Review: The Peculiars

Title: The Peculiars

Author: Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Publisher: Amulet Books

Your Age Recommendation: 13+

Publication Date: 1 May 2012

Available for Kindle?: Yes

Pages: 354

Copy: Galley

My Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewer: Angela

Synopsis:

This dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy, and romance. On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar. On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena’s father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears.

Angela’s Review:

The promise of steampunk drew me in to this one.  The Peculiars  follows Lena - a girl with traits that may or may not be goblinesque - in the days and weeks just after her 18th birthday. First a few things I really liked about The Peculiars: There are so very many ties between the culture of the book to our modern (and historical) culture. To name a few examples, there is a war for precious resources, there's a place outside of the well-populated areas where the outcasts live, and those who have the Peculiar traits - anything that's not expressly human - are treated poorly, excommunicated from normal society.

I also liked Lena, as a character. She's smart and unafraid to show it, but she also has insecurities - namely her hands and feet, which point to her possibly Goblin origins. In general, all of the characters are memorable and most of them are likable; they also come with varied histories, all of which play into the plot here in ways that are viable and important.

However, I have to admit that, near the beginning of the novel, I found myself very concerned. I found myself disinterested with the chapters immediately following the introduction to the book. As a reader, the journey Lena makes by train was dull, and it wasn't until the end of that scene that the book grabbed me again - a word of warning for other readers, methinks. I believe that this points to a few issues with the pacing in the beginning of the novel, because after that, the book is full of intriguing characters and twists, and I found it to be really enjoyable.

The culminating scene leaves the reader with a sense of peace for Lena for what is arguably the first time in the novel, and it's a real ending - no gaping plot holes to deal with and no major questions unanswered. And really, let's be honest here: the idea of a girl with goblin traits is really cool.

Two Thumbs up!