The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, is one of those middle grade novels that has the potential to appeal to readers of all ages. And it definitely succeeded in appealing to me.
I’ve read a few of Gaiman’s novels and one of his short stories anthologies, and I’ve enjoyed all of them. He has a knack for bringing both his stories and his characters to life through his writing – not to mention coming up with stories and characters that are both intriguing and unique.
The Graveyard Book, like most of Gaiman’s stories, is just the right level of dark. While the idea of a child growing up in a graveyard – surrounded by ghouls, ghosts and other paranormal beings – may not appeal to every parent out there, I don’t think it should be the reason those parents pass on the novel. In fact, I can’t think of a reason why they should pass on it – because I think most parents would enjoy reading it just as much as their children would.
As I already mentioned, I enjoyed both the characters and the story itself in this novel. The characters are all really well-developed, and they way Gaiman describes them makes them easy to picture. And I loved reading about the many adventures Bod took throughout the book.
Goodreads summary
After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod’s family . . .
Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.
Miranda Burski 
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