Coraline, by Neil Gaiman

I have heard so many good things about Neil Gaiman, making me determined to read a few of his books. I picked this first because I found it at the library while looking for another book (not a great reason, but you know). It was in the YA section, though it seems more like a children's story. I think it is considered YA because it's creepy, though less creepy than I expected because people emphasized how creepy it was. Anyway...

Novel: Coraline, by Neil Gaiman

It's Like: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, if Narnia was an alternate world that was horrible.

Summary: Coraline's family has recently moved into an old house split into four flats; Miss Spink and Miss Forcible live on the first floor, Mr. Bobo lives in the attic with his mouse circus, and the fourth flat is empty. On a rainy day when Coraline cannot explore outside like she usually does, she finds a door in the parlor that opens to a brick wall. Later, though, when her parents aren't home, she opens the door and finds a hallway instead...

Notes:

• It has the feel of a children's chapter book, especially because it includes a picture at the beginning of each chapter, which reminds me of Roald Dahl books. This makes me question why it is considered a YA novel (or novella, but I'm going to stick with novel for this review). My initial thought was that it's because of the creepy aspect, but in reality it's not that scary. So this leads to questions like: "Is Coraline trying to say something about children's books?" , "Should children's novels be taken as seriously as YA and adult novels?", and "Am I thinking it too much about this?"
• The answer to the third question is probably "yes."
• The writing is very interesting because even though Coraline is in the voice of an eight-year-old, there is intelligence behind the voice. The author doesn't talk down to the reader, making me again question who the audience for this novel is supposed to be.
• Coraline is the only likable character in the book, but I think that is the point. It's the view of a child, so when the adults don't want to play with her or they act different from what is considered "normal," Coraline is not going to think too highly of them.
• The plot was odd but unique, which is something I think most authors strive for (being unique, not being odd, but I guess it's okay to be both). 

Recommendation: I'm going to say that it's a good book for anyone to read. I'm not sure if I should have read Coraline as my first Neil Gaiman novel because I don't know what his writing style for longer, more developed novels is like. His writing in Coraline worked well with the story, but I don't think it would suit many other stories. Which is why I need to read more of his work! So overall, read it, as long as you don't have an extremely low horror tolerance. It's quick and while not exactly fun, it's still enjoyable. :)