The Graveyard Book is the story of Nobody. Nobody Owens, to be precise- a boy who was raised in a graveyard, by ghosts, after the rest of his family was killed by a mysterious man Jack. Nobody, or "Bod," is kept safe within the confines of the cemetery, but in the real world, the man Jack is still after him . . . and Bod is determined to find out why. With the help of friends among the living, dead, and somewhere in between, Bod confronts the mysteries of his past- and the promise of his future.
The book was enjoyable- it was well-written, suspenseful, and Gaiman's playful use of the environment was well done. For example, the graveyard holds people from all eras, and those people converse with Bod using terminology and knowledge consistent with when they died, which I thought was fun. Being teen fiction, the book wasn't quite as dark as I hoped, and a lot of cool concepts were left unexplained or little explored, which left me wanting more. Finally, I wasn't quite sure what the point of the book was- was it just a suspenseful, adventurous coming-of-age tale in a unique, surreal world? Perhaps . . . or is the graveyard symbolic of the sanctuary we all build around ourselves, and the fear that comes with leaving those boundaries? Perhaps Gaiman is saying that part of maturing is confronting the fears and unknowns outside our comfort zones, and it's necessary to leave the familiar behind to fully realize our potential? I'm not sure . . . but it's worth a read, and a think.
Rating: A-
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