Gaiman's books have both a comforting and nightmarish quality to them. That juxtaposition is where the magic happens! 
 In this slim novel, an ancient force is released onto the earth when a man takes his own life and passes into their realm. Its doorway is thru a young boy and only the farm girl at the end of the lane can save him and the rest of the world from what's about to happen. 
 Another great read from Gaiman.