The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book starts off with high drama, a small baby stumbling from his house where his entire family are murdered into the local graveyard, where he is found by the local ghosts. After a meeting, it is agreed that a married ghostly couple who never had children can adopt him, along with a guardian (who can leave the graveyard). The story then follows Bod and his new graveyard “family & friends” through adolescence with a few bumps along the way, including meeting a girl, attending school and of course finding out what happened to his real family.
This book is so quirky, it had me laughing from the first page even though it was about a baby evading a murderer! Bod is such a happy go lucky little chap too you can’t help but champion him on his journey, even the seemingly little things like learning to read using names on the gravestones and other funny little touches make the story really feel alive. Spoiler-ish alert – the last chapter is a little bit heart-breaking but also perfect.
This is almost like jungle book but instead of a child growing up in the jungle being brought up by the animals, it’s a child growing up in a graveyard being *raised (questionable word) by ghosts! It’s the only story that is similar to this, although I love the darkness of this book.
A really great read that I completely fell in love with from the first page and has long stayed with me since I finished the last! Very sweet and charming tale that I think people young and old will love. Not often I give a book five stars but I had to with this – one not to be missed!
I can’t take full credit for discovering this book it was recommended to me by the lovely Elena over at Home that we built and I must say what a great recommendation it was! KL ❤
How refershing when someone writes a critic on one of your favourite books. I love Neil Gaiman books, and this one appealed to my black sense of humour. I read this about a year ago and loved it. A baby boy finding his way to the graveyard after his parents have been killed and afterwards caed for by various ghosts and other apparitions. until the mystery of his parents death is solved. I was a little disappointed with “The Ocean at the End of the Lane” but this book reinstated Neil Gaiman for me as a good interesting writer.
Thank you for the comment Angloswiss. I was surprised how much I liked this book. I loved the humour throughout and it genuinely made me laugh out loud in places, which sounds all wrong with the dark storyline. A very unique read that I thoroughly enjoyed. KL ❤
You read it! You read it! You finally did read it! Oh my goodness – I am so excited right now as if it was me who wrote the book 🙂 I knew you’d love it – it’s irresistible! Oh, and your review is such a pleasant read, too!
I did, you were definitely right Elena. Fell in love with it. Such a good book, thank you for recommending it. KL ❤