You’d think a tale about a baby being the sole survivor of a massacre, and forced to grow up in a graveyard, would be a deeply depressing tale.

In some ways it is, but mostly it’s quite beautiful. We watch Nobody Owens (the boy who came to the graveyard inhabitants too young to know his real name) grow up and learn from people from various ages in history. He has been given Freedom of the Graveyard and, over time discovers what this means and how it keeps him safe from the threat that still remains in the world outside.

It’s definitely a coming of age story, going from 1.5 years to 15. There are some incredibly sweet exchanges, and Bod is clearly a brave boy with a good heart.

Some of the little adventures seemed more like an acid trip, or lacked something, but overall I enjoyed it. Especially refreshing to not have that Disney ending.

I also took issue with some of the switches of POV. It’s mostly from Bod’s but then we’ll have random paragraphs from Silas, then a couple of school bullies, then a friend of Bod’s who’s been absent for a long time...

It is a YA book but more suitable for kids that enjoy more gothic elements. Perhaps fans of Coraline and Tim Burton.

I really enjoyed the illustrations by Chris Riddell too.