Book Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

"Bod shrugged. "So?" he said. "It's only death. I mean, all my best friends are dead."

"Yes." Silas hesitated. "They are. And they are, for the most part, done with the world. You are not. You're alive, Bod. That means you have infinite potential. You can do anything, make anything, dream anything. If you change the world, the world will change. Potential. Once you're dead, it's gone. Over. You've made what you've made, dreamed your dream, written your name. You may be buried here, you may even walk. But that potential is gone."

- The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman.

The Graveyard Book is probably one of my favorite books by Neil Gaiman. It's not the usual defeat the creeper and live happily ever after. Its about giving a boy the chance to live. And fighting bad guys and dream walking and all that stuff.

After Nobody Owens entire family is murdered hes granted the freedom of the graveyard. Two ghosts, Mr. and Mrs. Owens, open up their grave to him and treat him as their son. Silas, his not quite living but not quite dead guardian watches over him and provides him with whatever he needs to stay alive.  But besides that Bod is free to do whatever he wishes.  

Meaning he goes through the gateway to the abandoned city of the ghouls, finds the ancient Indigo man, makes friends with a normal human girl, searches for a headstone for the grave of a cranky witch, and tries going to a normal school. 

But then his past reappears. The man called Jack is back in town, and hes not happy that Bod escaped him the first time. 

With the help of Scarlett, Nobody searches to try and find out what happened to his family all those years ago. But Jack is on to him and finding out might just be the last thing Bod does. 

The book starts with a family murdered and the title gives you the idea of death. But I got the feeling while reading it that this book was all about living. 

As Bod gets older he starts to feel out of place. With the freedom of the graveyard hes can do the little things like, dream walk but hes to alive to be a complete part of the dead's world. When he finally gets Silas to let him go to a normal school hes to close to the dead to fully become a part of their world. He feels out of place and its sad to watch him struggle with this more and more as the book goes on.

The world Neil Gaiman creates is stunning. I read through this book slowly and was amazed at the details put into it. We stay in the graveyard for the most part but Gaiman manages to create an entire world for Bod to explore and mess up.

Silas was probably my favorite character. He cared for Bod in a way his ghostly parents couldn't. He made sure that Bod was prepared for whatever might happen inside or outside the graveyard. He was always there for Bod and he made sure that Bod understood the difference between having a heart that beats and one that doesn't.

This book is a must read for any book lover.

Thanks for reading!

My Rating: 5/5 Stars
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Published: June, 24, 2008
Art: Dave McKean

Book Review: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

"Be wise.
Be brave.
Be tricky."
- Coraline, Neil Gaiman

I read Coraline thinking it would be a funny, light read.  It wasn't.  Actually I'm surprised it was even in the children's section. I'm pretty sure if I had read this when I was ten I would have never been able to open up doors again.

The story starts off with a small girl moving into a dreary, grey house that has been separated into four different flats.  A crazy old man training mice lives above, two old actresses live bellow, and another is empty.

Coraline's parents are usually working and leave her alone for the most part.  Bored and angry with them she begins to explore the woods around the house. A sassy black cat appears a few times but besides that the place is a vast empty grey.

So Coraline begins to explore the house.

She decides that the man upstairs is quite crazy.  Miss. Spink and Miss. Forcible from bellow tell interesting stories but they also seem to be cracked as they insist that she is in danger and give her rock as protection.

Her own house is fairly quiet until she can't get a door open.  When she ask her mom about it they open the door and theres a solid brick wall behind it. Coralines parents tell her that it used to lead into the empty flat and its been bricked for privacy but Coraline feels like something strange is going on.


After her parents are gone Coraline grabs the keys and unlocks the door.  Instead of a solid wall of bricks Coraline finds a long, dark passage.  Something scurries through the blackness and Coraline starts to walk down into the dark.  A light ahead appears and she finds herself back in the kitchen, her mother at the stove.  But when her mom turns her eyes are two large black buttons.

Neil Gaimans books are full of all things dark and sinister. Coraline isn't an exception. The idea that "another" mother with buttons for eyes in the next flat over wants you is probably one of the scariest things ever.

Coraline has a very big heart. That was one of the things I loved about the book. Shes angry at her parents in the beginning but as it progresses she starts to realize just how much she loves them and fights to get them back.

Same with the ghosts of the past children who are in the mirror. Coraline feels so sorry for them and tries to save them from the "other" mother.

And then theres the sarcastic black cat that keeps showing up. My heart was so happy when Coraline made sure that the cat made it home.

I recommend this book to anyone whose a fan of classic horror stories.  The spooky "the monster under the bed" theme is perfect for October.

 Thanks for reading!

My Rating: 4/5 Stars
 Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Published: January 2002
Art: Dave McKean