Read-a-long: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Week One)

I am participating in my very first "Readalong" and this one is hosted by Jenn at Booksessed. We are reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which I've owned for awhile, and been meaning to get around to, so this was the perfect opportunity!

This week we started with chapters one and two...here are the answers that Jenn has posted on her blog for discussion along with my answers:

What were your initial first impressions of the characters?
Of course, I was horrified by Jack and his actions against the Bod's family. He was pure evil! I love the Owens' of course, they took Bod right in and committed to bringing him up as their own. I liked Scarlett too. I think she made Bod a little more aware of the fact that he was human, and also he was not used to having friends who were children.

How did the ghost of Bod's mother make you feel?
It made me sad for her. I couldn't imagine how she must feel seeing her that someone is attempting to kill her child, like they did her, and there is nothing she could do about it. As a mother, I know there would be no worse feeling that being helpless to protect my own child.

Do you think that Nobody is a good name for a boy?
Well, in reality, no, of course not. It's rather sad - don't you think? If my name was Nobody, I think I would have a problem with self esteem...but of course, in the context of the book, it's appropriate.

What are your thoughts on Silas and the woman on the grey horse?
I really like Silas, especially the importance he placed on educating Bod. He cares for Bod as much as his "parents", the Owens'. There wasn't a lot of information about the woman on the grey horse, but she approved Bod's freedom in the graveyard...so I like her, lol!

Do you think it's a good thing that Bod Freedom of the Graveyard and thus other powers?
At this point in the book I think it was good that he was given Freedom of the Graveyard - basically, the Graveyard is his home, and at this point it just feels like he was being made to feel at home. Now, I may change my mind later in the book, lol. This is my first reading of the book, so I don't know yet...

Do you think it's okay to let a child play in a graveyard like Scarlett's parents did?
Well, I would never let my 5 year old play ANYWHERE unsupervised - graveyard or not. My personal opinion is that a graveyard is not a place for children to play. It is a place for people to pay respects. If I went there to visit a loved one's site, I wouldn't want a bunch a kids running rampant throught the tombstones...so, in short - no, I guess not.

Why do you think Scarlett's parents are so eager to claim imaginary friends?
I think that they are worried about her mental capacities, so they are trying to convince themselves and Scarlet that it's something developmentally normal, like imaginary friends.

Did the semantics of the Tattoo Man seem obvious to you or was it a bit frightening?
It was a little creepy, I must admit. A ghost version of a scarecrow - very creative and creepy!

What do you think were Scarlett's parents real motivations in moving the family to Scotland?
I think they were escaping the graveyard - they realized how strong Scarlett was being pulled by it, and felt the need to get away.

Well, that is it for week one of The Graveyard Book! Next Tuesday, we will talk about chapters 3 and 4! Feel free to jump in the discussion!