[Book Review] Coraline by Neil Gaiman

The day after they moved in, Coraline went exploring....

In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close.

The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.

Only it's different.

At first, things seem marvelous in the other flat. The food is better. The toy box is filled with wind-up angels that flutter around the bedroom, books whose pictures writhe and crawl and shimmer, little dinosaur skulls that chatter their teeth. But there's another mother, and another father, and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.

Other children are trapped there as well, lost souls behind the mirrors. Coraline is their only hope of rescue. She will have to fight with all her wits and all the tools she can find if she is to save the lost children, her ordinary life, and herself.

Critically acclaimed and award-winning author Neil Gaiman will delight readers with his first novel for all ages.

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"The world seemed to shimmer a little at the edges."

I've read Coraline countless times and each time I'm filled with such happiness. It feels like I am reading a childhood favorite, even if the first time I read this book I was just entering adulthood. I think that is the magic of Neil Gaiman's writing, but more on that later. Coraline is definitely one of my top favorite books (and the movie is one of my favorite movies!). I think this time of year is the perfect time to read Coraline so I'm really happy I did. 

Coraline is one of the greatest heroines in literature but especially in middle grade literature. I really love how smart she is while also still being a kid. Sometimes when reading a middle grade book with a smart main character they act and think too much like an adult.  But with Coraline she definitely acts her age while also being incredibly quick witted and brave. The other mother is an terrifying villain. I think between the creepy setting, writing, and illustrations she just always adds up to be pretty spooky antagonist. She is one of the most threatening literary villains. However, the other characters in the other world, Miss Forcible, Miss Spink, Mr. Bobo, and the other father are all so spooky. They aren't as threatening as the other mother but they creep me out so much. The other world in general quickly seems to turn from a paradise to a nightmare for both Coraline and the reader.

"When you're scared but you still do it anyway, that's brave."

On that topic, for a book that is geared towards a younger audience it's pretty spooky. I think Coraline is a book that can be well loved by readers of all ages. Which I think is a hard thing to accomplish when it comes to books versus movies or television. The storyline in Coraline honestly sends chills down your spine no matter what age you are. Because I've seen the movie more often than reading the book I feel like I always forget that Coarline's parents aren't as neglectful as they are in the movie. They honestly seem like parents who are trying to be good parents, and Coraline is being a typical kid. I think I prefer this way versus the path the movie took. I guess I understand why they did it, because you need Coraline to be desperate for a better situation, but the scene where Coraline is missing her family is so heartbreaking. Where as in the movie although it's a sad scene because the parents seem so neglectful it feels less sad to me. I have to admit though, compared to the movie, I really missed  Wybie and Coraline's weird friendship.

Neil Gaiman's writing is always amazing. I think I want to dedicate a good chunk of 2019 to get through the books of his I am interested in reading. I am never disappointed with reading his books and I always regret waiting so long to read them. His style is so fairy tale inspired in all the best ways and his books are obvious modern classics. Coraline gives me such Alice's Adventures in Wonderland vibes and it explains why I love them both so much. When I was reading Victoria Schwab's City of Ghosts a couple months ago it also gave me Coraline vibes. I so badly want Gaiman and Schwab to team up and write a story together. 

"Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."

Overall, I highly recommend Coraline. If you haven't read the book, please do. If you haven't watched the movie, please do. They're so amazing in their own individual ways but honestly as an adaptation Coarline's movie is almost perfect. If you want a spooky middle grade story this is exactly for you. If your kid wants to read something a bit spooky for Halloween this is the perfect book to pick up! I cannot recommend it enough to all readers. 

Thanks for reading!