Mismatched Bookends

9SOME THINGS MENTIONED IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS REVIEW SOUND LIKE SPOILERS BUT THE INFORMATION IS IN THE FIRST FEW PAGES OF THE BOOK)

I have adored Neil Gaiman since I first started reading his comic books in the late 80's and early 90's. I was told this was a children's book but after reading other children's books, there is no rule that says adults will not also fully enjoy them.

This is the story of a one and a half year old baby who has someone men come and murder his family, as he was meant to be murdered also, but being precocious, he just walked out the front door the killers left open when they first came in. Where did he find himself? In the Graveyard. There was much discussion among the dead of what they should do with this living child who clearly needed help. The recently deceased mother appeared in the graveyard in "fuzzy television" form to ask Mrs. Owens (deceased) to please take care of her child.

The book tells about the many people in the graveyard, how Nobody Owens (the little boy) gets to eat, learns how to read and write, and learns to move effortlessly among the living and the dead.

There are things you do not find out until the end, and I personally never would have guessed, and was blown away! I loved the character Silas, Nobody Owens guardian. So good, so mysterious.

As Nobody encounters good and evil, he has to practice and remember how to move among the living and dead, as well as many other lessons because he is a child that is alive living among the dead. His "parents" are dead (the Owens'), and he has been blessed with being able to get along with the dead. To see and talk to them. They are family to him. But as he grows older, he has to remember how to protect himself, and to search for and learn the answers to his questions. And he has lot of questions, many that will not get answered until he grows older. And he does keep growing, and keep residing among the dead.

There are some characters that are interesting. Some dead people that want to talk to Nody. But some think having him in the graveyard is a bad idea. Once he even makes friends with a human girl, but her mother put a stop to that when she was gone way too long off of the regular path that is to be taken when walking around by the cemetery.

Body keeps growing and learning. And things get more complicated. Again the ending was so well done. No sequel needed here although it would be interesting.

This was not just a book, it was an amazing journey. I would be curious to go beyond where it ended to see what continues to happen to Nobody Owens.

But I think that was the best part of the book-you just have to use your imagination.

I will, based on this book, be reading everything Neil Gaiman has written.