Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Jun 19, 2018
I am thoroughly grateful that Coraline was not released until 2002. In 2002, I was 13. At 13, I was too old to have my parents reading me stories in bed. And that is a blessing because I was an easily frightened child and my father was an excellent storyteller. Coraline would have given me nightmares.
It's not an overly scary book, but the Other Mother is very much like the boogeyman. If you're naughty, she'll take your parents and want to sew her buttons on your eyes. The creepy scenes are written with the greatest craft and skill. Coraline is endearing, while also being a ghost story.
As an adult, I don't think I appreciated Coraline as much as many others, especially those whose grew up with it. But it's still a fun book and I do appreciate Neil Gaiman's children's stories. :)