REVIEW: The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman

HEY, AND ALSO, WHAT'S UP?

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane 

by Neil Gaiman

(Spoilers)

★★★★★

Review by Tayla Lauren

(Discovering The Books Of The Universe)

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane Neil Gaiman 240 pages

10.36 @ The Book Depository (April 2014 Edition)

NOTE: Please forgive my very unstructured review. 

I put this book down thirty seconds ago, and already (like all of Gaiman's novel's that I've had the pleasure of reading) I have an overwhelming urge to pick it back up again and re-read cover to cover. Gaiman's latest novel, The Ocean At The End Of The Lane is no different. Gaiman (as always) has presented readers with a unique and gripping storyline that will most certainly stay with you for a very long time. As this is Gaiman's first 'adult' novel in eight years, one would expect it to be slightly rusty--I think not. 

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane shows readers a tale told through the eyes of a seven year old boy, (whose name is only ever mentioned once in passing as 'George'--'Handsome George' to be precise) in a reality such as our own, however with a slight twist of fate that seems less out of the ordinary than it would normally be. Although our story opens with George as a fully grown man, living a life of his own before returning to his own home town to revisit the house which he spent a long, frighfull summer with Lizzie Hempstock. 

Neil Gaiman's wonderful and intriguing writing style draws readers into his story, into a world much like our own. Lettie Hempstock is a peculiar girl from the end of the lane. After discovering his first dead body, our male protagonist (a boy of only seven years of age) is drawn into a strange string of events--seemingly unattached in their happenings, but conveniently placed throughout the story. Our hero is not of regular consequence--he is not an attractive teenage male, but a small bookish boy filled with curiosity and questions. A refreshing setting. 

With the arrival of a new 'Nanny' for George and his sister during their parents working absence, new danger unfolds, which he finds himself in a struggle to escape. Ursula, the live-in Nanny, is the epitome of childrens fears of all carers besides their own flesh and blood--and lives up to those nightmare-ish feelings during the course of the story. With important side line characters including Old Mrs Hempstock and Ginnie Hempstock, The Ocean At The End Of The Lane leaves many questions unanswered as to the exact nature of these people. 

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane is told through the eyes of a child and beautifully portrays the innocence of a young mind. Through even the darkest and most shocking of scenario's (ones that would leave older people feeling lost, confused or even a great deal of hatred) are brushed over and almost unthought of by George. Gaiman writes this in a way that it can be easily interpreted by his readers, however still heartwrenchingly beautiful and tragic. 

“Grown-ups don't look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they're big and thoughtless and they always know what they're doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. Truth is, there aren't any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world.” 

-  The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman, 2013

Overall, this novel oozes a theme of innocence and interpretation of a child's mind. Gaiman even speaks at length throughout the course of the novel, the innermost workings of the mind--an adult's mind is blank, they don't explore, they have no interest. A child's mind, however is constantly working, always seeking out new and fascinating courses. 

Although this book is of the sci-fi genre, it felt--through Gaiman's brilliant writing--as if it was real. As if something like this was completely plausible, just as a previous children's release of his, The Graveyard Book (which I read and love love loved) seemed to be. 

I will definitely come back to this book, over and over and over and over just as I have to all of Gaiman's work's that I have read throughout my life. I gave The Ocean At The End Of The Lane a 5 out of 5 stars, and it is so very, very deserving of that. I look forward to any and all of Gaiman's releases in the future, as well as reading many of his other works that I have not finished. 

This book is a must read. Read it now. Stop what you're doing right now, go out and buy it. You won't regret it. 

All the best,

Tayla. 

REVIEW: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher *SPOILERS*

HEY, AND ALSO, WHAT'S UP?

Thirteen Reasons Why

by Jay Asher

★★★☆☆

Review by Tayla Lauren

(Discovering The Books Of The Universe)

Thirteen Reasons Why Jay Asher 288 pages 

$10.87 @ The Book Depository (2010 Edition)

NOTE: Please forgive my hasty review. It has little to no structure or depth. 

(Very) Recently, I finished reading one of Jay Ashers most critically acclaimed novels, Thirteen Reasons Why and since turning the final page, I've found myself unable to form a structured review. Originally, I purchased this book through The Book Depository after hearing a fair amount of hustle and bustle throughout the Good Reads community. 

I wouldn't say that I am necessarily disappointed in the book, however, I am not in love with it either. In the end, with all of the positive reviews I'd heard about this particular book, my own opinion had been inflated, and expectant. Nevertheless, on with the review. 

To summarise, this book is not an angsty teen love story. It's a down to earth telling about a girl who committed suicide, told through thirteen reasons recorded onto tapes and send out to the people that correspond with each reason. The novel focuses on Clay Jensen, number nine on Hannah Baker's list. 

The rules are as simple, there are only two. Rule number one: You listen. Number two: You pass it on. Hopefully neither one will be easy for you. We open with Clay returning home from school to a package with no return address, full of thirteen double sided tapes recorded by Hannah, who only weeks before had taken her own life. Hannah was the kind of girl, to most of the student body, that you knew a lot and also nothing about at the same time. Rumors were her complete identity. That is, until she died. 

The whole idea of this novel is intriguing and has a message that will stay with you for a very long time. However, the complete set out of the story was uncomfortable and appeared to drag on. Although I couldn't put the book down, I became impatient and frustrated. Not in a way that made me just want to finish the book, but in a way that I hoped that the story would divert onto a different path, or would stay on the same one for a while longer. Asher was creative in hinting different aspects of later stories at the beginning of the novel, being able to tie them off later on, however felt repetitive. Much of the second half of the text requires you to recall previous characters from the beginning of the story who you might have otherwise forgotten (which is good), which leads to a large number of characters whose stories are focused. The novel is set over a period (for Clay) of one night. Clay has very little character development due to this, and the time period which is set gives little to the ways of an expansive storyline. 

With the subject of the novel in mind, the story lacked comedy of any sort, or any personal relationships to characters that I would otherwise fall in love with. 

(Spoiler-ish bits)

The ending of the novel, to myself, was very short lived. It was expected that Clay would have some sort of revelation towards Hannah, or the way that he would view other people who might possibly be going through a similar experience to what she did, and then look to help them. Instead, our leading male runs down the hallway after a girl who wears loose fitting clothing which he talked to once on a bus, but knew a little about previously in his life.  

Overall, this book is one that I did appreciate. The story and message are things that I will always have a place for in my YA heart, and Hannah's tapes will be things that I will recall whenever I see someone else in a tough situation. This book is a definite/recommended read for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbotsky.

I gave Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher a three (3) out of five (5) stars. 

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