Book Review: The Graveyard Book

Title: The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman
Published: 2008 Pages: 307
Genre: YAL, SFF

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis
The man Jack failed in his mission to kill the boy, lost him in a graveyard, which is where this boy stays.  Called Bod, short for Nobody, this boy lives between worlds, a graveyard where strange beasts live in deep hills, ghoul-gates guard other worlds, and young girls come to play. But Bod is alive and belongs in the world of a living, a place he can not go because some still want him dead.

My Thoughts
I caved.  I completely, utterly, and uncontrollably caved.  I had promised myself - no buying books.  I have more books in my TBR pile than most have in their homes, so I was determined to get through a large chunk of them before buying a book.  But everywhere I turned, there were wonderful reviews of this book. And I thought, well it does count for like three of my challenges, and I do so love Gaiman, and then I caved.  Just this one book, I promised myself.  Then at the bookstore, three other books managed to jump into my hands...but more on that later.  Back to this book.

While many gushed compliments like the Las Vegas Bellagio Fountains, my compliments are a bit more tempered.  I enjoyed the book, absolutely enjoyed it, but when it comes to Gaiman, I'm a bigger fan of American Gods, Good Omens, and the like.  As a rule, I enjoy 'adult' books more than 'kids' books. 

The Graveyard Book, a kid's book, tells a wonderful story in a unique setting with memorable characters.  I felt a part of the graveyard community, found myself wanting Freedom of the Graveyard, and more than anything I wanted to know more....more, more, more.  The mini-plots and adventures ended too soon and begged for more detail, the characters cried out for further exposition; I wanted backstory, mini-plots rich in detail and action, intricate weavings of history and present.  In other words, I wanted something that isn't a kids book.  I do think it is a mark of a master creator for a book to capture me so intensely that I don't want it to end, that I am unsatisfied with what I've been given.

Question:  Do you find yourself disappointed with books that made you want more or do you find this a mark of a good read?

Memorable Scene: *PLOT SPOILER* I can't get the end scene out of my head.  The image of Bod leaving the graveyard in burned in my mind.  It is a moment bittersweet and yet filled with such potential.

Memorable Quote: You're always you, and that don't change; and you're always changing, and there's nothing you can do about it. ~ I love the seeming contradiction in this quote; it's obviously perfectly correct and perfectly contradictory at the same time.

Other Reviews
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Challenges: The Dream King Challenge, 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge,