I have been long fascinated with The Graveyard book as it made the rounds on my timeline. I have loved the few works I have read of Neil Gaiman and so decided to give this one a read for one of the book reading challenges I signed up this year.

Title: The Graveyard Book

Genre: Young Adult / Ghost story

Author: Neil Gaiman

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Synopsis:

Our story begins late one night when a hired killer enters a house to kill all of its inhabitants. As luck would have it, the infant member of the family chose that very night to toddle off the house. He meandered up a hill and enters a graveyard where the resident ghosts are surprised to see him.

When the killer tracks him down to the graveyard, the ghosts foil his plans and take up the task of raising a “living” human amongst them. Christening him Nobody Owens, Bod for short, he is watched over by a Vampire Godfather and raised by an aged couple.

Bod learns history, architecture, legends, and other bits of knowledge from the various ghosts of the graveyard depending on their nationality and the century in which they died.

He makes friends with young ghosts as he has no other child companions to play with. Some teach him to become invisible while some tell him the secrets of some of the tombs of the graveyards.

Meanwhile, his Godfather works mysteriously to uncover the sinister plot behind the attempt to murder him. There is a larger force at work it seems.

What happens when Bod encounters another living person in the Graveyard? Do they become friends? Does Bod realise he is different from the others in the graveyard?

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Lasting Impression on me:

This book has got awesome reviews on Goodreads so my review is going to come as a shocker. I have a lot of questions on its plot lines which seems poorly fleshed out in several places.

I loved the premise of a toddler being raised by a family of ghosts; reminded me much of the Jungle book. The entire setting of the graveyard and its occupants is brilliant. The relationships of the ghosts with the little boy is warm and endearing.

His brooding godfather, however, is rendered mysterious but none of the mysteries are presented forth. His quest for the sinister plot is patchy and the plot itself sounded pretty hackneyed. Or rather the tale is very fantastical and needs to be read with loads of imagination.

I wanted to know more about the witch girl who helps Bod all along and the strange voice in one of the crypts – what was all that about.

Gaiman writes with a very prolific imagination and keeps one spell-bound for long. But then the questions start to itch just around the corner of believability and that’s when the disappointment starts to set in.

I didnt get the end at all – it was all too convenient and well-managed. I wanted to know more and more and more.

My rating:

Sadly I have rated it a 3/5 as I was left quite brefit at the end of the book. Not given up on Gaiman for I think he is a master story teller. Reading Neverwhere now and lets see where that goes.

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If you liked reading this review, perhaps you would be interested in reading this one too – Princess Dairies

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