Journal Entry 1 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Saturday, October 18, 2008

Pre-numbered label used for registration.

Synopsis:
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.

He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.

But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack -- who has already killed Bod's family. . . .

Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages. 

Journal Entry 2 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Sunday, December 21, 2008

This is another magnificent book by the master storyteller, Neil Gaiman. This may be YA fiction but it is equally engaging for kids and adults alike. It certainly held me captive; but then again, all Neil Gaiman novels have. As usual, Gaiman has crafted an engaging set of characters, in particular Silas and Nobody Owens. I was completely drawn into Bod's world and I was hanging onto every word as I read about his adventures. If anything, this book was too short and there was so much more I wanted to know. For example, what is Silas's backstory? The novel hints at him being a vampire but this is never specified in the book, and there's no history on Silas or why he ends up at the graveyard. The Sleer also remains a bit of a mystery. I also don't think Gaiman provided a clear enough motive as to why the Jacks wanted Bod and his family dead. Gaiman also didn't explain why Bod seemed to be losing his 'graveyard' powers at the end - is it an age thing or is there some other reason? Certainly, I would love to read more about Silas and Nobody so hopefully Gaiman will bring them back in future books. In the meantime, this will be a treasured book and I look forward to reading it again and again.