The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

[slowfox]

This tells the story of Nobody Owens ('Bod' for short), who escapes assassination as a babe by toddling off to explore the graveyard at a particularly opportune moment. There he is taken in by the graveyard's residents, who care for him as best they can, and attempt to protect him from the ever-present threat that so prematurely ended his family's lives.

The story covers Bod's childhood, from him being adopted by his ghost parents all the way through to him becoming a teenager, with events of episodic nature taking place along the way.

There are moments in this book where Teh Neil's writing takes your breath away. I would try and quote a particular line, but you need to read the whole thing to get the context.

This is a macabre book, but a good one, with some quirky humour and neat observation.

I found the ending a little bittersweet, but choose to be cheered up by the phrase old friends to rediscover, taking that as a hint that all is not lost.