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A review by alamayhem_reads
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This story will forever be one of my favorite stories of all time. I have the fondest memories around Coraline and consider it to be one of my comfort stories! (if this doesn’t show my love of horror and all things spooky idk what does)
It has been a second since I read this book last — a good decade I would say. It was really interesting to revisit this book as an adult. I remember reading it after watching the movie and thinking it was so much creepier than the movie made it out to be. Which I still stand by, haha. This book is CREEPY. The entire story is creepy. There is almost no part of it that is fun and whimsical like the movie makes it out to be. Yes, the other world is different from Coraline’s normal world and there is better food….but the actual fantasies and people in the other world are simply weird. As a child, I would be terrified in this other world and probably would not ever want to come back. Which makes sense why the book itself is so much faster paced than the movie. She has multiple visits in the movie in which she is eager to come back, due to the world being so whimsical, fun, & magical. We do not see that in the book. Yes, some things are magical, but again. It is just weird magical. Stuff that is unsettling. The mice circus is simply rats off the bat in the other world and not cute lil mice. Picture dozens of magical rats under your bed in your bedroom — how fun! Hahah, it’s just weird and creepy all around. It makes sense for it to be paced as fast as it is, to make the story work better.
But anyways, this is not supposed to be a movie/book comparison review. As a book, it is phenomenal and so much fun to read. I was lucky enough to snag one of LitJoy Crates’ Illustrated copies of this book, so I got to see brand new drawings as I read. They were also so beyond creepy hahah, I LOVED it. It was so amazing and incredible to see the story depicted in this artist’s style. 10/10 for that.
The story itself is so amazing and so smart that I never tire of it. It is such an incredible concept and Neil Gaiman never fails to disappoint with his storytelling and writing. I loved every moment of reading this book and was smiling ear to ear by the end. I love the way that he has the story play out and how it finishes. This is what makes it an acceptable (sort of) children’s book for me. The perfect and happy feeling you get once you finish reading it.
With that being said, this probably still should have been marketed as YA as opposed to MG, and knowing the story I now know about Neil Gaiman’s agent’s child reading this, being terrified but not wanting to tell her mom that fact? Hilarious. I am so glad this book got published regardless, because it is truly a book and story that I will forever hold dear to my heart. I rate this book 5/5 stars! 🌟
It has been a second since I read this book last — a good decade I would say. It was really interesting to revisit this book as an adult. I remember reading it after watching the movie and thinking it was so much creepier than the movie made it out to be. Which I still stand by, haha. This book is CREEPY. The entire story is creepy. There is almost no part of it that is fun and whimsical like the movie makes it out to be. Yes, the other world is different from Coraline’s normal world and there is better food….but the actual fantasies and people in the other world are simply weird. As a child, I would be terrified in this other world and probably would not ever want to come back. Which makes sense why the book itself is so much faster paced than the movie. She has multiple visits in the movie in which she is eager to come back, due to the world being so whimsical, fun, & magical. We do not see that in the book. Yes, some things are magical, but again. It is just weird magical. Stuff that is unsettling. The mice circus is simply rats off the bat in the other world and not cute lil mice. Picture dozens of magical rats under your bed in your bedroom — how fun! Hahah, it’s just weird and creepy all around. It makes sense for it to be paced as fast as it is, to make the story work better.
But anyways, this is not supposed to be a movie/book comparison review. As a book, it is phenomenal and so much fun to read. I was lucky enough to snag one of LitJoy Crates’ Illustrated copies of this book, so I got to see brand new drawings as I read. They were also so beyond creepy hahah, I LOVED it. It was so amazing and incredible to see the story depicted in this artist’s style. 10/10 for that.
The story itself is so amazing and so smart that I never tire of it. It is such an incredible concept and Neil Gaiman never fails to disappoint with his storytelling and writing. I loved every moment of reading this book and was smiling ear to ear by the end. I love the way that he has the story play out and how it finishes. This is what makes it an acceptable (sort of) children’s book for me. The perfect and happy feeling you get once you finish reading it.
With that being said, this probably still should have been marketed as YA as opposed to MG, and knowing the story I now know about Neil Gaiman’s agent’s child reading this, being terrified but not wanting to tell her mom that fact? Hilarious. I am so glad this book got published regardless, because it is truly a book and story that I will forever hold dear to my heart. I rate this book 5/5 stars! 🌟
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Child death