The Graveyard Book

I’ll admit it: I wasn’t a fan of The Graveyard Book for a good 3/4s of the book. I know, you’re all winding up to lob tomatoes and various rotten fruits and veggies at me right about now for saying such things about a book written by Neil Gaiman, but wait just one moment.

Something about The Graveyard Book simply wasn’t working for me for a majority of the book. I think part of it was the feeling that the story had no real meaning or plot. It seemed Bod would do something, be done with it, then move onto the next which was completely unrelated. Maybe I was reading it all wrong, but that’s simply what I got out of it. Luckily, though, the last little bit of the book tied it all nicely together and I was hanging on the edge of my seat just waiting to find out what happened next.

I rather enjoyed Neil’s writing. It was something different than what I’ve ever experienced before and though I found myself confused a few times, I still enjoyed it on the whole.

Final Thoughts: It took quite some time for me to really get into The Graveyard Book but I ended up really enjoying it. I’m glad I needed something to read while waiting at the doctor otherwise I might never have picked it up :P If you’re a fan of Gaiman or aren’t sure if you are, you should definitely give The Graveyard Book a try, especially if you read and enjoyed Coraline.

This book starts off with this guy named jack entering a house trying to kill this family but the the main character Nobody Owns which is a little boy sneaks out of hes bed and gets out of the house. he follows this path which takes him to a graveyard and these ghost named Mr ans Mrs Nobody Owns will be taking care of him.

The Graveyard Book

If you need a book to read try “The Graveyard Book” it is filled with a mysterious and tricky scenes? First, The Graveyard Book is about a young boy named Nobody Owens whose family gets killed by a huge man and now he is living in the graveyard. Next, The book had a lot of terrific Vocabulary mystery. It had to the main character Nobody Owens is living with ghosts. It had good vocabulary because it uses the right words at the right time. The Graveyard Book is a Newbery Award winner in 2009. The Graveyard Book got 25 grand prices. Thus, The Graveyard Book is about a young boy named Nobody Owens whose family got killed by a huge man and now he is living in the graveyard. The Graveyard Book is a book worth reading.

I fell in love with this book. It's what made me become a fan of Neil Gaiman. Anyone who can create a character called Nobody Owens is a genius. It was a brilliant read. A heartbreakin, moving tale with a sad yet hopeful end.

The premise to the story is that a toddler toddles out of the house while a murderer is killing his parents. He ends up in a graveyard, and when the murderer comes to kill him, the ghosts in the graveyard choose to shield him from harm and end up adopting him. The book then chronicles his life as he grows up around ghosts. As can be expected there were excellent moments of suspense throughout different sections in the story.

My only real disappointment was that the story was a bit episodic. It jumps through sections of his life, and I didn't feel like I was carried with it through each section. While I loved the sections of his early childhood making friends as well as his adolescence when he learns haunting, I found the ghoul section a bit too fantastic. In short, there were moments when I put the book down, and didn't feel any anxiety to pick it right back up again.

Reader reviewed by evan tanaka

The Graveyard Book by Neil
Gaiman is a pretty decent book. Although I personally did not like the book, I thought
it was well written. The story starts off rather confusing and leaves the
reader rather puzzled throughout the book. On top of the questionable beginning,
the author throws another curveball at us. The main characters real name is
unknown, but he is referred to as Bod, short for Nobody Owens. Bod ends up in a
graveyard on the top of a hill, and ghosts gives him the freedom of the
graveyard due to the fact that his parents were killed and he is an orphan. Bod
interacts with ghosts and acquires new skills and languages that he uses
throughout the story. I think the book possessed too many unanswered questions
that distracted me from focusing on main events that happened. I do however
like the theme or life lesson that the author was trying to get across, which
was to appreciate what you have, before you lose it. Also, I like how well Gaiman
did at showing that you dont need to be blood-related to have a family. I
think that Neil Gaiman did a job well done on teaching and reminding me to appreciate
all the wonderful things that I have and all the loving people I have
surrounding me and to not take them for granite because you may wake up
tomorrow and some people and things may be gone.

