“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”

This story gripped me and kept me turning the pages…

5 stars (from 5). It is story about a little girl, who finds a mysterious door, which opens another house for her. The house is exactly like her own house. There are other mom and dad and they want that Coraline stay with them. It is strange and scary. And that’s all about plot, because you should read it yourself. The story has different details. Details are important in “Coraline”. And everyone highlights key points. I promise, these key points will be different for everyone.

Many people say that Mr. Gaiman created a fairy tale for adults, since this book is not about girl`s adventures. No. It is about always-busy parents rushing and dashing somewhere. I agree with this opinion. The parents of the protagonist typically do not pay attention to their daughter at all. They work and work like workaholics. More and more. Coraline is alone in her own family. Her mom shouts only, her father doesn’t have any time for playing or speaking. Family dinner always goes on in stony silence. Without warm stories, jokes or questions. Mr. Gaiman professionally described all scenes where Cora met other heroes. He added different details, which revealed the characters. For instance, let us take sisters Spink. They are old women with old dreams. In their past they were gymnasts. But now they are retired. Because of old age they were fired from circus that inflicted heavy psychological traumas on them. They believe in one thing: tomorrow they will show new trick in circus. But tomorrow never comes. Gaiman described their facial expressions, habits, details in dresses and the decoration of house.

I want to focus on horror scenes in this story. When you read it, you will feel real goose bumps. The fake mom is one of the scariest creatures. It is just ‘Evil’ in human skin. And in the end I didn’t believe that Coraline got rid of her…The fake mom is too wickedly weird…

The writer created gloomy atmosphere of hair-raising horror. This story will make you uncomfortable even if you are a real skeptic. And last, but not least, book is filled not only with fear, but also with deep senses. It is like a parable… not only for children, but for parents too… a spine thrilling fairy-tale…

October 15, 2020