Coraline by Neil Gaiman Book Review

Someone sage once said, “the worst villains don’t come running at you with a knife and horns but like everything you ever wanted.”

This quote reflects the other mother’s tactic of luring Coraline. The other mother is such an obvious villain to Coraline. The other mother tricked many kids into her one-way route into the world of pure lies. C’mon, you guys were scared of the other mother too…. Don’t lie. Put a thumbs up if you had nightmares of the other mother the night after reading about her.

In the novel, ‘Coraline’ by Neil Gaiman, a 10-year-old girl, her parents and three other children were trapped like spiders in the other mother’s web of torture. The other mother's character consists of manipulation, destruction, and cruelty. I would list all the evil characteristics that make her such the terrible villain she is. But we don’t have all day so let’s get on with it. 

I am here to prove to you why and how the other mother is the most terrible villain of the novel.  

The other mother didn’t have many reasons to torture and try and kidnap coralline, but she did it anyway. The other mother wanted to possess  Coraline, take her soul, and use her as a puppet. This shows murderous and controlling behaviour. The other mother also shows these villain-like qualities on other occasions in the book as well. Such as when the other mother states “you will always be here safe with me”, although this may sound kind and welcoming on paper in reality it isn’t. When the other mother says this to coralline, she is being manipulative by luring Coraline with the thing she wanted most. Love. If you are telling me that that isn’t the highest level of evilness, then you need to reconsider what you believe in. The other mother also manipulates and takes advantage of Coraline by saying “still the proudest spirit can be broken with love”. This is just yet ANOTHER demonic quote used to try and trap Coraline. These sentences embody some of the most important qualities to have in a villain; manipulative and lying. 

Are you still not convinced that the other mother is one of the evillest villains yet? If so, then get up and go read the book within seconds Opinions will be completely flipped and you will believe me when I say that the other mother is one of the evilest and twisted villains ever to exist. In the novel, she not only attempts to take Coraline, but she also takes Coraline's parents too. Although the parents don’t remember it because that is a part of the other mothers’ powers it was real. The other mother trapped corallines parents the same way she trapped Coraline. She lured them with dolls and almost killed Coraline’s parents. Not only is this evil this is twisted. First, she takes Coraline AND THEN takes her parents. What kind of sick monster is she…? These are some of the strongest qualities that consist of a villain, twisted mind, cruel, sick monster. 

If you are somehow STILL not convinced. Which is absolutely crazy by the way. Here is my final yet strongest proof. The children. The other mother put 3 INNOCENT children through hell. This is shown in the text when the children say “she stole our hearts, she stole our souls”. This tells us that the other mother trapped them, took them away from their family, fed on them, took their hearts and souls and left them with NOTHING to be alone and empty forever whilst she (the other mother) was planning surprises for her next victim. Another devastating statement from the children representing what the evil other mother put them through is “that is why we could not leave here when we died. She kept us, and she fed on us until now was nothing left of ourselves, only snakeskins and spider husks”.These statements from the children describe and explains everything. The other mother is simply one of the most monstrous, evil, twisted and cruel villains EVER.

To sum everything up. The other mother put 3 innocent people through hell and without corallines heroism was going to do the same to both Coraline and her parents. Throughout the whole novel, the other mother shows many villain-like qualities and commits many crimes. She is not only a horrible person but she is by far the most undeniably evil villain.