The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman

Dave McKean (Illustrator)

When a baby escapes a murderer intent on killing the entire family, who would have thought it would find safety and security in the local graveyard? Brought up by the resident ghosts, ghouls and spectres, Bod has an eccentric childhood learning about life from the dead. But for Bod there is also the danger of the murderer still looking for him - after all, he is the last remaining member of the family. A stunningly original novel deftly constructed over eight chapters, featuring every second year of Bod's life, from babyhood to adolescence. Will Bod survive to be a man?

• ISBN10: 0061712825
• ISBN13: 9780061712821
• Publish Date: 1 October 2008 (first published 1 January 2008)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 11 October 2008
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: HarperTrophy
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[empressbrooke]

There are a lot of other reviews that say more than I can about this book, so I'll be brief - it's by Neil Gaiman, and it's about a little boy who lives in a graveyard. That should say it all, but just in case, I'll add that it's charming, intelligent, dark and yet uplifting, and I totally loved how each chapter takes place in a different year of the boy's life, and yet it all ties together quite well. Despite the setting and the murder that starts the story, the writing style is warm - if "warm" even makes sense in that context.

I do agree with the general consensus that the motives of the villain are a little hazy, but it only bothered me a smidgen. I largely attribute this to the fact that the previous three books I read left me hoping something would delight me again.