            I
would only recommend this book to people if they really do enjoy reading in
their free time. I found this book a waste of time due to the immense amount of
confusion I encountered while reading this book, it made it more difficult to
read. I do however think that anyone could use a reminder to be grateful of the
things they value in their heart.

Reader reviewed by Tony Longo

Neil Gaimans The Graveyard Book opens with a pretty terrifying situation. A man has slaughtered a family in the middle of the night, all save a toddler who escapes unharmed, walking out the front door and away from the mayhem. Up the hill trots the toddler, to a graveyard full of ghosts who take him in. By the end of the first chapter Gaiman has established the graveyard as the storys center. Within its reassuringly locked gates, the boy finds a safe and cozy place to grow up.

Among the dead are teachers, workers, wealthy prigs, romantics, pragmatists and even a few children, basically a good place for a baby to live in. And they do, ably led by Silas, an enigmatic character who is not really one of them, being not quite dead and not quite living. In this moonlit place, the boy who is given the name Nobody Owens, or Bod for short has adventures, makes friends (not all of them dead), and begins to learn about his past and consider his future. Along the way, he encounters hideous ghouls, a witch, middle school bullies and an otherworldly fraternal order that holds the secrets of his familys murder by the man Jack. When he is 12 things change, and he learns why hes been in the graveyard all this time and what he needs to do to leave.

While The Graveyard Book will entertain people of all ages, its especially a tale for children. Gaimans remarkable cemetery is a place that children more than anyone would want to visit. They would certainly want to look for Silas in his chapel, maybe climb down (if they were as brave as Bod) to the oldest burial chamber, or (if they were as reckless) search for the ghoul gate. Children will appreciate Bods occasional mistakes and bad manners, and relish his good acts and eventual great ones. The storys language and humor are sophisticated, but Gaiman respects his readers and trusts them to understand.

Reader reviewed by Christian

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is a spooky story about a little boy who grows up in a graveyard. The little boy named Nobody Owens sneaks out to the graveyard on the night that his parents and older sister are killed by the man jack. The man jack follows the nearby graveyard. The specters of the graveyard hide him, and one of the phantoms, named Silas kicks the man jack out of the cemetery and erases his memory.

A couple of apparitions names Mr. and Mrs. Owens adopt the boy, and give him the nickname Bod. Silas also watches over and teaches the boy. He also leaves the graveyard to bring him food. There are other ghosts in the graveyard that teach him such as Miss Lupescu and Liza Hempstock. They give Bod Freedom of the graveyard and he is taught tricks, and can disappear from human sight. He is allowed to explore ancient graves with monsters in them for entertainment. Bod is not allowed to leave the graveyard because the man jack still has it out for him.

When Bod is 5 years old, he became friends with a girl named Scarlett Perkins while she was playing in the cemetery. Her parents think that Bod is just an imaginary friend because he can disappear from them. Scarlett`s parents even convince her that he is just an imaginary friend. She ends up moving away and Bod is devastated. He gets very lonesome and wants human company and finally convinces Silas to let him go to human school.

This is the epic story of a little boy trying to grow up between the world of the living and the world of the dead. He uses his powers to go on amazing adventures and even stands up to a bully at school, but he is aware of what would happen if the man jack were to find him. One day, he sees a suspicious figure. Will the man jack find him again?

This novel would be great for Harry Potter fans. Many elements of this story are very similar to that of Harry Potter. The little boy`s family is murdered when he is just a baby, and he grows up practicing preposterous powers. He also lives among an absurd cast of mythical creatures, and explores monster infested tombs, just like in Harry Potter. I would recommend this book to any Harry Potter fan, or anyone fascinated by abnormal beasts. The thing I didn`t like about this book was that it was so incredible. The events that took place in this book would nrver happen in real life. It was kind of hard for me to read a novel where everything is so ridiculously impossible. You need to really use your imagination while reading this book.

