The Peculiars (review)

2/5 stars

The Peculiars is what I would call "prematurely published". It's always very unfortunate when someone allows this to happen.  It's an interesting idea for a world but the author seems to lack an actual interesting story to put in the world.

Instead what you get is a book that spends nearly half of it's time preforming chores, another half repeating itself (how many times must it be re-iterated that the letter is pinned in her chemise????) and tries to throws together a flight and camping trip (the go to of ANY book nowadays) near the end.  The most interesting tidbits of this book happen off-screen while we find ourself watching Lena sort books or fiddle with her gloves.

I like the idea of a world where Peculiars may or may not exist.  A world where people with wings, goblinism or other traits disguise themselves against persecution.  What I don't like is watching a fairly unlikable main character stumble around this world cluelessly.

Lena is stuffy but thinks she is wild.  I'm not sure where she gets this idea except that her grandmother says she is.  She's a grown woman she should be able to figure that out herself.  She's rather judgmental and a bit clueless.  The largeness of her hands and feet is emphasized repeatedly, as well as the doctor's conclusion that she is half-Peculiar.  Yet she still finds herself cooperation with law enforcement AGAINST Peculiars without ever thinking about how this might affect her.  But we're supposed to think she's an intelligent main character anyways. Nope can't do it.

This book ambles onward with a heroine who thinks she's wild, a man who thinks she's smart and adventurous, and a reader who finds herself bored to tears.  Near the end there's finally some action but by that point I cared more about the percentage of the book finished than the characters.

(I meant to publish this a day ago but my internet has not been working. Apparently ATT wants to reinforce Kentucky stereotypes or it just hates my family. This was written on my lunch break at the public library because I am desperate).