Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Graphic Novel)

Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #1. Yen Press (Oct. 2013) Library

When Jacob Portman was a boy, his grandfather regaled him with stories of his fantastic life at Miss Peregrine's home during the Second World War, even sharing photos of the remarkable children with whom he resided. As Jacob grew up, though, he decided that these photos were obvious fakes, simple forgeries designed to stir his youthful imagination: Or were they...?

Following his grandfather's death -- a scene Jacob literally couldn't believe with his own eyes -- the sixteen-year-old boy embarks on a mission to disentangle fact from fiction in his grandfather's elaborate yarns couldn't prepare Jacob for the eccentricities he will discover at Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children!

Artist Cassandra Jean, who rendered the graphic novel version of Beautiful Creatures, now turns her "peculiar" eye to this fully illustrated adaption of Ransom Rigg's international bestseller!

I read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children when it first came out, with book club members that consisted of the "readers" in my family. All I remember from the book was a picture with a lady carrying a chicken that looked like my aunt. Basically, I forgot what the whole book was about so I decided to read the graphic novel version to jog my memory. I don't remember much about the first time I read Jacob's story, but I feel like the graphic novel was way more entertaining and fun to read about.

Now I know I can't concretely say that the graphic novel version is better because I don't remember what the difference was from the original story to this version. I'm sure it doesn't have as many details, however I just really liked the graphic novel so I'm just going to say it's better or at least as great as the original.

The artwork was done sort of in manga style. It was so cool seeing Jacob and all the other peculiar children right there. Jacob looked moody all the time along with Enoch (the boy who can raise the dead). I actually think I was able to follow along which characters were who in this version especially since I had a picture reference for all of them. All of the peculiar characters have such weird/amazing abilities. Whenever a book has at least one character with an ability I always fantasize what my ability would be if I had one. Emma, Jacob's love interest, probably has the best ability out of the bunch which is the ability to create fire while Olive's ability to levitate would be awesome to have, but in reality I'd probably levitate out of the atmosphere and die... 

Everyone being stuck in a certain time zone is something that I can see really messing them up in the future. First of all, who wants to be a kid for a hundred years without experiencing anything else other than one day? Also, if they go out of the time zone they will die! What's the point of this time zone restriction? It limits you. That's part of the plot that really bugs me. I don't see there being a happy ending for these children.

I have to stop for a second and mention one of my favorite characters other than Jacob named Enoch - the boy who can raise the dead. I sort of have a thing for him now because of the way he looks in the graphic novel and his moodiness reminds me of Gaara from Naruto. I just wish I knew more about him. I wanted actually to get to know each of the characters more which is probably why I feel like last time I couldn't tell the difference between all of them. That's probably one of the only downsides other than the "romance."

The "romance" is so creepy in this story! Jacob has been dealing with his grandfather's death and coming to terms with the monster he saw killing him. He has all these problems and then a bunch of children from World War II tell him that everything his grandfather has been saying is real. There are monsters chasing these children and I'm okay with romance. I love romance. Bring it on! But, you set up Emma with Jacob? Emma who was Jacob's grandfathers first love? She doesn't even really like Jacob! It's just because he is his grandson and looks like him that you give him the time of day. I really, really dislike this pairing and I hope it goes away. And you are limiting Jacob! Jacob should have a family and happiness. I like Jacob that much. I see him as a great leader for this group but, it doesn't feel right for him to be stuck like they are.

So I don't like the romance... That doesn't deter me from reading the other books in the series. I actually really care about the characters this time around. I really want each of them to come out of this alive which I think won't happen, but I have some hope. Also, I need to make sure Jacob makes the right choice and stops going out with Emma. It's creepy man. Just stop.

What do you think of the Jacob and Emma pairing?

(No spoilers of Hollow City, please!)