The Graveyard book is a fun, yet spooky and confusing book to read. Neil Gaiman thinks of some really creative adventures in this novel. Some of the characters of this book were so interesting, I could`ve read a book just about them. I enjoyed reading this spooky fairy tale. The Graveyard Book is a must-read for anyone with a good imagination who likes a good, paranormal story.

Reader reviewed by Daniel :-)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimen is a great book about Nobody Owens. The book is about a young boy named Bod, short for Nobody. In the beginning when he is a baby his mom, dad, and sister are murdered. He some how escapes. He ends up crawling in a graveyard. A ghost named Mrs. Owens finds him. She becomes his mom and Mr. Owens becomes his dad. Then he has a main guardian called Silas. He teaches him important things to live in the graveyard, like walking through walls and in life like, not sticking out. All of the ghost also start to pitch in. As he gets older he starts to have trouble with being a ghost. He starts to be more alive. Soon he finds out about the Men of Jack. I can't say any more.

I would recomend it to ages 10 and up. The words aren't too hard and there is any really bad violence. I think the author could've added some more poetic devices. Instaed of saying "dark", he could've said "dark as the bottom of a pit." I thought the organization, character point of view and ideas were fantastic! All in all I'd give this book a 4.5 out of 5. READ IT, READ IT, READ IT!  

Reader reviewed by Amanda Lane

I loved this book. It was so easy to fall in love with all of the characters. I loved watching "Bod" grow up in the cemetary with all of his ghosts friends and adopted family. It was a wonderfull and fun book. I would recommend it to anyone of any age. It was great!

Reader reviewed by Rachelle Knight

I have mixed feelings about recommending this book, mostly based on
the subject matter and the marketed age group. The publisher has a
minimum age of 9 listed for this novel. My little boys are young and I
dont know exactly where a 9 year old is as far as understanding death
and murder, but it does seem a little young to be tackling some of the
harsher subjects of death, suicide, afterlife, etc.

I would recommend the book to older teens and adults. It is
intriguing story of a graveyard (patterned after the Highgate Cemetery
in London?), with characters as old as the Roman conquerors, and
including a witch, a werewolf and a vampire. And, although there are a
myriad of creatures and mythical settings, the novel approaches some
serious topics; murder of a family, loneliness, being an orphan, being
an outsider, suicide, religion, the afterlife, and separation. It is a
very emotional ride (I cried at the end!) that is at times
entertaining, scary and sad.

Memorable quotes:

He imagined a future in which he could read everything, in which all stories could be opened and discovered.

Where ever you go, you take yourself with you.

I thought this was a very powerful quote (and great for a young person):

Youre alive Bod. That means you have infinite potential. You can do
anything, make anything, dream anything. If you change the world, the
world will change. Potential. Once youre dead, its gone. Over. Youve
made what youve made, dreamed your dream, written your name. You may
be buried here, you may even walk. But that potential is finished.

Definitions:

proconsul a governor of a province in ancient Rome

gorse a yellow-flowered shrub of the pea family

augur portend a bad outcome

groat any of various medieval European coins

lummox a clumsy, stupid person

imperturbable unable to be upset or excited

susurrus whispering, murmuring, or rustling

Comments and thoughts:

Miss Leticia Borrows, Spinster of this Parish (Who Did No Harm to No Man all the Dais of Her Life. Reader, Can You Say Lykewise?). I loved how each time a person of the graveyard is mentioned, his or her epitaph is also mentioned. Very clever.

Reader reviewed by Misty

The graveyard book tells the story of Nobody Owens (called Bod), who
escapes to a graveyard as a toddler after his family is murdered. Bod
is given the freedom of the graveyard, allowing him to pass freely
through the graveyard and learn the ways of the ghost inhabitants who
are helping to raise him. This graveyard family teaches Bod how to see
at night, to Haunt, Fade and Dreamwalk; they protect him from the
outside world, and from the man who killed his family and would like to
finish the job. But they cannot protect him forever, and Bod knows that
one day he will have to confront the world and the dangers in it,
embracing his destiny for good or bad.

