Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

10 reviews

pacifickat's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Neil Gaiman understands how to write magic, especially dark magic, in a way that makes it feel real and old and timeless. He also picks at the edges of our deepest, most primal fears without revealing too much at a time. Love the way he plays with old magic tropes (black cats, talismen, portals, the monster under the bed, mist) in ways that make them feel both refreshingly new and impossibly ancient at the same time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Confinement, Toxic relationship, and Body horror

Moderate: Slavery and Violence

Minor: Kidnapping, Murder, Animal death, and Abandonment

riverofhorton's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I want to start this review by saying that this book is firmly on my re-readable pile, and it may well be my new favourite modern horror book. Which I find amazing considering this is a children's book.

I found it to be just the right level of horror to be a casual read, which I find I'm most likely to return to in the future. A good portion of the horror content of the horror was of the slightly-to-the-left-of-normal kind, rather than being overt and graphic.

This book offers depth to the world and story, rather than a shower of blood and guts found in some other horror book I've read. Sometimes I think this kind of horror takes more work, and this is even more true when it's a children's book and the author (presumably) knows adults will also read it and so also need to be thrilled. To me, this shows the mastery of the art of writing that Neil Gaiman repeatedly demonstrates.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Gaslighting, Murder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Torture, Slavery, Abandonment, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Stalking

jasmineslibraryy's review

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

comfort in a spooky way

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse

Moderate: Murder and Child death

Minor: Abandonment

fanboyriot's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I love the vibe of this book.  The horror setting and plot were done really well.  While it’s not as creepy as the film it definitely lives up to its hype.  This is one of the few books where the movie is a good representation of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Body horror, Kidnapping, Child death, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Murder, Animal death, Violence, Stalking, Body shaming, Death, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Gore, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts

akane_readsyt's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Stalking, Violence, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Blood

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, and Child abuse

ankiaisreading's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Murder, and Torture

beth823's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Awesome book!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Abandonment

Moderate: Murder and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Physical abuse

Extra info on the book

lorriss's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Murder, Violence, Child death, Blood, and Death

ekmoore11's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Body horror, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement and Kidnapping

toofondofbooks_'s review

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I gave Coraline a quick re-read to bring the Halloween season into full swing and I had a great time doing it. I first read this when I was maybe 8 or 9 years old and it was one of the first books that really got me into reading. I love everything about it, but the thing I have always loved most about it is how Neil Gaiman's writing, even when it is geared toward children, is able to be universally enjoyed. The language never condescends and the book doesn't compromise on the horror aspect while still remaining kid-appropriate. Overall just my favorite middle grade book of all time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Confinement, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Murder, and Toxic relationship