This book ended up in my hands when I got chosen to be a part of an Instagram book tour to help promote the novel. I was excited about sharing the story with everyone, because YA horror/thriller is a genre I love and feel like I don’t read enough of (oddly enough, I really don’t like adult thriller/suspense novels??). This book was exactly what I hoped for, and if you decide to read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl Published by Delacorte Press on June 5, 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Thriller
Pages: 327
Format: Hardback
Source: Delacorte Press
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Goodreads
Enter a realm where fears are physical and memories come alive in this absorbing psychological suspense thriller with a sci-fi twist, from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" and "Night Film."
Once upon a time, back at Darrow-Harker School, Beatrice Hartley and her five best friends were the cool kids, the beautiful ones. Then the shocking death of Jim–their creative genius and Beatrice’s boyfriend–changed everything.
One year after graduation, Beatrice is returning to Wincroft–the seaside estate where they spent so many nights sharing secrets, crushes, plans to change the world–hoping she’ll get to the bottom of the dark questions gnawing at her about Jim’s death. But as the night plays out in a haze of stilted jokes and unfathomable silence, Beatrice senses she’s never going to know what really happened.
Then a mysterious man knocks on the door. Blithely, he announces the impossible: time for them has become stuck, snagged on a splinter that can only be removed if the former friends make the harshest of decisions.
Now Beatrice has one last shot at answers . . . and at life.
And so begins the Neverworld Wake.
I received this book for free from Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Reasons I enjoyed Neverworld Wake:
1. There’s something so easy about young adult stories. I don’t know what it is, but they’re no work to comprehend, and I love it. You open it up and you’re basically already settled into things. Maybe it’s because of the formatting of YA novels? Maybe it’s that the writing is generally less sophisticated? I have no idea, but this book was wonderfully easy to read.
2. The concept of the novel is quickly gripping (read the synopsis above!!). The suspense aspect of the story really keeps you turning the pages. I found myself the entire time wondering how the heck they were going to get out of the mess they were in. The stakes are VERY HIGH for our main character, which makes things extra good!
3. I enjoyed the dynamics of the other characters and the east-coast wealth that shapes all of their relationships.
4. The final twist is actually quite fun! Even as things are unfurling I couldn’t predict how everything would unravel until the answer was right in front of me.
I would recommend this book for anyone who wants a quick page-turner with an eerie, dream-like world surrounding a group of old friends.
Have you read a good, eerie novel recently?
A.S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. When not writing, she’s caring for dogs and cats as a veterinarian. You’ll never find animals at the center of her writing, though, because those fictional worlds don’t have veterinarians and her literal brain can’t accept that the poor critters would be without parasite prevention. Thornton’s debut, DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING is available wherever books are sold.
