Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children is a gripping adventure which I bought to read with my daughters, as many reviewers said it was like Harry Potter, a series they absolutely love. My daughters are pre-teens, but have enjoyed many young adult books, so I made the decision to give this series a try too. We all loved the first book in the set and most of the second book. It wasn't quite as magical as Harry Potter in the sense that the focus of the magic and paranormal events is quite dark. The Harry Potter series is balanced with the benevolent and the beautiful. Attacks and battles happen in Harry Potter, but not in every other chapter as in Miss Peregrine's Children (as we've read so far.) Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series tends more toward the morbid and the mysterious, with lots of blood, attacks and bodies. Now my girls are going through a "spooky stuff and bad guys" phase (as a follow in from fairies and fashion) which is why I got this series, to be honest. They're quite happy to get all this inspiration for their drawings and games. But if you have children who are more sensitive, keep in mind that this series does include gore enough to cause nightmares and anxiety. Personally I have found the books too violent for my tastes. I was a little uneasy about this given I was reading the book to my girls, but it didn't seem to bother them. Now we're not a family who has a problem with profanity, but I think this series is a little heavy on it for pre-teen readers, and this is something I would have liked to have known beforehand. My girls thought the language was hilarious (possibly they thought their Mummy reading such words aloud was even more funny) and we haven't had any problems with them copying it or anything. I think it's fine for teenagers who are suited to some strong language and high stakes, but I know some parents will be concerned about their teens reading a series of this caliber. Unfortunately when we got half way through the last chapter in the second book, my children asked me to stop reading the series they had enjoyed so far. The stakes had got too high for them and the death of one of the newer characters whom they'd become very fond of upset them. We have a plan for me to read ahead and let them know what I think before we read the rest of the series, as they really want to know what happens and love looking at the pictures and wondering what the characters will do next. In conclusion, a brilliant story, but intense with dark themes. Wonderful, lovable characters that kids will relate to, but fairly grown-up themes. Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children gets full marks from me for originality, being fascinating, gripping storytelling and lots of funny moments. But it's probably not appropriate for the sensitive teen or for pre-teens who are just beginning to explore older kids' books. If your pre-teen wants to read this series, read with them or ahead of them to make sure you think they'll be alright with it, as you know your child best.