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Coraline
Coraline
by Neil Gaiman
In Coraline's family's new flat there's a locked door. On the other side is a brick wall—until Coraline unlocks the door . . . and finds a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.
Only different.
The food is better there. Books have pictures that writhe and crawl and shimmer. And there's another mother and father there who want Coraline to be their little girl. They want to change her and keep her with them. . . . Forever.
Coraline is an extraordinary fairy tale/nightmare from the uniquely skewed imagination of #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman.
In Coraline's family's new flat there's a locked door. On the other side is a brick wall—until Coraline unlocks the door . . . and finds a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.
Only different.
The food is better there. Books have pictures that writhe and crawl and shimmer. And there's another mother and father there who want Coraline to be their little girl. They want to change her and keep her with them. . . . Forever.
Coraline is an extraordinary fairy tale/nightmare from the uniquely skewed imagination of #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman.
Reviews-
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Coraline describes herself as an explorer. When she finds a mysterious corridor in her family's new flat, she must fight sinister forces determined to keep her parents, three lost souls, and herself prisoner forever. Neil Gaiman's performance seems effortless. His soft-spoken voice lends to the overall darkness of the story, and his British accent matches the setting. Reading clearly and at a moderate pace, Gaiman will leave teen and adult listeners alike captivated and continuously caught in the suspense. The Gothic Archies, usually featured in the Series of Unfortunate Events audiobooks, make an appearance here, adding haunting music to an already haunting tale. J.M.P. 2003 Audie Award Finalist, 2003 ALA Notable Recording (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
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August 4, 2003
When a girl moves into an old house, she finds a door leading to a world that eerily mimics her own, but with sinister differences. "An electrifyingly creepy tale likely to haunt young readers for many moons," wrote PW
in a boxed review. Ages 8-up. -
Starred review from January 15, 2009
Master fantasist Gaiman's creepy and wonderful 2002 all-ages novel "Coraline" won Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker awards. Acclaimed illustrator Russellwho previously collaborated with Gaiman on the beautiful "Ramadan" issue of "Sandman", the Eisner Award-winning "Death" from "Sandman: Endless Nights", and a superb comics version of Gaiman's prose story "Murder Mysteries"here presents an excellent graphic novel adaptation of Coraline's story. When she and her parents move into an old house, the imaginative, adventurous, precocious, and neglected young Coraline discovers a door that leads only to a brick wall. But when she opens the door one night, the wall has disappeared. When she goes through, Coraline finds a home just like her own, only better, where her other mother and father (who look like the real ones, except for the big black buttons they have for eyes) want her to stay forever. When Coraline decides against this, her other mother kidnaps her real parents, and Coraline must brave unknown dangers to save them. Russell appropriately mutes the bright colors he's known for and faithfully preserves much of Gaiman's text and his tone of understated horror (and humor). Because a "Coraline" film is scheduled for early 2009, expect much interest. Highly recommended.S.R.Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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Starred review from July 1, 2008
Gr 6-8-This adaptation of Neil Gaimans novel (HarperCollins, 2002) reads as though it were intended for the graphic novel format in the first place. Insatiably curious Coraline is an explorer dedicated to discovering everything she can about the area around her familys new home. When she comes upon a door in their flat that seems to go nowhere, enters an alternate world that at first is full of interesting things and delicious foodseverything that she has longed for. However, the dangerous creature therecalled the other mother intends to keep her forever. After Coralines parents are kidnapped into the other world, she sets off on a mission to rescue them. Russells illustrations suit the tone of the story perfectly, from the horrific black button eyes of the people in the other world to Coralines very telling facial expressions. The style is realistic, which makes the moments when the other world loses its solidity even more eerie. The pacing never lags, and Coralines transformation into a girl who understands that having everything you want is the least interesting thing of all is natural. For readers who enjoyed the novel, Coraline is sure to complement their reading experience. Those who come to the book first as a graphic novel will be just as captivated."Alana Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT"Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
