The Graveyard Book is a story about a living boy named Bod, who, as a result of a terrible murder, is raised in a graveyard. His new ghostly and otherworldly guardians teach him useful tricks, such as Fading (to hide himself from foes) and history (from those who were there to witness it firsthand!). But soon enough new challenges arise, and Bod faces good and evil from both the lands of the dead…and the living.
I enjoyed this sweet little book very much. It was a short and fun read, and I believe that despite it being targeted at children, this book will be enjoyed by adults too. It had some moments of laugh-out-loud humour, as well wisdom. “A graveyard is not normally a democracy, and yet death is the great democracy, and each of the dead had a voice…” (Page 29).
The characters were all great. Nobody (Bod) Owens was a strong protagonist, who had a great sense of curiosity that kept the story going. Like a typical young boy, if Bod was told not to do it, he was doing it. It was fun growing up with Bod, from the age of a baby to a teenager, and learning about the world as he grew wiser and braver.
My favourite character was Silas, Bod’s self-appointed guardian. Silas is a dark character who found himself in a nurturing role, and the whole thing ends up being hilarious but also endearing. He formed an important role in Bod’s teachings and his journey as the hero!
Miss Lupescu also gets an honourable mention, because she was great. The way Gaiman wrote her stood out above the other characters and made her so memorable. I won’t say too much about her, because I’d probably end up spoiling something important (because everything about this character is mysterious).
The story and the prose was also thrilling. While the plot was relatively simple, it was still filled with fun moments that really had me wishing I could step into the book and experience it with the characters. The ending of the story had me crying—in a good way! I wanted to give both Bod and Liza a hug. The writing of the book was atmospheric and beautiful, and I loved that Gaiman didn’t ‘dumb down’ the text simply because it’s a children’s book. I know for sure I’d have LOVED this book if I read it as a kid.
This was a 4-star read for me—totally worth it if you enjoy a dark chocolate story (sweet but a little grim). You can also check out Neil Gaiman’s other books that can be enjoyed by adults and children, such as Stardust (1999) and Coraline (2002) (Coraline is still my all-time favourite Neil Gaiman book). An adult book with a similar vibe that I also loved was Gaiman’s Neverwhere (1996), featuring dark tunnels and an appearance of the infamous Rat King.
Maan Atelier 