The Peculiars By: Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Title: The Peculiars

Author: Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Pages: 354

Level: Young Adult

Published: May 1, 2012

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.

Review: 

If I could rate this book based off of the cover, it would probably be one of my favorite books ever. I absolutely love the cover. Sadly, that’s probably the only thing I loved about this book. 

If I had known that the time period was in the late 1800s I probably wouldn’t have read it because I generally don’t like books in that time era. In my case they’re all usually boring. 

This book wasn’t necessarily boring, but it did take a while to get interesting and by that point I was already turned off by the time period. 

It’s hard to write a review for a book that was just okay. I can’t pick out anything that I hated, but I also can’t pick out anything that made it an amazing book. 

The one couple that I was anticipating to get together, NOTHING happened. I can understand no romance in a book, but it was like McQuerry wanted to tease me by these little hints of romance thinking it would lead up to something and in the end, nothing. That was probably the most upsetting part of the book.

Overall this book was mediocre, it didn’t stand out for being overly bad or good.

Cover: 5,000/5

Character Rating: 3/5

Style: 3/5

Plot Development: 3/5

Overall: ***