Authour: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: William Marrow
ISBN: 978-0-06-225566-2

Review: This is a wonderful mixture of a child's magical imagination and the real world of magic that eludes people in a world of harsh realities and empty dreams. The young unnamed protagonist meet Ursula Monkton a demon appearing as a young woman who is determined to give everyone what the deeply desire. Yet in a world of reality there is no safe room for extreme desires, and many if not all of her wish granting backfires on those she claimed to be helping. With in her actions are her intentions to control everyone and everything.

The story is broken into three main parts. The first develops a sense of why he has returned to his childhood neighborhood, the second takes the read back to when he encountered the Hempstock family. The Hempstock's are a group of mysterious females. Ranging in age from a young girl an adult woman and an elderly woman. Each has a special part to play throughout the story and will help to fill in the gaps that may seem to appear.

As stories go, this is a good easy but enjoyable read. My only question for Neil Gaiman is why didn't the protagonist (never named?) reach down into the pond and try and reach Ursula Hempstock as she had done to save him? I'm still waiting for your answer Neil.

MJ Flack