A review by lawbooks600
Coraline (Graphic Novel) by Neil Gaiman

dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Representation: N/A
Score: Six out of ten.

Short review: This adaptation of Coraline wasn't it.

Long review: I wanted to read this one after seeing it as a new arrival at a library. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem intriguing, but I headed in with low expectations after discovering it was an illustrated adaptation, and the ones I've read disappointed me. When I closed the final page, it was okay.

It starts with Coraline moving to a new house in an undisclosed location in the opening pages. Everything looks typical until she stumbles across a way to go to another house like the one she lives in, save for a few changes. The toys are better there, but most prominently, there are people who look like her parents, except they had black buttons for eyes. I'm unsure where to begin, but I'll try, the characters are not that easy to connect or relate with, even though I liked them. They lack depth. The worldbuilding is underexplored as there's no reason for some people having black buttons for eyes, or why there's another dimension full of ghosts. The author tried to combine aspects of horror and fantasy in the form of magical realism, but I wasn't that frightened. At least the climax was dramatic and the conclusion finished Coraline on a high note, with Coraline beating the antagonists and escaping from their house.
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