The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

 Happy Halloween!

To celebrate today properly, I'm pulling out a book from my own shelves and reminding everyone that it's also very fitting for the holiday. According to what I've heard...and you might want to double-check this because my memory isn't always great...Neil Gaiman wrote this book with The Jungle Book in mind. It's a ghostly tale, but what always stuck with me were the first words:

"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."

Anyway, I'll place my review below and hope everyone enjoys the fun today!

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

by Neil Gaiman

Illustrated by Dave McKean

HarperCollins

Middle Grade Paranormal

312 pages

ages 8 to 12

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a perfectly normal boy. Well, he would be perfectly normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the world of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard: the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer; a gravestone entrance to a desert that leads to the city of ghouls; friendship with a witch, and so much more.

But it is in the land of the living that real danger lurks, for it is there that the man Jack lives and he has already killed Bod's family.

A deliciously dark masterwork by bestselling author Neil Gaiman, with illustrations by award-winning Dave McKean.

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

From the very first words, this tale hits chilling notes while weaving in meaningful messages about family, love, and finding yourself.

Nobody Owen (aka Bod) was an orphan after his parents were brutally murdered. Was...as in he was found in the graveyard by the paranormal residents and raised by ghosts and vampires. However, he is quite normal, otherwise. While he weaves the world of dead and dark, the true danger lurks in broad daylight and an enemy which goes by the name of Jack.

As dark and dreary as this novel is...and there are definite creepy tones with tension and danger...there's also a lot of underlying care and love. The author starts with a very, dark scene which almost has a reader questioning if middle grade is the ideal audience, and while it seems to push this border a bit, the book slides very nicely into the range. Nobody is as normal as any child could be...mostly. His guardian harbors many secrets but supports him in every way. The ghosts in the graveyard are a supportive community despite their quirky personalities. Readers can identify with Nobody while slipping into the richly layered world. In the darkness are many shadows, and that holds true for this read, too. But Nobody grows and steers things as best he can. It makes him easy to root for and fear for as things grow dangerous, too. After all, Jack is a very dangerous villian.

While the tale weaves with tension, adventure, and heart, the author has also slid in quite a bit of symbolism and food for thought. Nobody's name fits perfectly well for many reasons, and the villain 'Jack' hits a clever spot, which I've never forgotten since reading this years ago. Plus, there are all sorts of points that carry importance as Nobody learns to take things on and deal with life himself. So, this is a book to pick up for classrooms and homeschoolers as well.

But most importantly, this was a grabbing read with a character to enjoy. The tension builds as Jack's threat grows, and there are plenty of secrets and surprises along the way, too. Fans of ghost stories, adventure, spooky scenes, dangerous moments, and even characters with heart are sure to enjoy this one.