Book Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book is a deliciously dark tale about a little boy who grows up in a graveyard. Raised and accepted by the spooky residents, Bod, short for Nobody, is only truly safe within the confines of the graveyard on the hill, where the normal rules for the living hardly apply.
This book made me ugly cry. Now, you may be wondering how a spooky book about a boy in a graveyard can accomplish such a feat, but it would be a great disservice to just tell you. You must read this book.
For me, I think the part that hit closest to home was the little boy in the story and how he comes to terms with growing up. As a mom of four boys, thinking about them leaving the utter magic of childhood and then facing the realities of growing up always feels bittersweet.
The Graveyard Book is bittersweet. Not only will you be entertained by Gaiman’s storytelling, but you will also be charmed by the characters, intrigued by elements of the story that probably could be written as their own book entirely.
For example, how did the Jacks of All Trades come to be, and who exactly are they? This, and the other questions that pop up, add depth and layers to the story which allow the reader to let go and fully embrace their own imagination.
I really loved this book and I highly recommend you read it.