The Graveyard Book

I read this in one sitting last night. If you are age 12 or below you will love this book. If you are over 12 and have rated it 4 stars or better here, can I suggest that you are in desperate need of recalibration?

The shortcomings of this project have already been outlined by the TWO [out of 45] reviewers who have awarded it fewer than 4 stars. This "novel' reads like a short story that has been padded to achieve the heft required for full price sale. It certainly has its charming moments, but in general the characters are generic and one-dimensional. The story starts out well, but completely fizzles by the end, and the dramatic finale will have even a 12 year old shaking his head in disappointment.

Not worth your time; not worth your money...I want those 3 hours back Neil Gaiman!

When "The Graveyard Book" opens, a baby wanders into a graveyard on the night his parents and sister are murdered. He's adopted by a kindly ghost couple after his newly dead mother appears briefly to them, begging that they protect her baby from the killer who wants to finish off the job.

This is creepy stuff, but an incredibly original premise - it's not every day one reads a sweet story of a little boy growing to maturity in a graveyard, having adventures with witches and ghouls and learning some of the magic tricks of the Dead. Trouble starts when he ventures out of the graveyard and draws attention to himself, but his friends and "family" - and his brains and bravery - see him through. In the process, he learns the importance of living and experiencing life to the fullest while you still have the possibilities that life offers. Hooray!

Neil Gaiman uses a light touch throughout, with lots of phrases that brought a smile to my lips: "Bod ate his pizza with his fingers and enthusiasm."

The little graveyard by my school would have been the best place to read this book if it wasn't for the fact I ended up reading it in two nights by candle light.

After starting with a beautiful proverbial bang, it does have some slow and awkward bits but makes up for them with it's unique perspective and amusing twists.

Being an easy read, it would be great for any child or young adult who enjoy a good tale among ghosts :)

A book I will cherish, alongside Good Omens, Neverwhere, and the BOOK of Stardust. Your American Gods set my teeth on edge, and I felt like you had lost your way. Coraline was something of a stride back to where I remembered you, but here, once again, I hear the poet inside the soul. I have missed the one who delved deeply into our past, gleaning things half forgotten and still familiar. It is good to know he is still out there.
Perhaps, Neil, the best things we create in this world are at times the hardest to bring forth.
Thank you for having the courage to struggle. This story was worth all of it.
bright blessings,
Jazz

Perhaps the rave reviews here are because this book actually makes sense as part of some larger series by this author. If you aren't familiar with the complete Gaiman, tho', you might find this book hugely disappointing. It starts really well, with a small boy escaping his family's murder and being taken in by ghosts in a graveyard, but you'll never get any real answers. Why were his parents killed? (It has to do with an unexplained prophecy, and you never find out why this kid, or who made the prophecy, or why it matters.) He's run afoul of a secret society, but who they really are, or why we should care, or what they do when they're not threatening this kid, is never explained either. Most of the action at the end is unexplained, off-screen deus ex machina involving some group called the Honour Guard (nope, you guessed it-- you won't find out who they are or why they care either). Is it supposed to be a prequel? Is it supposed to make sense? Or is it a colossal rip-off and a total waste of time? The ghost scenes were good, but for a book with ghosts that actually makes sense and has an ending, you might try Alive in Necropolis... this is just the author making $$ for nothing, I thought.