Benji Saintaubin is an 11 year old boy living in Victorian London.  Unlike other boys, he has lived most of his life in his attic due to a physical disability.  Benji loves to read the story of the Imaginary Boy that his father wrote for him.  The Imaginary Boy is a hero who has to fight a dragon, only the story is not finished.  Benji wants nothing more than to finish the story and deliver it to his mother for Christmas.  After an accident trying to get out of the attic and downstairs to his mother, mother decides that it is time for Benji to venture out into the world. However, a night out at the opera turns into Benji being separated from his mother and going on an adventure of his own.  Benji will see the good and bad of people and their perceptions of his disability, more importantly, he will meet another young man, Thomas, who will show Benji that he can be the hero that he has always dreamed of and defeat a different kind of dragon.
This is an exciting story full of adventure, villains, unexpected heroes and overcoming adversity. Going in a completely different direction from where I thought the story would go, there is almost a fairy tale-esque feeling, even though everything happening to Benji is based in reality.  Right from the start I fell in love with Benji's attitude about life, his determination to finish his story and his courage in the face of many dangerous events.  Though written for a middle grade audience, there are some terrifying scenes throughout.  Not only was Benji's situation scary enough to begin with; due to his disability, having to live in the attic of his otherwise very nice house, but navigating the streets of Victorian London with its unsavory characters, smells and a monster roaming the streets is not for the faint of heart. From being almost sold into slavery, to being seen as a monster himself and then being taken in by someone who is rich and powerful, but not very good, Benji does his best to survive.  The descriptions of the settings and Benji's emotions were so detailed and vibrant that they kept my heart pounding.  I loved Thomas' character, he seemed to be a complete contrast to Benji, yet as they got to know one another, they found more similarity than difference.  I also thought that the dragon was an ingenious and particularly vile villain and a provided a perfect ending for Benji's story.


This book was provided for free in return for an honest review. 

A silent and mysterious killer is sent to kill a family, including a one year old boy.  The killer swiftly and silently kills the mother, father and older sibling, but the one year old boy is nowhere to be found.  He has toddled to the old graveyard up the hill where the ghosts of days gone past congregate.  With the assassin on his tail, and at the plea of his mother’s ghosts, the graveyard ghosts protect the boy and give him the Freedom of the Graveyard.  Christened as Nobody Owens, Bod is raised by the ghosts and Mr. and Mrs. Owens who were never able to have a child of their own in life. Bod is brought food and other items from the living by the not quite living and not quite dead Silas, his guardian.  Bod learns from the old teachers in the graveyard and makes friends with poets, explorers and even a witch.  He is taught how to open a ghoul gate, Dreamwalk and Fade from memory.  He even goes exploring an old crypt that even the ghosts won’t go in, older than any of the ghosts; it is guarded by the strange Sleer.  Even with all this going on, Bod is safe in the graveyard; however, if he goes outside the gates, the man Jack, his assassin is still waiting for him.
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This book has the most wonderful first sentence: “There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.”  Coupled with the eerie illustration, I was immediately pulled in.  Like the other Neil Gaimen stories that I have read, The Graveyard Book has a way of mystifying and delighting, scaring and comforting at the same time.   I fell in love with Bod from the moment that he toddled away from his crib, he was obviously very special, but we have no clue why.  I wanted to explore all of the nooks and crannies of the graveyard and get to know all of the old ghosts right along with Bod.  Through all of his adventures, befriending a witch, opening a ghoul gate, exploring the crypt of the Sleer and going to school with real children, I had almost forgotten that Bod’s family was murdered in cold blood and the killer is still after him.  When Bod’s assassin finally resurfaces, the mystery is brought to light and the deeper danger is revealed.  In a style like no other, The Graveyard Book blends dark fantasy, adventure and whimsy together for a wonderful story.