Review: Coraline – Neil Gaiman

SYNOPSIS: Coraline’s often wondered what’s behind the locked door in the drawing room. It reveals only a brick wall when she finally opens it, but when she tries again later, a passageway mysteriously appears. Coraline is surprised to find a flat decorated exactly like her own, but strangely different. And when she finds her “other” parents in this alternate world, they are much more interesting despite their creepy black button eyes. When they make it clear, however, that they want to make her theirs forever, Coraline begins a nightmarish game to rescue her real parents and three children imprisoned in a mirror. With only a bored-through stone and an aloof cat to help, Coraline confronts this harrowing task of escaping these monstrous creatures. – via Goodreads

I watched this movie many years ago when it came out (though it must be said I watched it in passing, and didn’t catch all of it), and I quite liked it. Coraline is quite a sweet yet bizarre journey, one that zips by quickly, and keeps you entertained throughout. I know the story is about Coraline wanting to find her parents in this strange alternate reality, but I have to say, I didn’t really care for her real parents – I found them to be rather neglectful. Anyway, that is just my opinion. I quite liked the character of the cat, and I really like Gaiman’s style. Also, our main little girl Coraline is quite cool – she is sweet, caring, brave, quirky, and so curious. I really like that about her! Coraline is a super quick read, but I loved the dark tone it took, and the way it wove the story. It flowed well, and even in such a short space, Gaiman managed to create characters that you liked and that were just meh, and others that were rather sinister, too. The concept was strange and different, but I liked it. Coraline is such a short book that I cannot really say too much about it, other than the fact that I liked it, and would highly recommend it if you are looking for a filler read, or even just to say that you have read a Gaiman novel, or that you have read the story of a young girl and an alternate universe.