Coraline

Rating:
Summary: excellent book
Review: It was a great book. I usually have a hard time getting into a book but I couldn't put Coraline down. Though the cover and pictures look a little crazed, it isn't scary. It had me reading all the time until I finished, and I loved the way the it ended. I would say it's the best book I've ever read.

Rating:
Summary: Gaiman has no appeal for me . . . usually
Review: This book is the exception. I've sampled Gaiman's work previously -- both his comics and prose novels -- and have generally been unable to understand the appeal of the man's work. "Coraline" is the first of his works I've read that I can begin to see the appeal.

The book is a wonderful tale about a young girl's triumph over evil forces to win back her parents. Very enjoyable, although some portions may be a bit too frightening for younger readers.

Rating:
Summary: Two Different Worlds A Door Apart...
Review: The tale of a girl that did too much exploring, and eventually it all came back to haunt her.

"Coraline" by Neil Gaiman provides an interesting look into the mind of a little girl. . .if she was as mature as a 30-something.

While this is obviously a children's book, it's hard to believe that a pre-teen girl could be so mature. Her exploits while exploring her flat and the neighborhood are the only thing that gives testament to her age. Otherwise she wanders around in a haze, seeing everything through the eyes not of a child, but of a far older person. Mr. Gaiman takes this character beyond "mature for her years" straight into the realm of an adult trapped within a child's body.

When it comes to the suspense of the novel, it isn't exactly riveting, but it is there. While it was quite predictable in its outcome, the twist of the other children was quite invigorating in this otherwise bland novel.

The most interesting character of the entire book was not the people, but rather it was the cat. Gaiman gave the cat a delicious amount of attitude, making it the perfect foil for the tone of the novel.

Overall, the book is not exactly one that will send people into a mad frenzy searching for it, but it isn't entirely awful either. It gets stuck about in the middle, making it mediocre at best. The main flaw is in the characterization of the people within, not the set-up of the book. If the characterization was improved, even slightly, the novel would be all the more better for it. It gets 3 stars for being about average, though 2.5 would be more accurate.

Rating:
Summary: A Children's book that anyone can read.
Review: This book is said to be written for children. And while the reading level is probably that of a child, the content most definitely is not. Remember, this is Neil Gaiman we're talking about here. The creator of Neverwhere and the Sandman graphic novels is not about to tone down the creepy factor just because he's writing for kids. The only thing missing from this book that would make it for older readers is the violence and language that is commonplace in Gaiman's books for adults.

Anyway, the plot: Young Coraline Jones has just moved into an apartment filled with strange old people. So, for lack of anything else to do, she starts exploring her new home. What she finds is a door in her family's drawing room, a door that leads to an alternate world. In this strange new place, Coraline meets her Other Mother and Other father, who look just like her real parents, except that they have buttons for eyes. Coraline's Other Mother would like nothing better than to have Coraline for her own child. So, she kidnaps the real parents and hides them. With the help of a black cat, Coraline must rescue her real parents, as well as the souls of several other children that the Other Mother has stolen, all while trying to get home in one piece.

This book is written with a slow, deliberate voice that is almost childlike, which makes the story seem even creepier. The scary moments of the book (and there are many of them) are not so much nasty or terrifying as they are odd and unexpected. If you are a true Gaiman afficionado, Coraline feels like a toned-down version of the author's even weirder graphic novel "The comical tragedy or tragical comedy of Mr. Punch". If you aren't a Gaiman fan, or even if you haven't read any of his books, this is definitely a good book to get started on, since it gives you sort of a feel for his other books. If you like Coraline, it's likely you'll enjoy Gaiman's other novels as well. If you don't...Well, then I suppose you can always go to Stephen King for your horror fix.

Rating:
Summary: Gaiman and McKean team up again
Review: If you're a comic book fan, you are probably familiar with how wonderful things can be when you combine Gaiman with McKean. Coraline is another great example of that. McKean's illustrations fit the mood of Coraline perfectly, leaving haunting images in the mind.

Coraline, while aimed at younger readers, made me a bit nervous in the dark, though I am 17. If I were younger, I imagine I'd be frightened to the point of nightmares.

Like The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (one of Gaiman's favorites), Coraline tells the story of a young person who opens a door which isn't supposed to lead anywhere, and finds herself in a strange, interesting, new world. Coraline is surrounded by semi-familiar, creepy, Other people with big black buttons for eyes. She must save herself, her parents, a cat, and three other children's souls.

