I am a little late with getting to this one. It has been very popular, and has either been selected for or been an honor book for a number of youth book awards. The book starts off cryptically with the murder of a family. The only survivor is a small toddler who is able to escepre from his crib and journey to a cemetery across from his family home. Luckily for him the ghosts who dwell there opt to take them in to raise him.

Since they don't know his name, the ghosts dub him Nobody, though everyone calls him Bod. Each chapter is a brilliantly written vignette of a story that brings his character forward. This includes a section where he befriends a neighborhood girl whose family insists he is an imaginary friend. Vampires and werewolves have quick cameos.

In the background is the idea fact that the killer of Bod's original family is still looking to finish the job that he started years earlier. Because of this the suspense is slowly building in the background as the reader travels through each of the chapters.

Gaiman is a masterful storyteller who seems able to write for both young and old. I do have to admit that at a few points the story drags a bit, but overall, it is a fun read that will appeal to anyone who likes mysteries and light horror/suspense. The ghosts who inhabit his graveyard are adorable in how much they care for Bod, and they often come across quite humorously.