The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman
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Book Reviews of The Graveyard Book
Book Review: I Can See Why it got the Newberry
Summary: 5 Stars
After discovering Coraline I was curious to see what other books Gaiman had written and was lucky enough to find this in the library.I only had to read the first few sentences before becoming hopelessly smitten.
Nobody Owens has a very unusual life.He lives in a graveyard,being raised by the ghosts who live there and watched over by his guardian Silas,who is neither living nor dead.Nobody('Bod' to his friends)cannot leave the graveyard because a killer named Jack,who has already murdered the rest of Bod's family,is still searching for him.But Bod doesn't mind;he has plenty of adventures there.Whether he's exploring an ancient barrow(hill)inhabited by an entity called the Sleer,or accidentaly going to Ghulheim,the terrifying home of the ghouls,there's never a dull moment.Things can't go on like this forever,though...sooner or later Bod will have to confront the man Jack,and only one of them will survive...
Words cannot begin to describe how much I love this book.The characters all feel very real.Bod,though he can be obnoxious and a little selfish at times,is a great hero:a kind,intelligent boy.And Silas.How I adored Silas.Every kid dreams of having a companion like him.He's powerful,wise,and,most of all, mysterious.You can never predict just what Silas is going to do or say next.He also happens to be a vampire(one of the best ever,in my opinion).Gaiman never actually says what Silas is,but with all the clues he gives(Silas only comes out at night,consumes just one food,has no reflection,dislikes sunlight,ect.)you don't have to be a rocket scientist to put the pieces together and come up with 'vampire.'Even minor characters,like Bod's foster parents and the 'Hound of God' Ms.Lupescu,come alive.The graveyard is a wonderful,fascinating world I wish I could live in.The thing I think I like best about The Graveyard Book is the fact that,as one reviewer pointed out,it has a lot more'heart' than Coraline.Coraline is a good book,but you never get as close to the characters there as you do in this novel.
The Graveyard Book is wise,enchanting,and even darkly funny in some places.It fully deserves the Newberry,and I predict that in thirty years it will become a classic.I loved it to death and hope that Mr.Gaiman will write more books about Bod and Silas in the future.
Book Review: "Nobody" survives a tragedy and lives amongst the living and dead.
Summary: 3 Stars
The first time I started reading this (previewing it for my favorite ten-year-old bookworm), I stopped and set it aside after the fourth (too scary) sentence, "The knife had done almost everything it was brought in that house to do, and both the blade and the handle were wet." But as a fan of Gaiman's Anansi Boys and more recently, Coraline (good as written but fabulous as read by the author), I had to give it another go.
Unfortunately, the illustrations never impressed me, nor did, for the most part, the plot. Although I love the fact that Gaiman creates very unique story lines, the varied and unusual graveyard (and real world) characters didn't do anything for me. The story behind the plot to family in the first place, eventually revealed, was not worth waiting for. And the identity of a character that shows up late in the book was so obvious that even I (a generally clueless mystery unraveller) easily figured it out. The basic premise of the book is that a toddler somehow defies certain death at the hands of a knife-wielding killer. Graveyard inhabitants take on his care, and endow him with special powers and knowledge. He encounters a variety of creatures from both the living and dead/spirit world and even briefly attends school, learning life lessons likely to help him thwart misdeeds dealt upon him by the bad guys. Ultimately, he faces the powers that be and resourcefully proves that what he'd learned through all those years living amongst the dead paid off.
Fortunately, the reader does learn the motive behind the original crime. Unfortunately, the plot, initially appearing intriguing, is unique, but often as hazy as the spirits themselves. I'm not sure I ever figured out the point. The best of the story is that it delves into the realm of fantasy with its varied, unusual characters. The worst is the obvious unsurprising character and the illustrations. This slightly scary, scintillating book could have used a bit more work in creating cohesion and ironing out the details. As a fan of the author, I'm glad that he won the 2008 Newberry Medal (though I'd have preferred he'd won it for Coraline). Better: Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, Coraline (especially the Book on CD, read by the author) by Neil Gaiman and The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury.
Book Review: I Actually Really Liked It
Summary: 4 Stars
They call this a children's book, but as an adult I can honestly say I quite enjoyed it, and was a bit freaked out by it to tell the truth. There were some scenes (especially the opening chapter) which lead me to seriously question whether this book is appropriate for children at all. It scared me a little, and I'm by no means a little kid. That being said, it's a well-written, well-executed, and very creative story that keeps you guessing to the very end. I had fun reading it, and strongly recommend it to anyone.
What's it actually about, you ask? Well, without spoiling anything major, it's essentially the story of Nobody Owens (known as Bod) and his childhood. While a toddler, Bod's whole family is killed by a mysterious man known only as Jack. But Bod manages to get away, and finds shelter in a graveyard. The inhabitants of the graveyard decide to raise him. And so, the graveyard is where Bod grows up. Raised and taught by ghosts, with ghosts as his only friends. Throw in a protective vampire and werewolf, some ghouls, and all manner of other unusual individuals, and you get quite an adventure.
