Parents' Guide to

Library of Souls: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Book 3

By Patricia Tauzer, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Violent volume ends gothic trilogy with epic battle, hope.

Book Ransom Riggs Fantasy 2015
Library of Souls: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Book 3 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 4 parent reviews

M5756
M5756 Adult
February 3, 2020
age 12+

An Incredible Teaching Tool & Fantastically Written

I read a parent review that states that there are scenes during which characters sleep together. No there are not! This book is incredibly sexually innocent. The two characters who "kind of like" one another, Emma and Jacob, are still in that awkward stage in youth--they don't even share a kiss beyond the same sort of kiss you would give a family member on the cheek. This book is a magical teaching tool for discussions involving discrimination of any kind, free societies, fair governments, good vs. evil, bravery, courage, friendship, respect for authority figures...every teacher in America should thank Ransom Riggs for creating such a perfect classroom series (and for writing with correct grammar--rare these days). Please ignore that absurd review from a parent who is obviously clueless and didn't read the book. I'm a mother, an educator, and a librarian. This is a fantastic series and a great installment!

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Cmg3245
Cmg3245 Adult
October 21, 2019
age 10+

5stars!!

WELL IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS MORE THAN A TRIOLOGY PATRICIA. NOW WITH Its 5th BOOK COMING OUT IN 2020!! I CANT WAIT!
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

LIBRARY OF SOULS picks up right where Hollow City leaves off. Jacob and Emma narrowly escape the London destruction, managing to evade the hollowgast that's hot on their trail. Jacob gains more control over his special power, and with the help of Addison, a talking dog, he and Emma begin the almost hopeless pursuit of their kidnapped friends and especially Miss Peregrine, their ymbryne matriarch. A complicated series of adventures takes them through one narrow escape after another, through Victorian England, Devil's Acre, and strange loops to a medieval fortress and finally the Library of Souls. They face bloodthirsty hollowgasts, revengeful white-eyed wights, evil peculiars, and the dangers of a drug-dependent despicable society full of individuals who would do anything for their next vial of ambrosia. People and peculiars are not always who they seem, and several unexpected twists lead to an epic battle in the Library of Souls and the final resolution of Jacob and Emma's story.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (7):

Action-packed and accented by strange photos, this final book in Ransom Riggs' gothic thriller trilogy is complicated, spine-tingling, violent, and romantic. It's also well written and fun to read. The war between good and evil is the stuff comic books are made of, the vocabulary reads like a classic novel, and the unique story will engage anyone who loves science fiction, dystopian novels, and/or cannibalistic monsters, evil scientists, and heroes with superhuman talents.

Some readers may find the first part slow going as Riggs sets up pieces of a complicated plot. However, midway, the action and excitement pick up, and those pieces fall into place. Battles ensue, death and destruction are narrowly avoided, happy surprises follow hopeless disasters, and vice versa. Good is bad and bad is good as the story twists and turns through loops, tunnels, turrets, sewage-laden canals, and fantastical rooms and worlds on its way to a final resolution. Whew! What a journey! Definitely one readers will not soon forget.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about author Ransom Rigg's use of strange black-and-white photos. Do they add to the story? Does the story explain the photos or do the photos explain the story? How do these photos compare with those in the other two books?

  • Jacob often questions himself and whether he can do what needs to be done, while Emma is more sure of herself. What motivates Jacob to muster up the bravery he needs? What does his deliberation add to the story? Which other heroes, especially those in dystopian novels, have the same self-doubt?

  • Devil's Acre is a very dark, evil disgusting place. What role does ambrosia play in holding the people there? Do you see any relationship to the drug problems in our real world?

Book Details

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