by Ransom Riggs

5 Stars

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: Riggs, Ransom: 9781594746031:  Books - Amazon.ca

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a young-adult fiction and fantasy novel written by Ransom Riggs and is a part of the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Series (literary series). The timeline of the story is a fusion between the past (the early 1940s) and the 2010s era, including various time loops. The story is about Jacob Portman and his adventure to discover the truth about the death of his late grandfather Abraham Portman. 

When Jacob Portman and his best friend Ricky discovered the dead body of his grandfather, Jacob encountered a monster that no one else saw. The police were called in to investigate the situation, but could not accept the testimonies of Jacob Portman because they were too unrealistic. “Even my best and only friend Ricky didn’t believe me, and he’d been there,” was what Jacob Portman said. It seemed that Portman was the only one able to see the beast, and as a result, he was sent to a therapist named Dr. Golan to “fix” him. According to the advice of the therapist, Jacob and his father Franklin Portman travelled to Cairnholm, Wales, to visit an old children’s home that Grandfather Portman used to inhabit in hopes to heal Jacob.  

During the visit, Jacob found the old home and later encountered the old peculiar children that once lived in the facility. Slowly, Jacob uncovers the secrets his grandfather kept from the family. Then, later finds himself in a dangerous situation that can determine the fate of the peculiars! Upon this realization, Jacob Portman also experienced a great betrayal! Jacob and some of the children from the home set out on a mission to protect the house and prevent a terrible tragedy from occurring. 

This book is great for people that enjoy reading fantasy, adventure, and mystery-themed books. It is also for those people that have a reading hobby or enjoy reading books with a series. Ransom Riggs has done a good job in presenting the contrast between the past and the present while combining them at the same time. In addition, the story includes accurate information on past history, providing a clear time setting of the book.   This novel is very intriguing, leaving cliffhangers at the end of every chapter. The conflict within the story keeps readers hooked and desperate for what happens next. The plot development is really good with its intense and scary scenes! The usage of descriptive words helps the readers imagine the vision of the story. Readers can easily get attached to the characters and understand who they are because of the character development. Also, the book includes pictures of each character to provide a better understanding of who they are. Riggs has a very creative mind and has written a fun story for both youth and adults to enjoy! The book finishes with a cliffhanger but fortunately provides a sneak peek into the next work, Hollow City! Overall, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is an excellent read!

Iris R.

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Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

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Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1) by Kristin Cashore

Graceling is the first book of the Seven Kingdoms Series written by Kristin Cashore and was published on October 1, 2008. This story follows a young woman named Katsa and her adventures with Po, a young Lienid man, as they attempt to figure out the mysteries and reasons behind the kidnapping of Po’s grandfather. In this world, there are abilities called “Grace”, which allowed one to have an excellent talent for a certain task. For Katsa, it is the Grace to kill. Throughout her entire life, she was trained to kill or torture those who King Randa, the king of Middlun and Katsa’s uncle, wanted, which were mostly morally evil. Though Katsa had an idea to do what is morally better than to be her uncle’s “pet”. After her escape under King Randa’s grasp, she finally had the chance to do what she thought best, as she helps her Lienid companion solve the mystery. 

The writing of the characters in this book is amazing, as each character and their behaviour are expressed in a clear way. For example, Giddon, an underlord of King Randa who had worked with Katsa countless times. Though as the chapters progress, his negative personality shows. His jealousy getting the best of him, his snarky replies towards others, and special treatment towards Katsa- until a certain point of the story. Another example would be Po, who was introduced as a mysterious person, one with a confident and cautious atmosphere. Though as the story progresses, he is seen as a caring person and a well-suited companion to Katsa, as they go wander through the lands of this world.

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Nyjel C.

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by Raina Telgemeier

5 Stars

Drama: Telgemeier, Raina: 9780545326995: Books - Amazon.ca

Callie Marin is a middle school student with a love for all things related to theatre. As soon as she is made aware of the fact that her school is putting on a production of a play named “Moon Over Mississippi”, Callie immediately signs up to be in charge of set design, with a passion to create a Broadway-worthy set with a middle-school budget. Faced with challenges along the way, Callie does the best she can in order to overcome all the drama at school and in her personal relationships. The story focuses on her as she learns the importance of teamwork, friendship and being inclusive, as well as how that can be beneficial both off and on stage. It also introduces and teaches children about LGBTQ+ topics, normalizing the idea of being different.  

Drama is a beautifully written graphic novel with fantastic characters that many kids can relate to, those feeling like outcasts because of their sexualities are taught that they are not alone. It is one of my favourite books I’ve read in a while. It’s very refreshing to see openly gay characters portrayed as normal people, not having their whole personality being based on the fact that they have a different sexual preference than those around them. I would rate Drama a definite 10/10 based on its quality, story-telling, and representation. I’d recommend this graphic novel to those who are 13 or older since some scenes are more for mature audiences, but it is amazingly written, and the style is beautiful therefore I’m positive anyone can enjoy it.

Vlada E.

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by Raina Telgemeier

5 Stars

Smile: Telgemeier, Raina, Telgemeier, Raina: 8601300314594: Books -  Amazon.ca

The autobiographical graphic novel named Smile follows the author, Raina Telegemeler, as she takes the reader through the events that took place from 6th grade all the way to when she graduated from high school. The graphic novel starts off by introducing then 11-year-old Raina as she goes with her mother to the orthodontist’s office, learning she will need to get braces in order to repair her overbite. Later that night, as she is chasing her friends around having fun, Raina ends up falling face-first on the hard concrete breaking her 2 front teeth. As soon as her mother sees what happened, she immediately takes Raina to the orthodontist’s office to see if they can do anything to save her teeth. After the orthodontist does his best to repair her damaged teeth, they notice that the teeth are lodged too far up compared to all her other ones. Due to this fact, she has to wear braces that would be even more intrusive and painful to her life, trying to pull them back down, even going as far as having to wear headgear at night to help. The story continues following Raina throughout her teenage years, showing her struggles with friends and other obstacles she had to overcome due to her braces. Raina Telgemeier also illustrates how escaping a toxic friend group can change the way you see yourself, and she learns to have more confidence in herself by changing her environment. 

This is an excellent read, in my opinion. I’ve personally loved this book for years, I’d recommend it to younger audiences who enjoy reality, comedy and a satisfying conclusion. I would rate this book a solid 10/10. 

Vlada E.

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