5 stars!
This exceeded all expectations for me. From the title itself, having the word graveyard and ofcourse its by Neil Gaiman, it was from start to finish all spooky and creepy.
I just love that in some of Neil's books there are all these mysteries that never quite satisy you after closing the book. Like in "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" I still can't quite figure out what kind of creatures the Hempstocks were. Incidentally there'a witch name Elizabeth Hempsock in this book and she was a witch. So am I right to assume that Lettie Hempstock and her mother and grandmother were also witches?
Another mystery for me is Silas. What is he? A vampire? I absolutely believe that he is. He says he is neither dead nor living, and he can't go out in daylight and he can fly or something of that sort.
I don't get why it's title is The Graveyard Book, there's nothing there about the book, except the books Nobody Owens read and learn from. Or is it pertaining to the book itself, that literally this book ia about the graveyard which it really is, actually. That makes more sense I guess. I'm over-analyzing things again, I know!
I like that we get to see Bod grow up in this book. The sequencing and how the story was told was exactly what you just needed, know what I'm saying? Everything was perfectly told/written. And it was such a great treasure of visuals in my mind. My thoughts are limited to movies when visualizing cemeteries from UK or Europe, so it was a delight(?).
My favorite character would probably be Miss Lupescu. I always admire an educator. I love the development of her character, from being this typical strict and boring teacher to actually be the best, well maybe the second best teacher, in the book. Too bad she was lost at the end of story. Another thing, it wasn't really told clearly what really happened to Silas, Miss Lupescu and their other companions. That seemed unfair, since I really, really would love to learn about their story. Part of the mystery I guess, or will it be told in a separate story?
The story ended sadly for me. That incident with Scarlett. In the end she became the character I loathed the most. The Jacks of all trade couldn't even compete. How could she do that to Bod? He was her friend, he saved her life, he showed her wonders not anyone has the privilege to see... she broke his heart. And to rub salt in his wound, as Bod was growing older, he was losing his "powers" in the graveyard. The people, well ghosts, they were his family, and he started to no see them and hold them. They were the only possessions that he really got in the world. Bod felt it, he knew that the time has come that he would have to leave the graveyard, the place that he has called home ever since he could remember, he wouldbe leaving it and everyone in it. Can you imagine the pain? Can you imagine how hard it must have been for everyone, especially the Owenses? God, I can't even... I don't even... And that was the end of the story of Nobody Owens, him walking out of that graveyard.
