At first I felt that The Ocean at the End of the Lane is like Coraline or Graveyard Book, but aimed for adults, especially for parents of young children. The plot is straightforward and focus is on getting inside of seven-year-old childs head. However, the theme and feeling of the book is really similar to Gaiman's previous work and this together with straightforwardness of the plot makes reading the book a bit boring at times. But the book has its moments and after finishing it I was really impressed by the book.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane reminds me a lot of the best short stories by Gaiman. It has similar structure with great ending, and it leaves you with fond memories of the characters and want to read more.