Book Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
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Author: Neil Gaiman
Amazon Link: Buy now
Book Depository Link: Buy now
Genre: Children/Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Buy: Yes
Review: Goodreads
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Synopsis
Book Review
Further Reading Suggestion
The Ocean at The End of The Land
After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family...
Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.
Book Review
I've read one of the Neil Gaiman’s book before which is The Ocean at The End of Lane and I love it so much. Thinking of it, make me wanna read the book again. Okay, back to the review of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Obviously I love it so much as I gave this book 5 stars. I really interested in fantasy-mystery children book for adult. Even if the book is indeed for children, I think it suit my taste more. I find that this kind of book is mystery yet fantasy and fairy tale like that I prefer more than young adult fantasy.
The Graveyard Book starts with a very heart-racing and tear-jerking scene. I was very much rooting for the baby. Bod to be save by the ghost cause his life pretty much destroyed as his family being murdered by Jack. It was sad because he just a baby and I hate that he lost his family just in one night. Fast forward, he then lives with the graveyard family that so interesting and so many things happen in his life while living there. I can vividly see the life he’s been through at the graveyard because of Neil Gaiman’s writing style. Remind me of how much I love his writing style from his previous book that I read. I enjoy having fun and learning new things with Bod. It was excitement in every chapter and to be very honest I can’t really put down this book. I was too eager to know why Jack killed Bod’s family and every detail of the graveyard mystery. I want to know why and what and how. There were so many questions that came out while I was reading this book. I think everyone who read this book will definitely feel the same, like the feeling of wanted to know every single thing to be fully understood the story.
There are too many characters from this book that I love. I love Bod’s ghost parents, Mr and Mrs Owens that have typical over protective parents like. They love Bod as their own son and always giving advice and comfort Bod when he was in trouble. I love how the author portray that even they were ghost they still act and love like human-parents will. I feel like Bod never felt like an orphan because he got Mr and Mrs Owen as his awesome parents ever. Next we have Silas as Bod guardian. He is human being that lives in the graveyard to protect the graveyard. At first, I thought he was like an undertaker or something but he’s not. The graveyard is actually the old graveyard that nobody used anymore so there’s no need for the undertaker to live there. He such a mysterious character as he is the only human that Bod being associated with since the beginning but yet he’s not like any other human. To me who didn't even have any background or knowledge about myth and story about the unseen, it’s quite a new and exciting things. There are so many things that I need to fully understand before get into the next page but I love it. Well, I do know now Silas is not a typical human being he’s a vampire they said.
However, I do feel a little bit incomplete as the story come to end. I get this same problem when it comes to good book, make me feel unsatisfied as I feel I need more pages or 2nd book. I want to know what happen after the book ends and I want to know how Bod’s doing now. Is he okay? Has he finally found his happy ending? Sigh..
Book Quotes
may contain spoiler
"Does it work? Are they happier dead?" "Sometimes. Mostly, no. It's like the people who believe they'l be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn't work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you. If you see what I mean"
"It's only death. I mean, all of my best friends are dead." "Yes". Silas hesitated. "They are. And they are, for the most part, done with the world. You are not. You're alive, Bod. That means you have infinite potential. You can do anything, dream anything. If you change the world, the world will change. Potential. Once you're dead, it's gone. Over. You've made what you've made, dreamed your dream, written your name. You may be buried here, you may even walk. But the potential is finished."
"Can't I stay here? In the graveyard?". "You must not," said Silas, more gently than Bod could remember him ever saying anything. "All the people here have had their lives, Bod, even if they were short ones. Now it's your turn. You need to live"
Bod said, "I want to see life. I want to hold it in my hands. I want to leave a footprint on the sand of a desert island I want to play football with people. I want," he said, and then he paused and he thought. "I want everything."
"Leave no path untaken," repeated Bod. "A difficult challenge, but I can try my best".
Further Reading Suggestion
The Ocean at The End of The Land
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