2006, William Morrow Paperbacks
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.
The Good: Coraline is rather imaginative. It sort of showcases the dangers of boredom and idle curiosity. If written for an older audience, it quite possibly could have worked better for me as the story did have its merits.
The Bad: Weird. Not good weird, either. Creepy, but not exactly in way it's meant to be. I really like Gaiman's writing style, but Coraline wasn't working for me. And I can't imagine young readers really loving this either. It would give my 12 year old nightmares.
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