The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman, in addition to being the award winning graphic novelist who wrote the Sandman series amongst other things, and the award winning writer of print novels like American Gods, also writes kids books. And they’re good too. Sickening isn’t it? Anyway, The Graveyard Book is, in title at least, a homage to The Jungle Book. A boy whose family is killed is adopted by the occupants of a Graveyard, ghosts and ghouls instead of bears and wolves. The book follows this boy, known as Nobody (Bod for short) over 8 chapters, each one advancing two years. And whilst Bod is safe in the Graveyard, the murderer is still out there somewhere… This is a riveting book, as much fun for adults as kids - and kids will appreciate the macabre touches as much, if not more than adults. After over 300 pages, the plot is very satisfactorily wrapped up – almost makes you wish it was dragged out over 7 books! [Dennis J. Murphy]