The early chapters of the book are essentially single 'episodes' in Bod's life. But then you get a more continuous story in the later chapters, making for a bit of an unusual format to an unusual story. But, it works rather well in this book, and actually seems rather appropriate. Neil Gaiman weaves a brilliant and entertaining tale which he has said was meant to be The Jungle Book set in a graveyard. You wouldn't think it'd work, but it does. This is one of the few complex 'children's stories' out there today. I particularly enjoyed the way that very little was simply given away. Gaiman would eventually tell the reader (for the most part) what was going on, and who everybody was, but you'd usually have plenty of time for guessing ahead of time, and some parts will still leave you guessing long after you finish reading. I found that to be the most fun part of the book.
Overall, I found this book to be one of my 'hidden treasures'. One of those books you pick up because it looks interesting, not expecting too much, only to find yourself pleasantly surprised. If you get a chance, check it out. My total rating: 4/5 stars.
Book Review: Gaiman Hits Another High-note With Graveyard Book
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to admit, in general I'm a huge Gaiman fan. I've heard it said that you either like him or you don't. I don't tend to draw such straight lines, but I have found his stories to be for the most part surprising, and ethereal and they either pull at my imagination or they don't. The Graveyard Book definitely pulls, and not just at my imagination, but extraordinarily; at my heart.
I have to admit, I was a little iffy with the first couple pages, thinking this was going to be straight-out horror story all the way through, but then it took a lovely shift into fanciful and it quickly became one I couldn't put down. If I was forced to draw one comparison between Gaiman's other works, it would be that he seems to me to be at his best when he writes for a younger audience. He gives himself more room to play, and his sense of whimsy is fully-developed.
The Graveyard Book is the story of Bod, a young boy who is raised in the most fantastical of places. A graveyard. Orphaned as an infant, after the chilling murders of his earthly family by the man named Jack, he stumbles into the graveyard. Here, he is taken in by a charming cast of the dearly departed and learns about life, for the most part, by the people positioned to appreciate it most; the dead. Here he is safe, but he is also trapped, as the murderous Jack is intent on finishing what he started, and leaving the graveyard would mean the loss of the protection Bod enjoys there.
Gaiman manages to populate his story with more than the expected ghostly cliches and provides a series of mysteries to keep us guessing throughout. His characters are entertaining, endearing and surprisingly charming. There were more than a handful that I couldn't help wanting to know more about; like Bod's mysterious guardian Silas. I could easily see this as a series with Silas as the bridging character throughout. Part adventure, part murder-mystery, part comedy and part supernatural history, and with the emotional resonance that it manages to strike as we see Bod's relationship with these ghoulish characters and the outside world, it really is quite hard not to love.
Rating: 5
(Note: Review originally published at: Aurelia.) [...]
Book Review: Every man Jack of 'em ...
Summary: 4 Stars
First the confession: My name is Caitlin & I am a Neil Gaiman fangrrl.
I have high expectations of Neil Gaiman, always, because I think he's an amazing & interesting writer & talent. Likewise with Dave McKean who treats us to his amazing pictures of the inside of his head. Neil (I like to think we're on a first name basis) almost never disappoints, although he has a tendency upon occasion to be just a little twee (cf., Stardust). On the whole, though, he could have written nothing but Sandman or Neverwhere or American Gods & we all would've been blessed with better stories for it.
I especially like the fact that Neil is obviously a voracious reader of all kinds of books. I enjoy teasing out the literary references & always feel a kinship with him - as if we've been reading along together out of the sea of wonderful books our whole lives. McKean, likewise, makes interesting pictures with interesting visual references to other random things & I love seeing what he sees.
The Graveyard Book is their latest outing for kids & young adults. It won the Newberry (& deserved to) & is in the general vein of Coraline (another wonderful kid's book). This is less of a novel & more of a series of interconnected stories. I almost wish they had made it a comic because it often felt like it wanted to be one, but it was also very reminiscent of other series of interlocking stories such as The Jungle Books (which he references as an influence) or all of the tales about Jack (a trickster character in both British & American Southern folklore).
I like the fact that it seems acceptable again for kids to read books that are a little more gothic in nature. It's good to see us loosening the reins a bit as a society. &, of course, these kinds of stories so often resonate with all those kids out there who feel a little different or set apart from their peers. This is a story that makes being different okay & kind of fun, but that also acknowledges that there is a price to be paid for choosing to walk your own path.
This was a lovely little book with beautiful illustrations. It's not my absolute favorite Neil Gaiman, but it's still filled with wonder. Recommended for any age!