The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Pages: 307

Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens

Genre: paranormal

Notes for Parents: Some mature themes

The Back Cover

Nobody Owens, know as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead. There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy—an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Body leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod’s family.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

After the murder of his family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where he’s taken in by a ghostly couple and raised by the citizens of the cemetery. While he longs to be an ordinary boy, the graveyard offers him safety from his family’s killer who is still searching for him.

What’s good?

Gaiman’s engaging writing style and rich characterization creates a sophisticated fairy tale full of surreal wonders. This witty and quietly emotional adventure is full of charm, and Bod is thoroughly loveable as he comes-of-age with the support of his ghostly foster family in the graveyard. There is a delicately crafted balance between the sweet and macabre as even the reader begins to feel as though the graveyard is safer and more inviting than the world outside its gates.

Best Part: Silas…actually I love the entire graveyard community!

What isn’t good?

It’s a children’s story that begins with a triple homicide. While I personally found the story fascinating, sensitive readers may not like the dark and sometimes ghoulish tone.

Worst part: None!

Recommendation þþþþþ

This was a compelling and fantastical tale that I found thoroughly enjoyable. The characters were wonderfully drawn and memorable and the setting was beautifully macabre. Highly recommended.

Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. New York: Harper, 2008.