No, not Caroline, Coraline. Our young protagonist moves with her parents into an old house that has been broken up into apartments. Also living here is the man upstairs training his mouse circus, and the former stage stars who have a dozen dogs.
Coraline finds herself constantly vexed by her parents. Her father has a penchant for cooking recipes, made with ingredients. Coraline would much prefer to live on frozen pizza and chicken nuggets. They are reliable. You know what you are getting with frozen pizza. Not so much Dad's cooking. Her mother steers Coraline toward practicality over flash at every turn, never indulging her daughter's craving for bright colors or patterns. Both ignore their daughter in a way that Gen-X-ers and elder Millenials would be familiar with.
Coraline spends much of her time exploring outside until one rainy day.
To keep Coraline occupied, as both adults work from home and can't be having her underfoot, her father suggests she count all of the windows and doors in their part of the house. This is how Coraline finds the door that leads her to the world of the Other Mother.
Neil Gaiman's story-telling brings what ordinarily would have remained a mild-mannered spooky kids story into a genuinely creepy story for readers of all ages.
Imaginative and atmospheric, this is an excellent selection for anyone who likes creepy stories.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5
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