Coraline by Neil Gaiman
4/5 stars
Premise- (4/5) I first read Coraline when I was in fourth grade-ish. And I remember it being the scariest thing I had ever read. I was super excited and interested to go back and read it as a (sort-of) adult and see what I thought of it the second time around. When Coraline Jones moves into a new house and finds a door leading to a world that is a strange parallel to her own, she is curious. But it soon becomes clear that this alternate world with Coraline’s “other mother” is more sinister than it seems. Soon Coraline is fighting for her true home, her real parents, and herself.
Characters- (5/5) I really loved all the characters in this book. Coraline, our protagonist, is a little girl, a clever, quiet, adventurous little girl. But she’s also very ordinary in a way that makes her extremely relatable. She’s a kid like many of us were, and that makes her that much more endearing. Her kooky neighbors are amusing in the real world, and frightening in the world beyond the door. From the ghost children Coraline has to rescue to the cat who remains her ally in both worlds, the characters do not have long, detailed backstories, but have an important presence in the novel. And the other mother, oh man. I found the other mother and her twisted world terrifying when I was a kid, and she was no less scary the second time around. She is one of the most interesting antagonists I’ve ever read about, honestly.
Plot- (3.5/5) The plot is definitely not the strongest part of the novel, but it’s solid nonetheless. Slightly simplistic, but when considering Gaiman’s primary audience, that makes sense. It was very interesting to see Coraline confront each part of the world behind the door and see how these places and people differed from their real-world equivalents. Coraline’s quest to save her parents, the trapped children, and herself isn’t an elaborate plot, but it works well for the novel.
World- (5/5) The world of the other mother is frightening, fascinating, and I loved it. There’s a film adaptation of this book by Tim Burton, and I really think it does an excellent job of portraying the world of Coraline. The real world is just that, very realistic. In contrast, the world of the other mother seems full of magic and beauty, but when things start to unravel, its darker side is revealed. The ironic parallels to the real world and the details of Gaiman’s writing make the world behind the door eerie, chilling, and deeply unsettling. The other mother’s other world is masterfully constructed and fascinating even as it makes you shiver.
Writing- (4/5) Coraline was primarily written for middle-schoolers. It isn’t a difficult read, and has a definite Alice in Wonderland quality to it. But Gaiman has a very distinct style, which is particularly prevalent in Coraline. A sort of modern fairytale with all the darker twists of older legends, Gaiman’s writing makes Coraline especially unique. Coraline is a fairly quick, easy read aimed for younger audiences, but equally interesting for older readers.
Overall- (4.3/5) Coraline made a big impression on me as a kid. It was easily the scariest book I’d ever read, and I wondered if going back and reading it again would be a letdown. But I was just as engrossed, disturbed, and fascinated with Gaiman’s story as a college student as my grammar school self had been. Though Coraline is written in language easy enough for middle schoolers, it has themes and messages that are equally powerful for older readers. Gaiman’s beautiful, eerie prose, uniquely fascinating, frightening world, and memorable characters make Coraline a great read, especially around Halloween!
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