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. Praise for The Peculiars STARRED REVIEW "McQuerry offers a brooding northwest setting touched by steampunk elements to tell a story that is in equal parts inventive fantasy, light romance, and thrilling adventure. With a backdrop as strong as its heroine, this one is a page-turner." --Booklist, starred review “The Peculiars combines a teenage girl’s search for her identity with a setting that merges the genres of fantasy, gothic and steampunk. A light romance, a bit of adventure and the author’s inclusion of historical notes complete this delightful offering.” --BookPage "Readers graduating from the stories of C.S. Lewis and Edward Eager will be right at home—and cat lovers will adore Jimson’s employer’s pet, Mrs. Mumbles." --Publishers Weekly "A creative, entertaining, and wholly original fantasy." --The Horn Book "Richly atmospheric read." --Kirkus Reviews Award YALSA 2013 Best Fiction for Young Adults
Lena has always known she is different. Her grandmother has told her daily from the time she was child and her mother has never said anything to contradict her. Even the family doctor says Lena is odd when he sees her long fingers and oddly oversized feet. The doctor says that both are signs of goblinism, of being what is called a Peculiar, a person with odd traits and features, mostly wild people who have been banished the land of Scree in the north. According to Lena's grandmother Lena's father was a goblin. Lena has no way of proving otherwise because her father took of when she was young. Once Lena turns 18 she decides she can no longer stand not knowing. She decides to travel to Scree to track down her father and find out the truth about herself, whatever it may. Along the way she meets some interesting characters. There's Jimson Quigley, her seatmate on the train to Scree who is heading to Knoster, the last town before the border of Scree to work in a library there. There's also Thomas Saltre, a detective who is kind to Lena despite her odd hands and feet, but who may have other intentions. When she arrives in Knoster she tries to find a guide into Scree and somehow ends up at the Mr. Beasley's library, the same library where Jimson has come to work. Mr Beasley's library is like no other, full of odd items and even an even stranger assortment of people. As Lena finds her way to Scree will she find her father and find out the truth about her heritage? And what role do all the characters she meets along the way play out in her story? I have never read a story like The Peculiars. It captures my attention and held it throughout the entire story. I felt bad for Lena, being ridiculed her whole life by her grandmother for something she could not change about herself. I, too, would have gone on a journey to find out the truth about myself. The characters at Mr. Beasley's were unique and fun to read about, especially Jimson, who treats Lena like any other person, and makes her feel comfortable about her hands and feet for the first time in her life. Overall I love the cover and the story is truly unique and you will never find another one like it. A fantastic read.
