Coraline is a charming yet terrifying novella. For being a
children's book, it sure gave me chills at times. It sort of
reminded me of Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro with that
scary feeling of a cruel fairytale. It is the story of a lonely
girl who one day finds a passage to a strange place that promises
her everything she ever wanted, but for a great price. To come back
home she must find her parents, free lost souls, and fight the
terrible evil that created this magical place.
The Other World is very imaginative, and Neil Gaiman did a great
job at keeping the reader's attention. Once the search for the
children's souls and Coraline's parents began I couldn't put the
book down. A real page-turner. The girl's adventure in the deserted
theater and the gloomy cellar surely kept me on my toes, and the
character of Beldam turned out brilliantly menacing. At first I
thought I'd read another childish story, but Coraline proved itself
exceptionally original and satisfying. A great book that I'll read
many times more.