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

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

A young boy lives with his family. As time progresses and money gets tighter, they begin to rent out his room for money. One of these people ends up suiciding on a neighbouring property where the ocean sits at the end of the lane. This is where the young boy meets Lettie a young girl his age who has much to help him learn about. As the story progresses magical realism begins being interwoven throughout the story. 

This was a book club pick for me and unfortunately did not hit the mark for me. I can see why Gaiman is popular if you primarily enjoy magical realism. But I kept questioning personally what no was going on and just never felt caught up in the story. The writing is lyrical and the illustrations are incredible. But unfortunately it was just a miss for me.