A review by angelicathebookworm
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

dark tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The novel is narrated by the most ‘normal’ and least magical character of the story that some readers and reviewers have considered boring. While our narrator is far from extraordinary, the reader benefits from his perspective over the others because we get to experience all of the fantasy elements and magical characters as if we have faced with them ourselves. There are also so many amazing and relatable quotes to be discovered throughout Gaiman’s dark fantasy novel, many more than the handful I’ve included at the end of this review. There's depth and lots to unpack within the text that I’ll more than likely read this again to discover more of the magic within this universe.

If you prefer your fantasy novels that complete explanations and fully fleshed out worlds then this may not be the book for you. Since the narrator is reliving his past, the memories he is taking the reader through are splintered and foggy which emphasises the distortion in this reality. While this isn’t a criticism, it’s something to be mindful of before diving into this dark fantasy. The novel does also contain some graphic gore descriptions.

For more reviews like this one, check out https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/ 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings