Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

In the world of horror-fiction, Neil Gaiman is a rockstar. Very few authors reach the near-mythic level of fame that Gaiman has achieved and Neverwhere is his masterpiece. I may be guilty of using excessive hyperbole, but I can honestly say that Neverwhere is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s the kind of book that leaves you craving more and will send you into a deep depression when you realize it’s not part of a series. Some books are turned into series that don’t even come close to the creativity and potential that Neverwhere has and it’s borderline criminal that Gaiman hasn’t written at least a few more books set in this world.

Neverwhere is the story of Richard Mayhew, an ordinary guy with an ordinary job, living in London. One day Richard stumbles across an oddly dressed girl named Door, bleeding on the sidewalk. He brings her back to his apartment where she asks him to find a friends of hers that can help her. Upon returning to his apartment with the girl’s friend, the two of them vanish into thin air, leaving Richard doubting his sanity. His grasp on reality is only magnified when he soon finds that he has become seemingly invisible and all traces of his life have vanished. His apartment has been rented out to other people and his job has been filled by someone else. Richard decides he needs to find Door to figure out what is going on and hopefully reclaim his life. His search for Door leads him to the mysterious place known as London Below, a vast land of magic and danger beneath the streets of London.

Neil Gaiman is one of the few authors who I can confidently say every one of their books is excellent. There isn’t a single disappointment to be found in his work. With that said, Neverwhere still stands out amongst the others as the best of the best. I read it from cover to cover in one sitting because it was simply too good to put down. I strongly recommend it to fans of fantasy, horror, or just books in general. I think anyone can appreciate this novel for what it is: an author at the top of his craft doing what he does best.

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