The first time I had anything to do with this story is when I saw it on TV. And I fell in love with it. I was ecstatic to find out that it was based on a book and of course, I rushed to get my hands on it. So here is my review of both the book and the movie:
Coraline Jones has just moved into her new apartment with her parents. And she’s bored. She’s already explored all of the areas near the house. There are no kids her age and all of the other tenants are peculiar. On a rainy day, Coraline decides to explore the inside of the house and she discovers a tiny locked door in the living room. When her mother opens the door, it turns out to be all bricked up. But at night, Coraline finds herself drawn to the door. This time, when she opens it, it leads her to a corridor that takes her to an apartment that looks almost exactly like hers. In this other apartment, she meets her other mother and other father. They seem exactly the same as her real mother and father – except for the fact that they have buttons for eyes. As Coraline explores this strange yet familiar place, she finds out that the other mother wants her to stay and not go back home. Coraline refuses and heads home anyways. But there can be severe consequences for refusing the other mother and Coraline is soon going to find out what they are.
Reading this book was a particularly interesting experience for me because this is one of the rare times when I’ve watched a movie before reading the book. I like to read the book first because then I know what the “real” version was supposed to be like (because all movies invariably stray away from the book). However, in this case, my experience was based off of the movie first.
The Coraline in the movie is pretty sassy and even a bit whiny. I found this in contrast to the Coraline of the books who complains, yes, but not nearly as much as the one in the movie. To be honest, I prefer the Coraline in the books because she isn’t your typical stereotyped version of a little kid; she is smart, conscientious, and isn’t extremely bothersome. Even the parents in the books seem nicer than the ones in the movie. I also like that there is an extra bit to the ending of the book that isn’t in the movie; in hindsight, the ending in the movie seems to be overly simplified.
If you liked the movie, then I guarantee you will love the book so please do give it a chance! It’s a quick read that is entertaining and I’m sure you won’t regret it!
Happy reading ~