The Peculiars

Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Harry N. Abrams, May 1, 2012 - JUVENILE FICTION - 368 pages

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.

What people are saying

Review: The Peculiars

User Review  - Melissa E - Goodreads

Plot: 3/10 Characters: 3/10 Setting: 6/10 Pacing: 2/10 Style: 5/10 Cover: This isn't the cover on the ARC that I received. But I like this cover. I'm just a little confused why the main character isn ...

Review: The Peculiars

User Review  - Juliana - Goodreads

This book was ok- I read the entire thing, and don't regret reading it, but it's just ok. It's also really really bad steampunk. If you want to read steampunk, try Scott Westerfields Leviathan series ...

About the author

Maureen Doyle McQuerry is an award-winning poet and author and a teacher specializing in YA literature and writing. She was the 2000 McAuliffe Fellow for Washington state. Her poems regularly appear in the Southern Review, Atlanta Review, and others. She lives in Richland, Washington. Visit her online at www.maureenmcquerry.com.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Peculiars
• Author: Maureen Doyle McQuerry
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, 2012
• ISBN: 1419701789, 9781419701788
• Length: 368 pages
• Subjects: JUVENILE FICTION / General; Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories