Reviews

A Peculiar Peril by Jeff VanderMeer

juller's review against another edition

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2.0

Truly a peculiar book with a sly sense of humor. Possibly recommend to fans of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

_funkyfrog_'s review against another edition

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5.0

Genuinely not sure what I just read. Amazing 10/10. Can’t wait to read again.

doctorw0rm's review

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i love jeff vandermeer but when i realized this was for children i was like eh i’m not super interested. i’ve read a lot of middle grade and YA books this year for some sense of completion I feel i owe to my past self, and i don’t want to read any more that i don’t have to. i don’t even really like YA. maybe I’ll pick this up again later, who knows.

telltalepage's review against another edition

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DNF @ 50%

I just...I can't do it. There's a level of weirdness I like (which this has) but a level of cohesiveness that I need (which it does not).

dewaldo's review

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A little too YA for me. Wasn't much of a plotline, it mostly felt like the main characters bounced from place to place. I didn't find the characters very deep or even likable. Just not for me.

wickedmitch's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a delightfully deranged book that is quite engaging and enjoyable.

wespm's review

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adventurous funny mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

rynflynn12's review

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

ratcousin's review against another edition

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3.25

There are a lot of things I like about this boo. The whimsical yet matter-of-fact writing, the bizarre world the story takes place in, and the mysteries woven skillfully throughout. All wonderful. I do think it's biggest weakness, though, is how many moving parts there are, and the fact that they don't quite click into places at the end. There were so many characters that it was at times hard to keep track of who was on page and who was being talked about and who was mysteriously missing from scene to to scene. This was especially an issue in the Crowley chapters, as there are many underlings and side characters thatocw in and out of the story at various times.

librarydoc's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

2.5

Ok I made it to 75% and I’m calling it. 750 pages and I’m still not loving this book. I really wanted to live the world building and characters but there is just too much going on in this bizarre story to connect to anything. 
Jonathan is a teen who inherits his grandfather’s estate with one caveat, he’s got to catalogue everything in it. Jonathan ropes two friends in and the three discover magical doors that open to other versions of Earth. Together the three, along with new friends they meet on the way, try to thwart the plans of a body-less Alistair Crowley. 
I loved the Area X series by this author and was super excited to find a YA book by him. Just too tired to keep slogging through this one. Too long, too twisty, too bizarre.