The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

3.5 ⭐⭐⭐ stars. 

I really enjoyed this book.

“Really, he thought, if you couldn't trust a poet to offer sensible advice, who could you trust?”

It was aimed at a younger audience but that really wasn't so noticeable or take away from the story for me. The book is about a baby, whose family are killed, so that baby (Nobody Owens) is looked after by the graveyard people. 

I loved the adventures that Bod went on and how he learned about the graveyard folk and left the graveyard. I liked how the book was wrapped up with finding out who killed his family and having Bod leave on his own adventures having outgrown the graveyard and its people. 

“Name the different kinds of people,’ said Miss Lupescu. ‘Now.’
Bod thought for a moment. ‘The living,’ he said. ‘Er. The dead.’ He stopped. Then, ‘... Cats?’ he offered, uncertainly.”

I did think the pacing of this book was kind of weird. I think that was partly due to Bod growing up throughout the book and therefore large chunks of time were missed and it just jumped between adventures. This felt weird but works because of the audience so I can't really say that's much of a critique. 

I think this book would be great as a kid's animated film, like Gaiman's other novel Coraline which has been adapted. I think the graveyard folk would work well in Tim Burton's style of film and the story would be great.

Overall, I really enjoyed the concept and seeing a different side to a graveyard.

“It's like the people who believe they'll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn't work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you. If you see what I mean.”