The other mother is particularly creepy. A control-freak who has created, or claimed, her own world and uses people to try to trap Coraline. She wants a child to love, but to a frightful extent. Imagine a sweet scent, but imagine it so strong and sweet that you are choking under it. That is the Other Mother's love. When she doesn't get what she wants, she can be nasty. And that's the scary part.

Rating:
Summary: If Garth Nix Smoked Crack, This Would Be the Result
Review: This was by far the most bizarre book I've ever read. I began reading it, expecting a dark fantasy similar to Garth Nix's work. I was obviously mistaken. What I really ended up reading was what could be passed off as a Garth Nix crack-smoking fantasy. It made very little sense, and in some places made no sense at all. It reminded me of the strangeness of Alice in Wonderland. Usually I keep an open mind about different styles of writing, but this was just plain weird. Many reviews said this book is frightening, so I expected to get some thrills and chills out of reading it. Neil Gaiman tries very hard to freak me out, but does not succeed. The most chilling part of the entire book was the illustrations, which were disturbingly creepy. By the time I finished reading the book, I closed it wondering what, exactly, had just happened.

Rating:
Summary: I Should Read Children's Books More Often
Review: Everybody wants to read CORALINE. And why do they? Because the story is absolutely wonderful. CORALINE has a magical and whimsical quality that makes it absolutely scrumptious. I love the way that I was able to pick up this book, be finished reading it in an hour, and feel absolutely satisfied afterwards. Although this is a book written with children in mind, it is quite enjoyable for adults. I think that the allure of children's books is that they take you to a world outside of the hum-drum of everyday life. While CORALINE is a little on the scarey and weird side, it definitely does take you to a strange world behind a curious door in Coraline's new house. At first, everything behind the door seems to be a mirror of the life on the other side of the door. However, there are just a few changes that tempt her to stay in the other world rather than in her own. For example, in the other world, her other mother can actually cook a decent meal. Her other room is painted beautiful colors and her other toys seem to be alive. Of course, it was too good to be true and Coraline's escape from the other world of button-eyed people takes quite a bit of courage.

Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller. He has written a story in our own time that is destined to be a classic for years to come. Luckily, he writes books for adults as well. This is the type of book that I absolutely must hold on to so that I can read it to my children oneday (when I finally every do have children).

Rating:
Summary: A haunting tale for children and adults
Review: Gaiman tells us the story of Coraline, a young girl, and what she finds behind a bricked up wall in her new house. The tale is told simply and beautifully and like the best tales of this kind leaves a few ideas unexplored - for the reader's imagination to wonder and dream of. It is thoroughly enjoyable for all ages - and children in particular, who will be scared just enough to be nervous but not too much to stop reading. It is not as deeply thought provoking as the Sandman series but that is not its intention. It's aim is to haunt and to be enjoyed - and that it certainly does.

Rating:
Summary: Weird and Wonderful
Review: I don't know what is, but every author these days seems to think the larger your book is the better it has to be. This trend has gotten especially out of hand in the fantasy department and now even books for younger audiences are starting to conform (Thank you *very* much, J. K. Rowling). What these people seem oblivious to is that no matter how long a novel is, a bore is a bore which is why I find myself increasingly eyeing the young adult shelves for a good, otherworldy read.

Thankfully, Neil Gaiman has written for every audience under the sun and knows how to spin a good tale of any length. In a relatively scant amount of pages he manages to conjure up a funny and frightening fairy story for the modern reader.

Coraline- most definitely *not* Caroline- is an unflappably English little girl who treats all her bizarre neighbors with a polite smile and a nod and behaves much the same way when she finds herself in a realm of button-eyed parents and crawling hands. But it's not all scares, there's the sarcastic and aloof Cat and a pack of terriers who love stage shows and chocolate in all its forms- except for toffee, which makes them dribble- to keep things from getting too dark.

All in all, a fun but all-to-brief story that's bound to amuse all ages.

But better too short than double the length and half the heart.

Rating:
Summary: Gaiman at his scary best!
Review: "Coraline", while geared toward a young adult audience, has plenty of moments in which any human would recoil in fascinated horror! "Coraline" finds Gaiman at his scary best, with a spooky premise and perfect execution of his plot. I could easily see Tim Burton making a film from this clever little story. If you like spooky stories, this one is highly recommended!