Book Review: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Book:Neverwhere
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy

Julia Rating: 10

Comments: The Minneapolis Star Tribune says, "A dark contemporary 'Alice in Wonderland'... imaginative, well-crafted (and) highly visual."

I have to agree with the above quote, except that I think that Neverwhere is half Alice in Wonderland and half Wizard of Oz. The story is about a young man named Richard Mayhew, who has moved to London from Scotland. He is a nice young man with an overbearing fiance and a successful banking career. One day he runs across a bleeding girl on the street and helps her, thus flipping his whole life upside down. By helping this young girl, he becomes inducted into the second London - London Below. London Below is filled with thousands of people that live in the forgotten places, the time that had nowhere else to go, dead end sewers, phantom trains in the Underground and so on. It's a place filled with magic, adventure and - most of all - danger. With two insane (and highly skilled) assassins on his tail, Richard traverses London Below. In the process he makes friends and learns a lot about himself.

This book is fantastic. It has just enough imagery to be fun, but still allows the imagination to run wild. One thing I enjoy about Neil Gaiman is his dark sense of humor. He makes a story come alive, makes terrible things occur, but still manages to draw a smile out of his reader. I think this book is good for anyone who likes fantasy and/or England.