiar friends stopped the wights from invading their loop. But during the process, their home was destroyed. So at the end, Jacob and the survivors set out to sea in three small boats, searching for a new home.

My favorite parts of the novel were when Jacob found out that he was in love with his grandfather’s ex, Emma. Since Emma lived in the loop all her life, she practically looked 16, and at the time, so was Jacob’s grandfather. I also like the part where Jacob and Emma were being chased by wights, so both of them hid in a barn. But when Jacob saw the wight trying to break in, he went out and slain the wight and saved Emma by hiding her in a sheep pen.

I loved how the book was filled with heroism, sacrifice, love, tense jump-scare moments, and fantasy. At the end, this book became one of my favorite books I ever read. (maybe in the Top 10) I’m glad I finished this book, and I’m glad I had to read if for school.