The Hempstock farm is a special place -- a pond is an ocean, monstrous things lurk in the forests, and an old lady may have lived longer than the world. 
 Welcome to "The Ocean at the End of the Lane," an exquisite short novel that shows anew why Neil Gaiman is one of the best authors alive. Part fantasy, part horror and part coming-of-age tale, this bewitching story is made even more beautiful because of Gaiman's clever use of magic, mystery and a villain who would seem silly in any other story. 
 As a child, the protagonist was shy, bookish and didn't really have any friends... until he met Lettie Hempstock. She was a strange girl living with her ancient grandmother and mother, who claims to have an ocean on her family farm -- and when she takes him exploring in the woods on her property, they encounter strange and sometimes dangerous creatures. 
 Unfortunately, one of those is a monstrous ancient being made of canvas and rotted wood, which follows him home. And once she takes the form of a human woman, she begins to torment the young boy and tear apart his family. His only hope may be Lettie and the Hempstock women -- but the solution for the monster may be even worse. 
 One of the best aspects of Neil Gaiman's storytelling is that he never shows you everything. There are glimpses of other worlds, ancient creatures, strange magic, but he never kills the magic by overexplaining. There is just enough magic, horror and timeless mystery to stoke your imagination, but not enough to bog down the story. 
 A lot of that comes from the Hempstocks, whose true natures and powers are never truly outlined -- all we know is that they are ancient and powerful, particularly the grandmother. And their farm -- including the mysterious "ocean" -- is a place of magic that both enthralls and terrifies. Gaiman's prose is exquisite ("The silk filled with candle flames moved then, a slow, graceful, under-the-water sort of a movement") and sharply descriptive. 
 He also has a rare gift for getting into the mind of a child -- the unnamed protagonist is young enough to still accept the strange and weird, but old enough to realize the enormity of what is happening. He also grows up as the story proceeds, learning to defy the cruelty of the adults around him (like his emotionally-abusive father) and gaining the courage to fight the canvas-creature. 
 And despite their weirdness, the Hempstocks are pretty fun characters too, especially the doughty grandmother who may be older than the universe. Lettie is a particularly intriguing character, both an ancient power and a sprightly little girl, as opposed to the rotten, malevolent Ursula. 
 "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" is a magical book in every way -- a coming-of-age tale about horror, enchantment and a farm that is not what it seems. A scintillating, magical experience.