This week I read Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard book. Which my cousin picked out for me to read at Chapters the biggest and best book shop in Ireland. I actually stayed up till half three finishing the book and It was amazing, I have to say it was one of the best single books I’ve read. It was really good at the start because I was in complete suspense but then by the middle it gets a little slow. The ending is the best part though.
The Graveyard Book is about a boy called Nobody Owens, Bod for short, who is a normal boy. Well he would be a normal boy is he didn’t live in a graveyard being raised and educated by ghosts. They found Bod who had wandered into the graveyard as a baby minutes after his family had been murdered by Jack. Bod was then claimed by the graveyard, so the ghosts could protect him. Even though the are dangers and adventures for him in the graveyard, Jack still lurks out in the real world waiting for Nobody Owens.
I was quite sad when it ended. I would have loved if it had been longer or even a sequel to the fascinating novel. I would definitely read it again.
One of my favourite characters would be Silas. Silas is Bods’ guardian. He isn’t exactly dead but he’s not alive. that’s one of the things I found quite interesting about him, he is very mysterious. Apart from providing food for him Silas is also his teacher. He is the kind of teacher who may seem demanding now and then but is always thinking for your interest at heart. Silas disappears from time to time going places. Apart from Nobody he is the most interesting. It would be absolutely mind-blowing if Neil Gaiman wrote the life story of Silas.
Neil is an astonishing writer, I never heard of him before I read The Graveyard Book. Usually after I read a book and write my review I look up the author and see what other books they wrote, but because this novel was so great I couldn’t wait. I was amazed to find out the he had wrote Coraline and Stardust, I’m actually going to go out and buy them. I can’t wait to read them because he put so much detail into this book and I love the way it was adventurous and exhilarating but also scary from time to time.
“Jack leaned over, raised his right hand, the one holding the knife, and he aimed for the chest… and then he lowered his hand. The shape in the crib was a teddy bear. There was no child.”
“He couldn’t push the minds of the dead as he could the living, but he could use all the tools of flattery he possessed, for the dead are not immune to either.”
“Silas went out for one final journey before sunrise. He found the tall house on the side of the hill, and he examined the three bodies he found there, and examined the pattern of the knife-wounds.”
I would recommend this book to ages nine and up its one book you can’t live without reading. I would give this novel ten out of ten.
I am buzzing to read more of Neil Gaiman’s novels.
