Varun

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”

A breathtaking book featuring striking scenery, illustrations, imagery & a stunning dual atmosphere switching constantly between gloomy & vibrant. This is a story of an extraordinary girl who shows incredible feats of courage, resilience & determination in the scariest of situations & has proven that dragons can indeed be beaten. Coraline is one of the bravest characters I know. It was an honor & a unique experience to follow her adventures through this remarkable journey.

A bit unfortunate that I already knew what was going to happen at the end along with some other key points in the story which makes it hard to connect with the characters due to no emotional stakes being involved just a downside of popular media especially with the release of the film it was hard to avoid all that stuff. Still, I thought I should give the book a try I liked it for the most part thought it dragged on a little unnecessarily towards the end but it's a good short read. Also important to mention it was simple to read which I really appreciate.

Spoilers really are the worst when it comes to emotional attachment to the characters and overall plot but over the years, I have learned to not make a very big deal out of them. So yes, maybe I didn't care much about the characters but that doesn't mean I can't understand why this book became popular and had a huge impact. It provided this unique and devastating point of view of two people very much aware of the limited amount of time they have with each other which didn't dissuade them from appreciating life, the little things about it and especially one another. For that I applaud the book.

It's pretty good; fantastic black & white illustrations complement the winter season setting of the story. Thankfully the romance is beautiful, it was lovely to see the relationship unfold. Excessive religious talk bored me a lot & ruined the experience. I'd say this is a better version of [b:Eleanor & Park 15745753 Eleanor & Park Rainbow Rowell https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1341952742l/15745753.SX50.jpg 17225055] so definitely check this one out if you liked that book, lot of similarities. Probably would have been better to read this at a slower pace & during Christmas.