The Graveyard Book: 4 Stars

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 

Ok, so I have had a slight obsession with reading Gaiman's work lately. I had never read anything by him until December and now I can't figure out why. He's brilliant.

During the brutal murder of his family, a young baby manages to crawl out of the house and into a graveyard. There he is protected by the residents from the assailant. Without a name, the residents of the graveyard call him Nobody (Bod for short) and he is taken in by a ghostly couple.  Silas, who has the ability to leave the graveyard, takes the responsibility to keep Bod fed, protected, and educated. And it is in the graveyard that Bod lives, not knowing that the man who killed his family was still looking for him.

The Graveyard Book is a unique children's book. It's filled with dark humor and silliness. I absolutely loved it. The characters were deep and unique. Gaiman never states what some of the residents are specifically (is Silas a vampire?) so you feel a lot like Bod might. Bod knows nothing but the graveyard. Gaiman really did a great job of capturing the essence of a young boy who doesn't know anything different.

I have found many who did not like the ending of the book, but I honestly don't know how else it could have ended. Gaiman stays true to the story and follows it to it's end, even if it's not the fairy tale ending that some might hope for.

I highly recommend this book and fully intend to read this to my daughter one day.

Rating: PG

Recommended for those who enjoy: fairy tales, dark humor, and quirky writing.

Stardust: 5 Stars

 Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Guys....I think I am in love!  I am also a wee bit upset at all of you for not telling me about Neil Gaiman sooner! 

In all seriousness though, I am officially captivated by Gaiman.  I read Good Omens a couple months back and absolutely loved it. But since he co-wrote that with Terry Pratchett, I wasn't sure if that meant I would like both writers or just one of them.  But after reading Stardust and getting halfway through The Graveyard Book, it's obvious that Gaiman is a magnificent, magical author. I am definitely going to try more of his work.

In Stardust, we join Tristan Thorn on a quest for his true love, or at least who he naively thinks is his true love. Victoria clearly has no interest in Tristan and jokingly tells him that if he goes and gets a falling star, that she will marry him. Little did she know, twitterpated Tristan was going to do just that. But when Tristan discovers the star is a girl, the journey only becomes more interesting.

This story is magical and hysterical. Gaiman masters the art of storytelling with excellent, quirky characters and captivating scenes. He masterfully writes his own fairy tale for adults, but that obviously would appeal to children as well (except maybe when the unicorn dies). Even his antagonists are bewitching, despite their lack of morals. It makes them easy to hate, but still so enjoyable to read about.

I simply cannot recommend this book enough. It was entertaining and fun.  I love that Gaiman is a writer who likes to try new things and experiment with his work. I listened to the audiobook (read by the author and was magnificent) and it was followed by an interview with Gaiman. He tells of how the story came about. Considering his intentions and first release of this story involved a specific illustrator and lots of pictures, I now want to own that version of the book!  I guess that is another book to add to my wish list!

Can anyone recommend some more Gaiman book to me?  As a newbie, I am ready to soak him in!

Rating: PG

Recommended for those who enjoy: fairy tales, adventure, and quirky writing.

Wee Free Men: 4 Stars

Wee Free Men (A Discworld Novel) by Terry Pratchett

Tiffany Aching is a 9-year-old girl who wants to be a witch. This isn't a particularly surprising career avenue since Tiffany has always been a bit peculiar. Besides reading the dictionary like a novel, Tiffany can also see things that others cannot. This includes the Nac Mac Feegles, which are small blue fairies with Scottish accents who like to fight. They also have odd names like Rob Anybody, Daft Wullie, and No'-As-Big-As-Medium-Sized-Jock-But-Bigger-than-Wee-Jock Jock.  

After attempting to meet a witch and being left with only a talking toad, Tiffany's baby brother is kidnapped by an evil queen and Tiffany must save him. With the help of the Nac Mac Feegles, Tiffany sets off on an adventure, entering realms of the world she never new existed. 

This is one of the weirdest novels I have ever read, but considering that I learned that Terry Pratchett was a little odd after reading Good Omens, I was not surprised. This book is one of his many Discworld novels, but the first that included Tiffany Aching and was aimed for a younger audience. 

Tiffany is a wonderful character with a unique and bold personality. Being only 9, she knows that she has a lot to learn about the world, but when she thinks she is right, she doesn't hold back.  Armed with only a frying pan, she is compelled to complete her journey no matter the risks to make her granny proud. She was funny and quirky and happy to be different. I think she is an excellent role model for any young girl that might read this book. 

The book was filled with clever jokes and silliness. While I can see why some may find this too weird, I loved it. The Nac Mac Feegles add a huge helping of humor that just makes you want to giggle. I would recommend this book to anyone with an open mind. 

Rating: G 

Recommended for those who enjoy: quirky writing, fantasy, sassy female protagonists.