This is my second reading of Neil Gaiman’s haunting young adult book, Coraline, but I have to admit that I enjoyed it much more than the first time. Perhaps it was because my expectations weren’t at a fever pitch like they are whenever a new Neil Gaiman novel comes out or perhaps it was the fact that I was reading the story under a dull gray September sky. I enjoyed it the first time; I reveled in it this time.

Coraline is the story of young Coraline Jones whose recent move to a big old house (now split into multiple flats) is attended by dull, dreary days in which she frustratingly tries to get attention from her parents. It is not that they do not care for her (which I find to be quite refreshing in a book such as this) or that they do not want to spend time with her. Her parents both work from home and Coraline has yet to start school so her boredom is interfering with their work time. After several other ideas of things to do it is suggested that she go exploring.

As part of her expedition she asks about an old door in the drawing room. Coraline’s mother takes a large black key down from the top shelf in the kitchen and shows Coraline that nothing is behind the door but a brick wall, put there to divide the home into flats. On a later day Coraline again goes exploring and opens the door herself to find a dark hallway in place of the brick wall. Entrance within transports her to a world not unlike her own. In fact it is very much like her own with one or two quite frightening differences. This is where Coraline’s adventure really begins.

I won’t spoil it for you. Suffice it to say that the roughly 150 pages are filled with all manner of excitement: a talking cat, creepy singing rats, scary adults with button eyes, strange mists, a dark cellar, and old well, ghost children and other eerie things.

Neil Gaiman is fond of saying that Coraline is a story that children find adventurous and that adults find terrifying. I did not have that experience on my first read through it but I definitely noticed the creepiness of it this time around. Don’t get me wrong, there is adventure aplenty and a good deal of humor, mostly in the form of Coraline’s neighbors Miss Spink and Miss Forcible (elderly former stage actresses) and Mr. Bobo (former circus perfomer who works with a mouse band). However the “horror”, for lack of a better word, of the story really stood out to me this time and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Coraline is a great book for both children (who like a story that they may find a bit scary) and adults. Coraline herself is a plucky heroine who is a joy to go on an adventure with. I suggest a visit to the very entertaining Coraline website. Hidden in there are some examples of the rats singing which are fun and creepy. It is great to hear as you then know what the songs in the book sound like.

In addition to being a wonderful story, Coraline is illustrated by the remarkable Dave McKean, whose visions within the book have a creepiness all their own. A terrific start to the R.I.P Challenge.