The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

[snugglekitty]

Title: The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: YA fantasy
Setting: Principally a graveyard in the present day. Big surprise there, I know.
Reason for Reading: I basically read everything Gaiman writes.
Pages: 307
Copyright Date: 2008
Cover: A tombstone with an angel on it, against a blue background.
First line: "Rattle his bones/ Over the stones/ It's only a pauper/ Who nobody owns"
Best part: It was really sweet.
Worst part: It was over too quickly.
Imaginary Theme Song: "Graveyard" by Tori Amos
Grade: B
Recommended for: Gaiman addicts like myself, fans of ghost stories.
Related Reads: Stardust by the same author. Charmed by Diana Wynne Jones. I'm trying to remember the name of a book I enjoyed as a teenager about a girl who was friends with a ghost, but unfortunately I can't remember it.

I hear that the title of this book comes from Kipling's The Jungle Book. Kipling wrote a book about a boy growing up in the jungle, raised by animals. Gaiman wrote a book about a boy growing up in the graveyard, raised by ghosts. Nobody Owens has loving parents, a mysterious guardian, and a special power - the Freedom of the Graveyard, which lets him see ghosts and work small magics. But he is not content with the small world he knows. What will he put at risk when he begins to explore the boundaries of the permissible?

I think this book is very charming, and not in a smarmy way. In a Gaiman way. If you are friends with an older child that loves weird stuff, get them this book. They'll be delighted.

Comments

[ultra-lilac.livejournal.com]

I loved this too. I liked that there was such a rich world and that the plot deftly touched on many parts of it in a simple enough way to appeal to young readers and intrigue adults.

I really hope he writes a companion/sequel to this.