The Graveyard Book

The graveyard book kicks off with one of the best openings I ever read, trapping us in Gaiman's writing until the last sentence.

We follow Bod's growth through short stories that prepare him, while we are masterfully circled back to the beginning.

This was an incredible journey. I loved and cared deeply for every character, but especially Silas, Ms Lupescu and Liza.

The ending was emotional, but I'm mostly feeling sad for leaving the graveyard behind.

‘If I come back, it will be a place, but it won't be home any longer.'

This is an absolutely wonderful read.

In midst of reading the multi volume large landscape fantasy novels, this comes as a breadth of fresh air. Simplicity suits this tale told from a child's perspective and its so far away from “American Gods” that you are amazed that its the same author. Highly recommended for all from children to adults.

Short Review: I have now read all of Gaiman's full length books. This is a middle grade book, written older than Coraline, but not really an adult book. It is a coming of age novel, if you happen to be a live boy that has grown up in a graveyard with ghosts for parents and a vampire (?) as a guardian. Nobody Owens (he is called Bod for short) learns all kinds of things normal children don't because he has friends that grew up over the past couple hundred years. And there are some things in the graveyard that are even older (and darker). Bod is in the graveyard because it family was killed when he was a baby and Bod escaped. And the killer is still out there, and still wants him dead. I hedged on making this a full 5 star book because it sags in a few places. But it is very close.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/the-graveyard-book/

I think I would have loved this book when I was younger. I really liked it, but I agree with the reviews that say the beginning and end are the strongest parts. That beginning was honestly fantastic. I could see what the middle chapters were doing/trying to accomplish, but every chapter felt like its own short story. I wasn't a huge fan of that, but I really liked how some of the relationships were handled. I think Neil Gaiman did a really great job of showing and not telling... He never even tells us big things about certain characters, yet you know those things are true because of what they say and how they act. It's very well done. The end could've gone further than it did, but if this is a middle grade book I'd say it's good where it's at. Overall, I think I would have rated this 5 stars in middle school, adult me is leaning closer to 3 (mainly because of the flow of the middle chapters), so we're going with 4.

~Full review here on The Bent Bookworm!~There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.Well, if that's not a hair-raising beginning I don't know what is! The first chapter was very creepy and just odd enough to make me suspect that something more than just a mass murder was afoot. Thankfully for the target age range, this chapter is by far the most creepy and the rest of the book is mostly adventures and Bod (the MC) growing up.How you interpret or read this book is going to be greatly effected by how familiar you are with its inspiration, which was Rudyard Kipling's [b:The Jungle Book 77270 The Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327873594s/77270.jpg 17441265]. The resemblance is clear but the characters and setting are SO different and I love the way Gaiman wove in supernatural legends to the basic story of a child raised by ghosts. While all the events of Bod's growing up years are connected, many of the chapters read like individual short stories, especially when there are jumps in time as Bod grows older.Silas, Bod's guardian, is a character that puzzled me right up until the very end. “Not dead but not alive” is the description given of him, along with a few other things that REALLY should have clued me in but for whatever reason I was oblivious. Even though he is Bod's ultimate authority, Bod is mostly raised by the benevolent ghosts of Mr. and Mrs. Owens, along with many other helpful specters. As it is stated in the beginning, when the ghosts decide to allow Bod the protection of their borders, “It will take a graveyard,” to raise the lost boy properly.I thoroughly enjoyed Bod's journey. As he moves through very young childhood towards his teen years, he meets many creatures from outside the world of the living. He talks to people centuries old. He learns things. Gradually, he comes to realize that while the graveyard has offered him protection and care in the best way its residents know how, he will have to leave in order to learn about the current world outside. Leaving though, is full of peril, because the evil that killed his parents and older sister, still seeks after him. Bod however, is not a shrinking violet.“Well,” said Bod. “If I go outside in the world, the question isn't, ‘who will keep me safe from him?'”“No?”“No. It's ‘who will keep him safe from me?'”A confrontation looms closer and closer, and at last Bod has his chance to avenge his family and reclaim his own life. This is the one part of the story that I really felt unsatisfactory. Though in the end, the reason for the murder of Bod's family and the attempted murder of Bod is somewhat explained, it's really a very murky, insubstantial reason that left me squinting at the book and thinking, “That's it?” The ending is rather bittersweet too, as Bod realizes that, with the world safe for him at last...he must go out to seek his own fortune.Overall, this was an entertaining coming-of-age story, with a unique twist. Bod is a very plucky little guy, and his spirit made me smile all the way through.Bod said, “I want to see life. I want to hold it in my hands. I want to leave a footprint on the sand of a desert island. I want to play football with people. I want,” he said, and then he paused and he thought. “I want everything.”“Good,” said Silas.Blog Twitter Bloglovin Instagram Google+

I love a good dark and whimsical piece of writing. Even if it's technically probably for kids. This was a rare instance in which I was genuinely sad the book ended because the characters grew on me so much: I felt the gut wrenching sadness of being left behind with the Owenses when Bod and Silas left at the end. I resented that the crew was scattered in the wind with no promise to ever again reunite. And the death of miss Lupescu- absolutely tragic.
All in all engrossing and I guess even though the Jacks' motivation felt like an afterthought it still held my interest all the way through. 

This book was an obvious choice when it came to something to read aloud to Luke (age 8). I've read a few of Gaiman's books and this one is aimed at his age group (without a dumbing down of vocabulary). The main character is an orphan raised by ghosts and others in a graveyard. He's given the name Nobody Owens, but goes by Bod. The story is creepy and weird, yet light-hearted. Luke enjoyed it and kept asking me to read more when I was going to finish for an evening. Finally, with about 30 pages left to go, he couldn't stand it and asked if he could continue reading it on his own before final lights out. He polished it off before I returned to turn out the light, then I finished it myself later that night. It's a cool story. We both enjoyed it.

A tremendous reminder of Gaiman's skill — one that I preferred to Coraline, whose enjoyable narrative is nevertheless revealed to be flat and (ironically) lifeless when compared to the vibrant and moving characters and situations of The Graveyard Book. Both have their merits, but I found this to be the superior read.

The Graveyard Book It's more of a 3.5 book than a 3, especially towards the end.To be honest, I haven't made up my mind about this book. The idea for it sounded really awesome but I was completly bored for half of the book.
 
The initial chapters didn't do that much for me and the characters I enjoyed reading about (Silas and Scarlett) were absent quite a long time.
 
I have to say that the last few chapters were indredibly good. I loved the interaction between the girls and Bod and how the events unfolded. There was a lot going on and I simply couldn't put it down.
 
I also appreciate that they decided to include Gaiman's acceptance speech as part of the extras of the book. I quite enjoyed reading about his relation with books and his writing process.

When a young toddler, unknowingly on the run from death, wanders into an old graveyard, he is adopted by the inhabitants of the tombs. Bod, as he is called, grows up in the graveyard and has all sorts of adventures with his friends, both living and dead. This is an enjoyable book with a good mystery and fairly satisfying mystery story. I think the ending could have been wrapped up a little better and I'm still in the dark about a few plot points, but nonetheless this was a nice autumn read. I actually listened to it and while the narration (done by author, Neil Gaiman) is nothing to write home about, the music that frames the beginning and end of each CD is wonderful.