The Coney Island Book of the Dead is a thrilling and fascinating read. I loved this book. All the characters have so many different layers. Their back stories are each intriguing and appear to be able to be developed into their own mini-series, if the author decided to later on. The book starts out describing Coney Island during a time where life was somewhat carefree and light-hearted. The main character is a young girl that is full of adventure and rebellion. Her best friend/cousin can be just as rebellious but they both have somewhat good reason at times.The adventures that "Brooklyn" goes on and the things she learns are genuinely creative and full of enough details that you could imagine watching her do it. Even though the book does have a good/evil type theme, it is in a totally different concept and more along the lines of good guy Vs. guy that thinks he is doing good even though both are doing the same job. Their perspectives about the approach is what sets them apart. Another aspect of this book is that it touches lightly on the mother's eating disorder. As the story progresses, the physical description tells you what is happening and then at the end, gives you some insight into the character's futures. The author also touches lightly on racism. One of the leading men in the story has to gently explain to a naive Brooklyn that she isn't supposed to be in his house alone or behind closed doors with him. He implies that it is because he is black and she is white. He talks about his younger life in which he grew up on a plantation and why he left. This book is multi-faceted. It has many layers that get more complex as it goes but not so deep down the rabbit hole that the reader begins to lose interest.