The Graveyard Book Readalong Ch. 1 & 2

Yay, week 1 of The Graveyard Book readalong hosted by Jenn!

Oooo I love the writing in this book so far! Maybe THIS is the kind of Gaiman I can really get on board with, the children’s kind! Of course, it’s not very kid-friendly, since it starts with some super creepy murders by a creepy man named Jack, but still. I also love the wispy drawings in the beginnings of the chapters.

So, for some unknown reason this scary man named Jack is in a house being all stabby-stabby and the last one he’s after is a little boy, basically a toddler. But this particular toddler is like a ninja at just wandering around and, lucky duck, he wanders out of the house and into a graveyard just as Stabby Jack is one his way to get him. Once said baby boy gets to the graveyard he starts cuddling up to some nice old ghosts named Mr. & Mrs. Owens and then the ghosts of the baby ghosts parents show up and are all “Please watch our baby!” before they disappear. And the baby boy grows up a bit and meets a human girl and they become friends and then her parents whisk her away to Scotland.

So, now little Nobody is going to be raised in the graveyard by the Owens’ and a cool guy named Silas who I’m not 100% sure, but I think he’s a vampire.

And now for the sake of not rambling on forever, Jenn’s discussion questions:

What were your initial first impressions of the characters?
Jack is hella creepy, the baby is cute, and I like Silas. The Owens seem kind of not-bright, but sweet. And I liked Scarlett.
How did the ghost of Bod’s mother make you feel?
Sad, obvs. I mean, poor woman.
Do you think that Nobody is a good name for a boy?
No. See, this is what I meant about the Owens.
What are your thoughts on Silas and the woman on the grey horse?
I really dig Silas, and there seems to be some mystery surrounding him and I’m totally guessing it’s that he’s a vampire. I like that he’s pushing reading. The woman on the grey horse… that was weird.
Do you think it’s a good thing that Bod has Freedom of the Graveyard and thus other powers?
Yeah, especially since he might still be in danger. But come on, powers are almost always a good thing.
Do you think it’s okay to let a child play in a graveyard like Scarlett’s parents did?
Nope, only weirdos just hang out in a graveyard. But her parents also seemed more interested in their work than they were in her, so maybe that’s why they were all chill about it.
Why do you think Scarlett’s parents are so eager to claim imaginary friends?
Cause otherwise you just assume your kid is crazy… and then when they don’t grow out of it, you realize your kid probably really is crazy. I think it’s a natural response for them though.
Did the semantics of the Tattoo Man seem obvious to you or was it a bit frightening?
No… I have no idea what the hell that was all about. When the kids figured it out, I was like “Good for you!” because I probably would have just run like the idiot that fell and died there.
What do you think were Scarlett’s parents real motivations in moving the family to Scotland?
To get her the heck away from that graveyard, since that’s where her imaginary friend was and where they thought she was almost kidnapped. I can’t say I blame them. Plus, I’d love to go to Scotland.

I’m a little sad to have to wait to read the next 2 chapters! I want to see Bod grow up a little more, and I want to know why Stabby Jack was after that family, and I want to know is Silas is really a vampire or if I’m just horribly wrong.

Fun!

~Sarah