I was really excited to read this book, and even though I was in
the middle of another, I found myself repeatedly picking The Graveyard
Book up and opening to the brilliant first page. I finally caved in and
set my other book aside so I could read this, and at first I was
entirely disappointed and didnt think I was going to like the book at
all. I found Bods toddler years to be only tolerable. There was
occasional cuteness, but nothing to hook me and make me want to keep
reading (aside from the fantastic Gorey-esque illustrations). That all
changed when Bod went to Ghûlheim; from then on I was absolutely
hooked. The writing is clever and has a certain brightness mingled with
the dark of the story. The book is sprinkled with interesting
characters (with amusing epitaphs). The worlds Gaiman created are vivid
and intriguing, with interesting and original takes on familiar
mythology. Bods journey is relatable, even in all of its surrealness,
and the overall message is incorporated well without being didactic.
This is the sort of story I know I would have become completely lost in
and obsessed with as a child.

A warning to parents that there are some dark themes and scary
elements, but overall I would recommend this to any child/young teen,
especially those who like fantasy and darker elements. This would also
make a fun read-aloud for parents and children, or a classroom, and the
illustrations add to the story immensely.

Reader reviewed by Dede

I was so excited to read this book after reading the reviews and although the book was initially interesting, by the end I was disappointed.  Bod is a boy whose family was murdered.  On the night his family was murdered he was about a year and a half and climbed out of his crib, down the stairs, out the door and up the hill into a graveyard.  The killer "Jack" follows the babies smell to the graveyard but is outsmarted by the dead people and his would be guardian, Silas, and walks away from the graveyard without finishing the job.  An elderly dead couple decide to raise Bod as their own.  Silas is a part of the graveyard but is not truly dead, so he can go out and get food or anything else Bod may need.  He is taught things as he grows, how to fade and other ghostly things, as well as being taught "human" things.  When Bod is 5, he strikes a friendship up with a little girl who comes to the graveyard with her mother.  The girls parents think that Bod is an imaginary friend.  She eventually moves away.  When he is older, a strict woman comes to teach him more while Silas goes away.  Later in his teen years, the little girl from the beginning moves back and becomes friends with him again but it doesn't go well.  During all of this "Jack" is still trying to find Bod to finish the job he started.  That is basically the premise of the book. 
Why I didn't like it:
It was disjointed:  None of the characters were ever written with much depth so I didn't really care about them.  I also didn't feel the strong emotions they were supposed to be feeling because it was written with a shallow edge. 
Didn't answer any questions and there were a lot of questions:  Only one example:  When the schoolteacher and Silas go somewhere to try to protect Bod in the future, you are not really told when they left, how long they were gone, what happened, or how they knew where to go and what to do. 
Bod was not written well for his age - a one and a half year old climbs out of bed and doesn't go to his parents room and has the energy and sense of mind in the middle of the night to go to a cemetary?  When he's 5 and meets the little girl, he talks and thinks like a teen, I thought he was until the book pointed out otherwise.   
Bod never listened!  Every time Silas or his ghost parents warned him not to do something or to stay away from here, etc, he always did the exact opposite.  It was exasperating and not believable. 
To me, Bod was just not a well written, likeable character and it tainted the book for me. 

Reader reviewed by Alana

Nobody "Bod" Owens is a living boy growing up with ghosts. He remembers nothing of his past with the living world. He's got a family, the Owens, a gardian, the mysterious Silas, and many friends, including an 18th century poet and the ghost of a witch. However, the living world, and his real family, keep creeping in. 

Reader reviewed by Amy

A baby crawled away from his home after his family was murdered.  Ending up in a graveyard a ghost couple became very found of him and decided to take him in to raise naming him Nobody Owens. Nobpdy was raised and educated by the ghosts.  He meets a girl along the way, who he becomes friends with, but was alone again after she moved away.  Years later she returns and the meet up again.  Little does the girl know that she is being used by someone to get to Nobody.  Read to find out what happens to Nobody.