87 pages • 2 hours read
Neil GaimanCoraline
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2002A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Coraline by Neil Gaiman is a middle-grade horror novel that follows a perceptive and adventurous girl named Coraline, who discovers a mysterious door in her family's drawing-room that leads to another world. In this strange and unsettling place, she meets her "other mother" and "other father," who have black buttons for eyes and want her to stay with them forever. Using her wit, bravery, and the help of friends, including a black cat and ghost children, Coraline must escape the other world and rescue her real parents.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Neil Gaiman's Coraline has been widely praised for its dark, imaginative storytelling and unique characters, appealing to both young and adult readers. Critics commend its atmosphere and Gaiman's skillful writing. However, some find it too eerie for children and feel the narrative may lag at times. Overall, it's a compelling modern fairy tale with broad appeal.
Who Should Read Coraline?
A reader who would relish Coraline by Neil Gaiman likely enjoys dark fantasy, eerie adventures, and strong, courageous young protagonists. Similar to fans of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Harry Potter, they appreciate imaginative worlds and spine-chilling yet whimsical narratives that explore deeper moral themes.
RecommendedReading Age
8-12yearsLexile Level
740L