Filed under: book reviews, fiction | Tags: children’s literature, coraline, fantasy, fiction, horror, neil gaiman, young adult
On a rainy day in her new home, Coraline Jones’ mother shows her a door that opens to a brick wall. But over a stretch of the overcast and final days leading up to a new school year, Coraline discovers a hallway through the door identical to her own home that leads to her apartment, her house, her yard. It’s a strange world slightly off kilter from Coraline’s reality and here she meets her other mother and other father: strange likenesses of her parents with buttons for eyes (and that want to sew Coraline’s eyes closed). When Coraline’s real parents go missing, she must return through the door to save them.
Neil Gaiman’s Coraline is a children’s horror book written with children in mind, for children, and with the structural simplicity of children’s books. Coraline has thematic issues of losing and rescuing parents, searching for home, and exterior and interior realities. And it’s all a bit gruesome as the world is slightly off and includes button-eyed people, rats (enough to creep me out), and a hand that chases Coraline. I will say from reading the quotes on the book jacket I expected something stupendous and I thought it was fair (though I do look forward to the movie). I found it similar to Vivian French’s Robe of Skulls.
Conclusion: Tossed.
9 Comments
Adventures in Reading 
Yeah, I liked it, but didn’t love Coraline (although I think the trailer for the movie looks really cool).
Comment by Stephanie December 17, 2008 @ 12:36 pmDiddo what you said. I read this earlier this year and was expected something better than what I got. It’s a pretty simple children’s story, which I found no more than just ‘ok.’ Like Stephanie, I still think the movie looks pretty cool.
Comment by J.S. Peyton December 17, 2008 @ 1:56 pmA children’s librarian read this book out loud to my kids when they were 8 and 6. The 8 year old loved it. The 6 year old was absolutely terrified and thought it was “creepy” for some of the reasons you describe. Neither one wants to see the movie.
Comment by Jeanne January 13, 2009 @ 11:38 amCoraline looks pretty good; it’s amazing how many big name actors they get for these animated flicks
Comment by coffee January 17, 2009 @ 6:09 pmI 4 ONE LOVE THIS BOOK IT HAS ENTHUSIASTIC ADVENTURES . IT IS LIKE A GET UP OUT UR SEAT BOOK .ME AND MY FRIENDS HAVE A BOOK CLUB WE READ PART OF IT WITH EACH OTHER AND THE OTHER PART BY OUR SELFS .I THINK SOME OF THEM LIKED IT 2 .BUT I LIKED IT THE MOST OUT OF ALL OF THEM .CAUSE I READ IT 9 TIMES IT IS LIKE ADDICTIVE OR SOMETHING. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII LLLLLLOOOOOOVVVVEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDD IIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT SSOO MMMMMMMUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCHHHHH…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$& NEIL HE IS CUTE KIND OF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by lyn January 28, 2009 @ 9:16 pmOlolo! I like what is written here!!
Comment by A Gambler March 12, 2009 @ 3:56 amVеll, not pеrfеct pоst, but I likеd it and thаt is the main thing. ;)
Comment by Voli Dublino March 14, 2009 @ 9:38 amI am Voli Dublino
I adored this book! I read it years before the movie came out. And the movie was pretty good too. I think half of the appeal is all the whimsical ideas in it: button eyes, secret worlds, eclectic characters. But I can see why people wouldn’t like it that much.
Comment by Nikkie May 4, 2009 @ 12:45 amHi. I was just curious if you were still planning on hosting your Bookworms Carnival. I haven’t heard back from you and since this is the last post I see on your blog, I wanted to check in. If you are, please email me (bookwormscarnival AT gmail) with your theme so people know what they can submit. If I don’t hear anything by the 1st, I’m going to assume your MIA.
Edition 33 hosted by: Adventures in Reading
Deadline for submission: July 10 2009
Theme: ???
Thanks!
Comment by bookwormscarnival May 27, 2009 @ 1:36 pm