3.5 stars. 
 I pondered giving up on this title several times before the halfway mark. Happily, the pace picked up afterwards, and I was motivated to finish. I don't care to read the sequel, however. 
 The main character, a teenager named Jacob, experiences the death of his beloved grandfather. The death occurred under mysterious circumstances, however, and Jacob, after trying to process his feelings and grief, heads to a far-away island to help come to uncover and possibly come to grips with some of his grandfather's secrets. 
 This involves, naturally, the peculiar children. I highly enjoyed the vintage photographs the author procured for this title, and respect the stories he wove around each of them. Mostly, it was just okay for me, however. The writing nor the characters did not grab me, and overall I didn't like the pacing. 
 It's still a decent title for those interested in the absurd and odd.