J.L. Sutton's Reviews > Neverwhere

“You've a good heart. Sometimes that's enough to see you safe wherever you go. But mostly, it's not.”

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Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere is an immersive experience in a dark and fantastical place called London Below. Our protagonist, Richard Mayhew, steps out of his daily life by helping a girl who is bleeding on the sidewalk. With this action, his old life in London Above (the world we know) ends. This old life exists side by side (or above) his new one; however, former colleagues and friends in this world no longer see/recognize him. The descriptions of London Below and some of the characters are amazing. Sometimes, though, I felt Richard was just along for the ride, and that actually made it slow going during some big parts of the story, but that changes. There is also a very solid and satisfying conclusion here. I enjoyed Neverwhere, but I didn’t feel as connected to it as I wanted to be until the protagonist became more involved in his own fate. 3.5 stars.