7 Stars
Nobody Owens (Bod, for short) finds himself suddenly orphaned as a toddler. He then has the great fortune to wander into a graveyard, where he is immediately adopted by the resident ghosts. This book follows his up-bringing by this bizarre community, through both the tender and the terrifying. The Graveyard Book was the 2009 Newberry-Medal Winner. (Deservedly, in my opinion.)
A very interesting concept, this book lives up to that pique. Gaiman is a great story-teller. He weaves in noticeable and plot-driving details without making them annoyingly obvious, and his imagination in throwing in folk lore about the dead--and other grisly graveyard inhabitants--is limitless. He also has a good sense of humor, and plays it well here. This book definitely made me want to read more of his work; unfortunately, I've heard that Coraline is terrifying and Stardust just plain crude. But, if he writes another book for children anytime soon, I will be seeking it out! (I've been wavering between giving it 7 and 8 stars and decided to err on the side of caution. But it really is very good, and I would definitely recommend it to people with a taste for the eerie!)
