Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The novel follows a tale of what other creatures think will make us happy, and the terrible consequences that it brings. A young boy finds himself tied into a timeless world of wonder, monsters, and delicious jam. He and his friend must find a way to send the creature home before it’s too late.

Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Line is like a spider web. It dares you to touch it, and be tangled into the delicate, binding world that Gaiman crafts. There are times it fades away into something just out of reach, and then, a beam of light catches it just right and the entire thing lights up with an otherworldy glow that is both terrifying and alluring.

There are other moments that the story takes you off guard, the reader walking into it unexpectedly, fighting, kicking to get the sticky tendrils off, but the story stays, clinging to skin, bone and soul long after it’s been read. You can feel the webs curling around your  skin, tieing around your bones, and  lingering long after the moment has passed.

There’s something delicate and wistful about the story; something not fully formed like half-remembered thoughts and moments tied together with the delicacy  and strength of a spiderweb. It’s terrifying, endearing, and a breathtaking at an unbelievably fantastical childhood.