Starts off as a thriller, the assassin striking in the middle of the night. Hints are given that killing off this particular family is not a random act, so we get the idea that the child who survives is somehow special.

While this sounds like the start of the Harry Potter mythos, it is instead from a young adult novel published some 10 years later. The Graveyard Book is an excellent work, combining history and mythology, ghosts and prophecy into a growing up and coming of age story. Each of the characters here seems to have a solid backstory, though only a few are explored in the course of this novel.

Each chapter sees the main character grow a few years older, and each is almost a story unto itself. Each of Bod's trials help him to learn and grow, leading to a long final chapter and confrontation.

I won't spoil the story any further, and suggest you go find this relatively quick read today. Recommended!