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A review by kristenbooks
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
2.0
7.28.20 update: rating changed to 2.5/5. This book was ok/alright/meh.
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Edit 5/14/17: Over time, this book hasn't really impacted me or stuck with me, so I lowered the rating. Still a unique read, just not one that has completely resonated with me personally.
I have yet to decide on a rating out of 10, but this gets a very solid 4/5 stars from me. I think it's going to fall somewhere around 8.5/10 but I'm not entirely sure. This was a very unique and entrancing story. I think this is a book that you should go into without knowing too much about it... partially because I think it's a rather hard story to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it.
I mentioned in a status update while reading this that it felt like a mashup of a "No Sleep" (or creepypasta) story, and a children's book. That might sound like a really odd combination of genres, but it worked extremely well. I read [b:Through the Woods|18659623|Through the Woods|Emily Carroll|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1414845473l/18659623._SX50_.jpg|26477611] last year around this time, and was not a fan because the stories seemed like creepypasta that I'd read before and/or that had underwhelming endings. I felt like The Ocean at the End of the Lane did this style much better.
I definitely didn't find this as "weird" as a lot of people seem to find it. Sure, it's a little difficult to explain to people who haven't read it, but I'd say that this book is more quirky than weird. And this is where the children's story aspect comes into it. In children's stories, odd things can happen without too much explanation, but when this happens to us as adults, it throws us off.
Despite the fact that there were some rather scary moments, I found the book rather endearing and even heartwarming at times. Seriously though, this is an incredibly unique and creative read, and I'd definitely recommend for people to check it out.
Side note: I listened to the audiobook, and that was really great. Neil Gaiman reads his own audiobooks and his voice is really great for the story, especially when he does character voices.
---------
Edit 5/14/17: Over time, this book hasn't really impacted me or stuck with me, so I lowered the rating. Still a unique read, just not one that has completely resonated with me personally.
I have yet to decide on a rating out of 10, but this gets a very solid 4/5 stars from me. I think it's going to fall somewhere around 8.5/10 but I'm not entirely sure. This was a very unique and entrancing story. I think this is a book that you should go into without knowing too much about it... partially because I think it's a rather hard story to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it.
I mentioned in a status update while reading this that it felt like a mashup of a "No Sleep" (or creepypasta) story, and a children's book. That might sound like a really odd combination of genres, but it worked extremely well. I read [b:Through the Woods|18659623|Through the Woods|Emily Carroll|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1414845473l/18659623._SX50_.jpg|26477611] last year around this time, and was not a fan because the stories seemed like creepypasta that I'd read before and/or that had underwhelming endings. I felt like The Ocean at the End of the Lane did this style much better.
I definitely didn't find this as "weird" as a lot of people seem to find it. Sure, it's a little difficult to explain to people who haven't read it, but I'd say that this book is more quirky than weird. And this is where the children's story aspect comes into it. In children's stories, odd things can happen without too much explanation, but when this happens to us as adults, it throws us off.
Despite the fact that there were some rather scary moments, I found the book rather endearing and even heartwarming at times. Seriously though, this is an incredibly unique and creative read, and I'd definitely recommend for people to check it out.
Side note: I listened to the audiobook, and that was really great. Neil Gaiman reads his own audiobooks and his voice is really great for the story, especially when he does character voices.