"The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

Gaiman, Neil (2008). The Graveyard Book. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

2009 Newbery Medal Book

Nobody "Bod" Owens escapes from a vicious attack by a man named Jack. His mother, father, and seven year old sister are not so lucky and die from Jack's brutal stabbing attack. One-year-old Bod manages to get out of the house and wander into the nearby graveyard where benevolent ghosts take him in, keep him safe, and see him grow into a noble fifteen year-old. The ghost world has kept Bod safe, but the world of the living is where Bod would love to be. However, the man Jack is still trying to find and kill him.

The very first few sentences had me hooked and wondering what was going on! As the story progressed, I still felt very lost and could not get a grip on the story line. This was mostly due to the fantastic plot and the many twists and turns it was taking. Each character, including the main protagonist, was quite a mystery to be solved as well. It was this sense of "Okay, so where is this all going?" that made it hard for me to keep reading. I am not saying I did not like the book, I just personally felt always so dizzy in the plot, and was not fond of that feeling! I did indeed admire the way the characters have depth combined with a big mystery to them. I admired the way Gaiman could put so many out-of-this-world creatures and scenes into one story and make it quite believable despite the deep sense of confusion prevailing throughout the book. I liked the book, but not the confusion I felt while reading it.