This was a true blue fantasy novel with the all the Gaiman essentials - mystery, magic, evil witch, horror and a kid trying to understand adults' world. It tells the story of Coraline, an adventure seeking girl, who gets trapped in an alternate world by an evil replica of her mother and has to find her way out to her home and save her parents, all with the help of a talking cat. Apart from the fantasy element which is at its peak, it also comments intermittently on the unexplained activities and beliefs of adults. 
 Recommended.