A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs. A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.
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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was my book club's November book of the month. I automatically wrote that off as a win because I had watched the movie, so I thought I was ahead of the game. I was wrong. The week before book club my group meets up to create crafts where I was told that the book and movie are very different. I freaked out realizing I needed to read this within a week, but luckily found it as an audio book just in time.
I will admit with audio books you sometimes zone out and miss details that I would have otherwise been more keen too, but yet I still noticed obvious differences. Since I did listen to this as an audio book I figured I'd touch on my overall comparison between the book and movie, but not be too critical on a writing style and structure I wasn't paying as much attention to.
Some of the main characters were switched up with both their appearances and their peculiarities then some were pushed further into the background and vice versa. The main change that I was warned about though was the ending. The movie held an abrupt grand finale where the book more slowly gained momentum to an end that felt less of a cheesy happily ever after because it left you hanging in the book for the sequel.
I watched the movie first and enjoyed it. That is the opposite in most cases to where I read the book first then watch the movie. That might be why I liked the movie. I didn't have expectations or any prior knowledge on how it should go, so I was entertained. After reading the book, I appreciated the insight and depth that a written story provides over a movie, but I almost see them as two separate stories. The movie might have been inspired by the book, but they went two different directions and focused on different pivotal points with the same basis. The movie had a more clean finish, while the book left you wanting more to feel like this adventure was only the beginning.
I'd recommend to watch the movie then read the book just so you don't create expectations. The book far outweighs the movie, but I appreciated the movie as a separate entity. In conclusion, I would suggest others don't necessarily compare the two, but enjoy them both individually.
