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

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a speedy read. Like... really speedy. I'm someone who normally caps out at about 60 pages a day when they're reading something that doesn't need to get done right away and I finished this in one sitting. I think this comes from a combination of the narrator, a 7-year-old boy caught in this fantastical world,  and how fast-paced we run through this adventure. Gaiman only spends as much time as he needs to on each plot point and piece of character development. Because of that, I didn't get especially attached to any of the characters and in the same vein, didn't feel any strong animosity towards the villain. 

With that in mind, this has the mythological feel that's common for Gaiman and that I always appreciate. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a quick hit of fantasy in their life.

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