A review by renettereads
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

“As a child, Richard had had nightmares in which he simply wasn’t there, in which, no matter how much noise he made, no matter what he did, nobody ever noticed him at all.”

At the beginning of Neverwhere, we meet Richard Mayhew who has a fine life; a fiance and a well-paid job, but Richard seems timid and afraid of life. He also doesn’t seem to be as content as he could be. Cue Door, a girl from London Below who shows up needing help and Richard's life irrevocably changes. 

Wildly imaginative, Neverwhere once again shows off Neil Gaiman’s playful storytelling. He crafts an alternate London filled with ghouls and mysterious magic with that same unsettling prose as I fell in love with in Ocean at The End of The Lane. 

The characters are distinct, including the most villainous of villains, Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar who are as creepy as they are scholarly (okay, maybe not in the case of Vandemar, but you’ll see what I mean about Mr Croup). 

Richard faces many ordeals and seeing him grow confident and more certain of what he wants from life, is a really satisfying arc. 

This type of whimsical fantasy reminds me of someone like Robert Rankin or Terry Pratchett. There’s a sort of innocence that could’ve translated into a children’s story if it weren’t for the undercurrent of tension and violence. 

I really enjoyed this book. It truly swept me off my feet and plunged me into this underworld where kooky merchant boast their wares in magical markets and beautiful women lurk in dark corners to steal your lifeforce. 
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