Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

It's almost August, which means all I want to do is sit next to the AC vent, drink iced tea, and read books. Writing this review has been a struggle because a) I wrote an entire review that got deleted 😠 and b) because I wasn't sure how I felt about Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is an auto-buy author for me, ever since I read The Ocean at the End of the Lane. His writing has a magical quality that I absolutely adore, and Neverwhere is no exception. If you've ever wished there was an Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups -- this is it. Let's start with the things I loved: I love the satirical fairy tale elements. I love Richard Mayhew, who is Bilbo Baggins-esque in his snarky reluctance to leave his hobbit hole and go adventuring. I love the world building (and the way that London almost becomes a character in itself). I love the themes and the idea that it's never too late to become the person you want to be. But there's a caveat. I struggled to stay engaged with this book - I didn't read more than 20 or 30 pages at a time, which meant it took me much longer to finish. I just never seemed to pick up any momentum. I'm of two minds about this one: I loved it. I just didn't love the experience of reading it.⁠
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