Title: Neverwhere
Author: Neil Gaiman
Series: London Below, The World of Neverwhere #1 (Just found out on Goodreads that there is a planned sequel, OMG)
Publication Date: November 2, 2017
Pages: 448
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Good Omens is one of my favorite books of all time and I am an absolute sucker for anything related to Wonderland, so I absolutely had to read this. And, I was not disappointed. I absolutely loved this book and I am so excited that there is a sequel in the future.Â
My Summary: Richard Mayhew is living a normal life while living in London. Then, through a weird twist of fate, he comes across a young girl named Door. She comes from a secret world that exists called London Below and has the ability to open a door to anywhere. Soon after meeting, Richard finds himself being pulled into this new world where everything is different and he doesn’t know the rules. Unfortunately, he must adapt quickly because there are dark forces at work and they’re after Door. Together, they try to outrun those who are after them and complete their quest. But, they must remember that not everything is what it seems. Â
Pros: This is such a unique story and the execution was amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like this, and that’s a good thing, especially since I’ve read a lot of books. I loved the universe that the author created, which is a darker and extremely dangerous version of Wonderland. I found the bond that Richard and Door had adorable. All of the characters had depth and were rememberable. Even though I usually hate open endings, this one actually left me feeling pretty good. And, it helps that there will be a sequel coming out. Lastly, I did get to experience the Wonderland that I know and love in this one. In this one, Richard would definitely be Alice, Door would be the white rabbit that pulled him in, London Below is Wonderland, the marquis would be the Cheshire cat, and there are other characters that are definitely influenced by the classic. Also, if you know your Alice in Wonderland, there are a couple more references hidden in the text which I thought were great.Â
Cons: The only negative I have is the fact that London Below is never fully explained. When I start a new book, I like to understand the setting. I like to know how that universe works, what the rules are, and how it’s navigated. That never happened in this one, and I am definitely still confused on what the rules are exactly. Hopefully, this gets answered in the sequel.Â
