Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: YA Horror/Fantasy
Published: 2008
Content Rating: PG for scary situations
An orphan grows up in a graveyard, raised by ghosts, but is the man who killed his family still after him? (This, by the way, is what we call a high concept novel).
I love Neil Gaiman. Love, love, love, love. He's got this gift of turning the mundane into something magical, while simultaneously making the fantastic seem perfectly reasonable. So even when the climax felt slightly predictable -- essentially each element of the boy's life came into play to help him win -- it was so much fun I didn't care. (Besides which, the resolution mattered more to me than the climax. It's not like I ever thought Bod would lose.)
I'd recommend this to pretty much everyone. I'm even going to read it to my kids, but... probably not until they can handle scary better. I'm still having trouble telling the Passover story in a "this is scary but it's okay" kind of way.
It is indeed a wonderful book.
ReplyDeletedah! i SO want to read this book! lol about the kiddos and the Passover story! so true!
ReplyDeleteI read the first few pages and was scared (I was in the bookstore, so I put it back). I know, I'm a wimp. But I need to try again, just because Gaiman is so talented.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder!
I loved this one too, especially the villains.
ReplyDeleteI agree, a book to be treasured!
ReplyDeleteLove Neil Gaiman as well! Read the Sandman Series...just amazing.
ReplyDeleteOh man, Holly Ann, Sandman is the thing of his I want to read the most! But I can't justify the $140 Amazon is asking for all 10 volumes :-(
ReplyDeleteI loved this book, too! But yeah, even the cover scared my children.
ReplyDeleteAmy