Ever since I started writing reviews of my books on Goodreads, I've struggled with ratings. Is the book I just finished really a "5", or is it just a strong "4"? Today, I learned how to answer that question, because today, I finished The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. When you finish a book with a lump in your throat and tears pooling behind your eyes, you know that you've been touched by something extraordinary. I didn't cry because the ending was sad (though it was bittersweet), so much as because of other things: the beauty of the writing and the beauty of the message, the fact that the story was over. For a long time I avoided reading this book...; after all, with a title like The Graveyard Book, I was expecting something macabre or frightening--and those types of books are really not my style. While there is definitely some tension, suspense, and the supernatural in the story, there's much more to The Graveyard Book. This story is fresh and inventive--it isn't "like" some other story you've already read. While the story is fantastical, the characters are completely real. I cared about Bod and the Owenses, about Silas and Liza, and about Scarlet. I suppose that is the other reason I cried at the end...; it's always hard to leave people you care about behind. This book is a true "5", and one that will stay with me, I believe, for the rest of my days.