The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman
Rating: 4.5
Format: fantasy, juvenile fiction
Reason for Reading: R.I.P. IV challenge

"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."

this first line is is etched in white amidst two pages all in black with a knife-wielding hand pointing at the words. and so the tone is set. immediately, it is known that something bad is about to occur. the first chapter is very dark and horrific. an entire family slaughtered in the middle of the night while asleep.

and so the story begins. nobody owens, barely a toddler when his family is killed, manages to escape his own death at the killer's hand. nobody, or bod for short, finds himself in the graveyard at the top of the hill. he is adopted by a ghost couple who inhabit the graveyard. there they do their best to protect him from the killer who is still out there, seeking bod's death.

this story was so fascinating and so creepy. the danger of the man jack is always there, lurking in the shadows. this made me so nervous for bod, every time he rebelled and sought out adventures for himself outside of the graveyard. the surrounding characters are quite memorable. there is silas, bod's mysterious guardian, who is neither dead nor alive; ms. lupescu, a werewolf, who teaches bod lessons during high summer; liza, the dead witch, who helps bod escape some serious danger; and scarlett, bod's one human friend who thinks he is imaginary because no one can see him. and did i mention the illustrations? they add an extra touch and serve to enhance the story. they are beautifully drawn and ethereal. and i forgot to mention the powers. as an inhabitant of the graveyard bod is granted special gifts such as Fading and Haunting and Dreamwalking. he can walk through wall, become invisible and see in pitch darkness.

a great scary story worth a re-read. i also think it would make a fun audiobook experience.