Coraline – Neil Gaiman

Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Dave McKean
Title: Coraline
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 2002
Age range: 10 - 16
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Plot summary: Coraline Jones has just moved into a new flat with her parents, who never pay any attention to her. Coraline is an active, inquisitive girl and gets bored easily so her father sends her around the flat with a paper and pencil to record how many windows and doors and blue things there are around. One of the doors that Coraline discovers is locked. Her mother finds the key, but behind the door there is only a bricked up wall. The next time Coraline is alone in the flat she tries the door again, using the key – and this time she is able to walk straight through into another room – one that looks exactly like the room she has just left, complete with the same furniture and decorations.

Coraline is astonished to find a parallel universe on the other side of the mysterious doorway, and she is greeted by her “other” mother and her “other” father. Instead of looking completely human, they have shiny black buttons for eyes. Her other mother clearly runs the show, and tells Coraline she wants to love her and give her everything she wants, if only she’ll stay forever. At first Coraline enjoys the delicious food and fascinating toys in this other world. But something doesn’t feel quite right to Coraline. She stays for a little while and then chooses to return to her normal world. But now her parents have gone missing, and Coraline realizes that her other mother has kidnapped them. She sets out to rescue them, and must find a way to challenge the other mother in a way that will save her parents, herself, and also the trapped souls of three other children who have fallen victim to the other mother’s twisted parental instincts. Coraline’s only ally is a black cat who can also travel between the two worlds, and conspire with her to bring an end to the other mother’s cruelty.

Comments: Gaiman has a wonderful way of writing an engaging story with an undeniably dark side, but which will appeal to multiple ages. Younger teens and ‘tweens’ may be taken with Coraline’s adventurousness and resourcefulness, as well as her boredom and unhappiness when her parents tell her to go away. Older teens may see the darker side of the story, with creepy spider-themed symbolism and the sinister way the other mother tries to entice Coraline to stay in her world. My favorite part is at the end when Coraline uses the dolls of her childhood to trap the piece of the other mother than has crossed over into Coraline’s real world. My only fear is that one day the other mother’s right hand might get out of the well – and now it has the key. Gaiman does a great job of wrapping up the story – but also leaving the possibility open that Coraline’s problems are not completely finished.

Dates Read: 16 – 18 March