The Peculiars

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry. Upon receiving on her eighteenth birthday two envelopes from the mysterious father who long ago abandoned her and her mother, Lena Mattacascar determines to use the money left in one of the envelopes to track him down and learn why he left and what he truly is. If he is part goblin as she suspects, what does this mean about her? She already has goblin-like, oversized hands and feet; has she also inherited her father's temperament and character? In an alternative world that resembles the 19th-century American West, goblins and other "peculiars" are scorned as uncivilized and soulless. There is a movement afoot to find peculiars and exile them to the northern territory of Scree, where they can be monitored and put to work for the government. Lena's efforts to get to Scree are fraught with complications: most of her money is stolen; she starts to work for Dr. Beasely, a rich and eccentric inventor who may be involved in illegal and inhumane trafficking with peculiars; she is torn between her attraction to Marshall Thomas Saltre, who needs her help to investigate Beasely, and Jimson Quiggley, a student of evolution who doesn't believe in goblins. She is also constantly aware of her own hands and feet and worries about being identified and persecuted as a peculiar herself. McQuerry has written a coming-of-age story filled with adventure and romance, with a strong central character. Recommended.