The Graveyard Book

There's been a lot of hype surrounding Neil Gaiman for some years.

I saw the movie Coraline and I liked it.

I also saw Stardust and I really liked it.

I read Fortunately, the Milk and didn't care for it all that much. Too much whimsy for the sake of whimsy.

So it was time to read some real, quintessential Neil Gaiman.

After The Graveyard Book, I can say that I still don't understand the hype.

This was a better story than the aforementioned picture book, and the opening chapter was fabulous, but overall, I was still quite ‘meh' about this one.

The story is a bit meandering, the characters didn't have much depth, and the language–while beautiful at times–was so incredibly repetitive (‘twining,' anyone?)

For a child, this is probably a brilliant and excitedly unexpected novel. My four-star rating takes into account the intended audience.

Though The Graveyard Book was fine, I wouldn't rush to another Gaiman. I do, however, recognize that I should probably read something of his that was intended for an older audience. Maybe then I'll understand the hype.