From the Bookshelf of The Reading Challenge Group…

The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman

Start date: June 1, 2014

Finish date: June 30, 2014

Discussion: Group Read Archive 2014-16

Why we're reading this: YA Group Read - June 2014
[close] YA Group Read - June 2014

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Group Read Archive 2014-16

Genre Group Read (Humour) - December 2016 - You Are Not So Smart
By Allison , Quest Hound · 11 posts · 30 views

last updated Dec 28, 2016 04:05PM

Alternate Group Read (Classics) - December 2016 - Mansfield Park
By Allison , Quest Hound · 5 posts · 18 views

last updated Dec 04, 2016 09:34AM

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What Members Thought

Feb 04, 2022 Eileen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, audiobook, childrens, fantasy, 2022, 2022-ng-group-challenge, middle-school, supernatural-paranormal, favorites

All the stars!

At this point, I would say this is probably my favorite Neil Gaiman work. It's certainly the one I've "read" the most. I discovered this book when my daughter was young and we ended up really enjoying it. There was just something so interesting and likable about Nobody Owens and the denizens of the cemetery. It was fanciful, but not ridiculous and just had the right touch of everything. A few years later, I had started getting into audiobooks and I came across the recording by Neil ...more

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Jul 29, 2021 Patricia rated it really liked it

Neil Gamain has a unique, creative story telling style.

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Jun 24, 2012 C.C. rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed, read-in-2014, male-protagonist

This is the 2nd Neil Gaiman book I've read, the first being Neverwhere, which I didn't dislike but wasn't really impressed by. The summary of this sounded interesting, and I enjoyed the movie adaption of Coraline, so I decided to give this one a shot.

The concept of the book is an intriguing one, and one I've not really seen anywhere before. I mean how many books take place mainly in a graveyard? I don't blame Gaiman for choosing the title "The Graveyard Book." Plus it leads to some interesting This is the 2nd Neil Gaiman book I've read, the first being Neverwhere, which I didn't dislike but wasn't really impressed by. The summary of this sounded interesting, and I enjoyed the movie adaption of Coraline, so I decided to give this one a shot.

The concept of the book is an intriguing one, and one I've not really seen anywhere before. I mean how many books take place mainly in a graveyard? I don't blame Gaiman for choosing the title "The Graveyard Book." Plus it leads to some interesting thoughts on life and death and what's beyond, while throwing some supernatural stuff in there.

Each chapter is almost its own story, which some people may not like, but given the ~plot of the book, I'm not really sure how else it would be done. Between each chapter Bod grows a few years in age, however his voice is pretty consistent throughout the book. This bothered me a bit because the first couple chapters he didn't sound like the 5-year-old he was supposed to be. Growing up surrounded by adults, Bod probably did mature faster than normal, but I don't think quite that fast.

I know it's a common trope, especially in children's literature, but I was disappointed to find out (view spoiler) It was kind of a let down after wondering the whole book why.

Also was Silas supposed to be a vampire? There were many hints that suggested that he was, but if so, I don't get why they didn't just say it.

It's bit a hard reviewing this as an adult, since it is technically a children's book. I tried asking myself if my 12-year-old brother would like it and I think he would. He enjoyed Coraline and he likes Miyazaki movies, which this book reminded me of with the spiritual/supernatural element. But from an adult perspective, I was a little bit disappointed that it seems to suggest as a metaphor that as you become mature, you lose your imagination and ability to believe/see or whatever. And while that's true to an extent, I would say that has more to do with society, and Bod has been cut off from society. Yes, the book could only have ended with him growing up and moving on from the graveyard, but the implications of him losing the graveyard bothered me a bit. Maybe it's supposed to reassure kids that you'll grow and change and not like what you did as a kid but there's still plenty left to see and discover or something like that. But reading it as an adult, it's not as reassuring, haha.

Would I recommend this book? Maybe, if someone was looking for something like this. Will I read more Gaiman? That's still TBD. ...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Ally rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2012

Everything by Neil Gaiman is AMAZING, so I'm not particularly surprised that this is too. I didn't give it five stars because it's Neil Gaiman, and of course it's amazing, but I HAVE read better books by him so. Y'know. A girl's gotta have standards. ;). Also I've never actually read the original Jungle Book, so now I will have to do that to make sure I haven't missed anything. You could safely read anything this man has ever written and fall in love, so you might as well start with this one. I ...more

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Jun 29, 2016 Becki Basley rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016-book-challenge

Dang it Neil gaiman! You almost had me crying at the end! Lol but really it was a good book

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Nov 07, 2011 Jenny rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2014-book-club, newbery-awards, young-adult, middle-grades

I was afraid to read The Graveyard Book because I don't do scary very well, but it was on the Newbery Award list so I gave it a try. I'm so glad I did! It was amazing! A little bit snarky, irreverent, dark and disturbing at times. I enjoyed every minute of it. That being said, I would use caution sharing it with a child. Preview at least the first chapter. ...more

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