Butterfield Library

Arden Reads

A Peculiar Peril
by Jeff VanderMeer

A Peculiar Peril by Jeff VanderMeer is a YA fantasy novel about a young man who inherits his deceased grandfather’s mansion and discovers that the basement holds portals to different dimensions. Chaos ensues when the protagonist, Jonathan Lambshead, enters one of the portals and must start a quest to protect the world from the evil taking over this alternate dimension. Based on the description of this book, I went into it expecting quite a unique plot and odd characters, but I found myself still surprised by the zany events that took place throughout the 600 pages of this book. The characters and writing of this novel reminded me of Alice in Wonderland—ridiculous and absurd characters complete with constant witty, one-liners and hilarious descriptions. I was intrigued by the setting of the story, an alternate universe called Aurora. At first thrown by the feeling that VanderMeer placed the reader in a different world with little explanation, I soon began to realize that that was the nature of this book—to be thrown into the magic and crazy events and be content in the confusion. The chaotic writing and plot of this novel soon grew on me and left me immersed in the story. One of my favorite aspects of this book were the characters—specifically the minor characters. While I did enjoy the protagonist, who I felt showed immense emotional growth throughout the novel, some of the most enjoyable characters were also the most ridiculous. I was endlessly entertained by Rack, who was born as an old man, as well as the golden Sphere—an object that they search for that ends up to be quite a character in itself. These two are one of many that contribute to the very odd atmosphere that makes up this novel. I would recommend this book to somebody that does not mind a ridiculous read and is in the mood for something different. Although A Peculiar Peril is fairly long for a YA book, I can guarantee that readers of all ages will never be bored for an instant.