Monthly Archives: May 2016

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Book of the Week: 22 May 2016

Miss Peregrine

A peculiar book about peculiar children that has caught the attention of director Tim Burton who is bringing out a film version in September.

Jacob’s grandfather has always been full of outlandish stories about his life in a Welsh children’s home when he was a boy. He has a collection of eerie photographs, such as the one on the book cover which appears to show a hovering girl, which Jacob dismisses as fakes. When his grandfather is found dead, Jacob and his father travel to Wales to search for the ruins of the children’s home and find out more about the life of Grandpa Portman. What Jacob finds when he gets there involves mystery, time-travel and a huge amount of peculiarity.

The feature that marks this book as out-of-the-ordinary is that the author has used vintage photographs, that are atmospheric and sometimes downright disturbing, to prompt his story. Despite the fairytale aspect, the style of writing feels more suitable for older readers. The central character is sixteen and it contains an element of romance.

 

Using old photographs is not unique to this series (this is the first part of a trilogy). There is a book for adults, now sadly out of print, published in the 1930s called Lady Addle Remembers where the author Mary Dunn used Victorian photographs to great comic effect to parody the aristocracy.

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen

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The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen

Book of the Week: 15 May 2016

Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen

Susin Nielsen’s previous book, We Are All Made of Molecules, was a hit with our Year 9 judges back in November when it was shortlisted for the Warwickshire Year 9 Book Award. This one is a good deal darker in content but displays the same ability to tell a story with warmth and humour.

We quickly learn that Henry is writing a journal at the request of his psychologist Cecil, an ageing hippy-type who is given to exclamations of ‘Holy Moly!’ and who Henry refuses to warm to. Henry is seeing Cecil because of an awful event in his family that Henry refers to as ‘IT’. (I was halfway through the first chapter before I realised this did not stand for Information Technology). As a result of IT, Henry and his dad have moved from their small town to Vancouver where Henry has to try and settle into a new school. He gets to know a couple of other social outcasts – the geeky Farley and the rebellious Alberta – but the secret he is hiding is so big that he thinks making real friends will be impossible.

Susan Neilsen’s website is here and there is a book trailer here but BEWARE as it tells you far more about the plot than this review.

PS: A plea to publishers – please put reasonably-sized images of your books online. There was only a teeny-tiny one of the UK cover for this book and my photo of a shiny-covered library book isn’t nearly as good.

Jessica’s Ghost

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Jessica’s Ghost by Andrew Norriss

Book of the Week: 8 May 2016

Jessica's Ghost

Because Francis likes fashion and sewing, he is treated like an outsider at school and lives in fear of his chief tormentor, Quentin. Then, one day when he is sitting on a bench on the far side of the playing fields, he meets a ghost called Jessica and they become friends. Francis isn’t perturbed by Jessica’s other-worldliness but he is intrigued by her not remembering how she died and the need to return each night to the hospital where that occurred. If he uncovers the answer to this mystery will it help his friend?

This is not a ghost story for lovers of spookiness but a story about friendship and being different. Bullying and feelings of being odd or unacceptable are written about frequently in stories for young people but this handles a difficult subject, which I haven’t mentioned in this review for fear of spoiling the story, in a straightforward but sensitive way.

Although aimed at younger readers, this may be enjoyed by those who liked Am I Normal Yet? and The Art of Being Normal, two previous Books of the Week.

Andrew Norriss usually writes light-hearted comedies and he admits that Jessica’s Ghost is a departure from his normal style. It has been shortlisted for several awards which you can read more about on his website.

Rebel Bully Geek Pariah

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Rebel Bully Geek Pariah by Erin Lange

Book of the Week: 1 May 2016

Rebel Bully Geek Pariah

The title refers to the four central characters. Sam, who is telling the story, is the pariah. We learn that her mother has been to prison numerous times, she has been fired from her part-time job, she has scars that make her self-conscious and she seems to fulfill her grandmother’s saying that ‘only children are lonely children’. To begin with it isn’t clear who the rebel, bully and geek are until Sam finds herself at an outdoor party in nearby woods where she is trying to rescue her mother’s violin from Andi, a girl who used to be popular but who has turned into a rebellious kleptomaniac. They are distracted from their battle over the violin by a couple of fighting boys who are arguing over a set of keys. These are brothers York and Boston who they vaguely know from school. When the police raid the party the four of them run to the nearest car, accidentally knock over a police officer, then discover that not only have they taken a police vehicle but that it is full of stolen drugs. The four are now on the run, don’t get on together and don’t know what to do.

This book with its quirky characters has a lot to offer in terms of plot twists and tense situations. The story has a cinematic feel and it’s no surprise to find that the author, Erin Lange, is also a journalist. Her website is here.