YMMV / Abarat

• Angel/Devil Shipping: What Christopher Carrion and Princess Boa would've been, if she had accepted him. Since Carrion is from the lands of Night, and Boa was from the Day, it also would've brought peace to the warring kingdoms.
• Ass Pull: Geshrats can survive beheading. Nobody's complaining.
• Badass Decay: Houlihan in book 2.
• Complete Monster: Mater Motley successfully brings about the end of all that is good by making a pact with the Nephauree, beings whose whole purpose is to destroy. She releases untold millions of evil insects, and then burns the world with a massive deathship. She burned down her own house rendering her son blind and killing all but one of her 20 or so grandchildren—the souls of whom, along with those of several of her other victims, she contains inside the dolls which make up her dress. Her abuse of Christopher Carrion for all his life, such as sewing his lips shut for even mentioning the word love, is what turned him into a Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds. Her only motivation for these actions is sadistic enjoyment.
• What Do You Mean, It's for Kids?: This series is dark. It's also aimed mostly at a young demographic. To add to the... confusion? Amusement? Disney actually bought up the movie (and a bunch of other!) rights before the first book was even published.