The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (2008)

My Rating: 5/5

Let's get started wandering inside the graveyard where you would notice our protagonist, Nobody "Bod" Owens, spent most of his childhood life playing with different creatures that only his eyes could see and had battled the evil who's eager to cut down his throat for the sake of its Order. You can learn tips from him, too, how he had survived living with lifeless neighbours and not to freak out by their spookiness. Everyone would be delighted how he had gained special education and acquiring additional skills that only dead people could have offered best — Fading, Fear, Dreamwalking and opening ghoulgates. That would be fantastic G.I. Joe would love to know such tricks, however G.I. Joe doesn't need it much than those monster slayers are required for.

Bod's family were butchered by a man named Jack — the antagonist of the story. He had safely rescued by the ghost when he was crawling down the street and reaching the gate of dead inhabitants. The entire ghosts were disturbingly shaken by the thought of fostering a living toddler, but Silas, soon to be his guardian, and Owenses, his foster parents, urged them to accept the little baby and with ghastly creature coming out had convinced them(a little spoiler here), then he'd been approved by majority to be brought up inside, padlocked, lived in the crypt and received his somewhat badge as being part of the colony.

This is the very first book that I've read from Gaiman's. An adorable one and very entertaining story with such a fine twist of horror being mixed that kids could possibly endure without badly wailing from bed. I gorged this book with enthusiasm. This book is not only for kids, though. It opens up magical and inventive tale that an adult would love to crave and you would wonder on your bed late at night how Gaiman ended up such a story. If you're quite a fan of him you would not gape in awe, I tell you. Bod's character was inspiring and remarkable. He's brave and adventurous and was roused by his own curiosities when oddity of thing engrossed him. He throws question at anyone and I love kids asking me about dragons, spaced aliens, trolls, and all that grotesque creatures made up for whack someone's brain. Anyway, he is also obedient, smart little lad and he valued education more than any kids at his own age. It reminds me of a Filipino boy whose photo goes viral online, randomly photographed by a citizen, that had captured the hearts of all viewers when he studied outside McDonald food chain during that night relied solely upon its flickered light. See the whole story here.

I had seldom come across with book that has big impact. The story of Bod reminds me to overcome fear. Bod's guardian was afraid of getting him into trouble outside the graveyard, because a man would have laid his blade upon his skin. But instead of getting upset about the whole matter Bod's turned everything in reverse. Look at the brighter side, by the way, he's young and all.

"If I go outside in the world, the question isn't 'who will keep me safe from him?'"
"No?"
"No. It's 'who will keep him safe from me?"

The rest are goosebumps!

Final thought — Dream Big. Life has full of surprises, mysteries to decipher and solutions to delve deeper to continue living. Make big decision for your life, grab whatever rarest opportunities come in and do not waste for nothing. This book is an ace. I loved it.