Neverwhere was the book I was sent (by the lovely Nora) for the blogger book swap hosted by Stephany. I was really excited that she chose it because it’s one I’ve been wanting to read for ages but didn’t own. I’m a big fan of fantasy, even the weird stuff, but I think that Neil Gaiman’s fantasy would be palatable for even those who don’t normally find themselves with their head in another world.

But anyway, back to the book. Neverwhere follows our protagonist Richard Mayhew through an adventure in an underground world of London. He was living a perfectly normal life until he decides to rescue an injured girl who appeared out of nowhere on the street, and the next day he discovers that he has ceased to exist in the eyes of anyone in his (now former) life. Thus begins his descent into an alternate London on his quest to get his old life back, meeting outrageous characters and having adventures along the way.

This Wizard of Oz-esque story was easy to read and a ton of fun. I thought all of the characters were interesting, but my favorite was probably the Marquis de Carabas because he is clever, sarcastic, and you never could quite determine whether to trust him. There were a few small-ish plot twists to keep things interesting, and the conclusion is satisfying.

I rate the book 4 stars out of 5, only because it lacked the emotion to really connect me with the characters. It’s hard to describe, but it was just missing some sort of oomph, maybe some sort of depth, to make it one of my favorites. However, I had a blast reading it and sometimes that’s all that matters.