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A review by owlyreadsalot
A Peculiar Peril by Jeff VanderMeer
3.0
This book had me everywhere, mixed in those pages with the bizarre, the eerie, the ever-growing beings that seemed to have no end in sight. And even when that sounds a bit troublesome, it proved to be quite fantastical. Yes, I may have been fighting a battle with this novel (the areas that went on without needing to, or the moments that clarity was needed more than anything, even the kookiness that should have made it unforgettable that became mildly muddled).
There was so much more to keep the mind wondering, fascinated, and reading through (even with a few of those tidbits above). One area I enjoyed most out of this novel, were the chapter setups, plus the titles that were given to each one of them. It made for an even more interesting read. It was a good thing also, because the chapters jumped from one place to another, always showing the reader something different (creatures are really the most bizarre things I've read in awhile).
At times though, the characters introduced in here were not always the most memorable, but in other instances they really shined... such as Jonathan and his friends fighting some of those creatures I mentioned, or Wretch and Crowley venturing into the other worlds and finding their way to the land "of men, war elephants, and strife. Once more.", or Crikey the giant talking marmot that knew more than he was saying. So much in here to be discovered.
So yes, I can't say I was completely swayed one way or another, but it did keep me reading on, even when the story left me a bit frazzled at times. But, I can't say there wasn't enough supernatural, sciency goodness, or realms that weren't peculiar. There was so much of that in here that will leave the reader reeling for days. Even with those bumps on the road, I was glad to have gotten to experience the world within those walls and doors.
***I received this copy from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
There was so much more to keep the mind wondering, fascinated, and reading through (even with a few of those tidbits above). One area I enjoyed most out of this novel, were the chapter setups, plus the titles that were given to each one of them. It made for an even more interesting read. It was a good thing also, because the chapters jumped from one place to another, always showing the reader something different (creatures are really the most bizarre things I've read in awhile).
At times though, the characters introduced in here were not always the most memorable, but in other instances they really shined... such as Jonathan and his friends fighting some of those creatures I mentioned, or Wretch and Crowley venturing into the other worlds and finding their way to the land "of men, war elephants, and strife. Once more.", or Crikey the giant talking marmot that knew more than he was saying. So much in here to be discovered.
So yes, I can't say I was completely swayed one way or another, but it did keep me reading on, even when the story left me a bit frazzled at times. But, I can't say there wasn't enough supernatural, sciency goodness, or realms that weren't peculiar. There was so much of that in here that will leave the reader reeling for days. Even with those bumps on the road, I was glad to have gotten to experience the world within those walls and doors.
***I received this copy from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***