Ransom Riggs - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Book Trailer

                                

• Pages - 352
• Published by Quirk Books
• Date - 7 June 2011
• Age 
• Isbn - 978-159744761

A combination of both conspiracy thriller and supernatural horror, this takes a young, spoilt teenage boy in American as the protagonist. His grandfather tells him stories of his experiences in WW II, including being evacuated to a mysterious island off the coast of Wales with other children – who are not normal children. One can fly, another can create fire, yet another can turn invisible. The boy listens raptly to these stories, but on becoming older decides these are just the ramblings of an old man to impress his grandson – until his grandfather is brutally killed by an unknown, horrific assailant, and the stories suddenly become real. Determined to follow his grandfather’s history, the boy travels to the island to discover the truth, and pitches into a world where what should be fantasy breaks violently into our reality, taking him on a journey from gathering unease to outright terror. 


For fans of X-Files conspiracy-type thrillers, horror novels, and with echoes of The Mabinogion and the books of Alan Garner, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children also contains photographic clues scattered throughout the book, a page-turning plot full of twists, turns, sly characterization, and fully realized worlds, both ours and others, making it a book sure to appeal to your readers!


20th Centuary Fox have just bought the film rights for this book, and a film should be out in 2013.

Clare Chambers - Burning Secrets - Book Review

                                                

• Pages 352
• Published by HarperCollins 
• Date 3 March 2011
• Age +11

Daniel has dark secrets and a troubled past. So when his family move to the island of Wragge, a gentle backwater where local life remains undisturbed he feels he’s escaped.
But outsiders aren’t always welcome and the more Daniel tries to conceal, the more he reveals about sinister goings on. Does this picture perfect community have something even greater to hide?

When this book found its way into my hands, I had no idea what the book was about. Sometimes, I find that it's good not to read the synopsis on the back of the cover, and instead to go in unknowingly. Interestingly, the book cover also reveals very few secrets as to the story inside, so I really did turn to the first page with little knowledge. However, I soon found myself uncovering a world of intrigue and mystery . . . . . 

When Daniel's family move to an idyllic new life, on the remote Island of Wragge, unfortunately things are not quiet right. It's too perfect. However, something sinister lies underneath this facade.

The author sets out the story from the very first page. As a result, it stays in the back of your mind to the very end. The flashback at the very beginning sets the tone through a very telling brief encounter. This leads into a mysterious past which collides with an even more mysterious future! 


The story is fast paced and very well written. I really enjoyed this book and soon felt myself becoming one of the characters. I really was living and breathing the story through Daniel. As him, I was analysing and predicting events through the different clues. Some of these came courtesy of a few timely flashbacks, whilst others were much more subtle. However, what was clearly evident, was the energy that oozed through the writing. The sinister and creepy events left you, at times, clutching the surface with the very tips of your fingernails. This book certainly delivered some timely twists and turns. 


I felt that this was really quite a challenging read through the real-life questions that were posed. Whilst these may be issues teenagers face everyday. It also questioned other issues including having a false sense of happiness and what it's like not to feel any emotions. In fact, to be devoid of any emotional capacity.
 
This is a cracking classic which will leave you breathless. Buy yourself a copy, read it and then let the time simply ebb away.


My thanks to the good people at HarperCollins for sending me the book.