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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
3.5 Stars
This had a very slow start, an even slower middle, and then a super action-packed ending. The pacing was erratic and thus a little off-putting. It definitely didn't build that same sense of dread that Night Film managed to, though NF had a less fantastical premise. I also hated the "twist" at the end where Bea isn't actually a good person, because it felt like a cop out and totally unnecessary. We see enough into Bea's head to know that she's not all that perfect, or even kind when it comes down to it, and it didn't need to be driven home like that.
Was an interesting read overall, and will definitely pick up more of Pessl's works in the future.
This had a very slow start, an even slower middle, and then a super action-packed ending. The pacing was erratic and thus a little off-putting. It definitely didn't build that same sense of dread that Night Film managed to, though NF had a less fantastical premise. I also hated the "twist" at the end where Bea isn't actually a good person, because it felt like a cop out and totally unnecessary. We see enough into Bea's head to know that she's not all that perfect, or even kind when it comes down to it, and it didn't need to be driven home like that.
Was an interesting read overall, and will definitely pick up more of Pessl's works in the future.
I'm telling you this author, Marisha Pessl, wrote one of my most very favorite books of all time, "Night Film". Absolutely stellar perfection. Her other two books were underwhelming in comparison. Special Topics in Calamity Physics was awful. This book had a rocky start, but I did end up enjoying the last chapters. But I digress....
Neverworld Wake on paper is directly in my wheel house. I love science fiction, especially time travel and time loops[have you seen Russian Doll?? Omfg amazing] This book actually came up on a list to read if you loved Russian Doll.
Beatrice is still mourning the death of her high school sweetheart, Jim. She's broken away from their circle of friends because she believes someone in their group knows something about Jim's death and is not telling. When Beatrice gets an unexpected invite for a get together she decides to go in order to confront Whitley, Cannon, Kipling and Martha regarding the circumstances around Jim's death.
Yes those are their names. So annoying. The dialog between the group is awkward and so damn weird. It was hard for me to get past that. I hated the writing for most of the book! Even though the concept was so good! The group gets stuck in a time loop, called the neverworld, and they can only leave when they vote unanimously who should go on living. The rest will die. As they live years and years and years inside the neverworld drifting apart and back again, they never come to a consensus on the vote. Finally Martha decides the key to making their choice will be to finally find out how and why Jim died.
I liked how each story unfolded in the neverworld to a certain extent. I think the author could of made it more fun and interesting but it was entertaining enough. The ending I thought was done pretty well, again i thought it could of been done better. Especially from an author I have high expectations for. This could of easily been a 5 star book for me if it was executed differently, it honestly feels like a waste of such a compelling concept. I would still recommend because it is entertaining enough.
Neverworld Wake on paper is directly in my wheel house. I love science fiction, especially time travel and time loops[have you seen Russian Doll?? Omfg amazing] This book actually came up on a list to read if you loved Russian Doll.
Beatrice is still mourning the death of her high school sweetheart, Jim. She's broken away from their circle of friends because she believes someone in their group knows something about Jim's death and is not telling. When Beatrice gets an unexpected invite for a get together she decides to go in order to confront Whitley, Cannon, Kipling and Martha regarding the circumstances around Jim's death.
Yes those are their names. So annoying. The dialog between the group is awkward and so damn weird. It was hard for me to get past that. I hated the writing for most of the book! Even though the concept was so good! The group gets stuck in a time loop, called the neverworld, and they can only leave when they vote unanimously who should go on living. The rest will die. As they live years and years and years inside the neverworld drifting apart and back again, they never come to a consensus on the vote. Finally Martha decides the key to making their choice will be to finally find out how and why Jim died.
I liked how each story unfolded in the neverworld to a certain extent. I think the author could of made it more fun and interesting but it was entertaining enough. The ending I thought was done pretty well, again i thought it could of been done better. Especially from an author I have high expectations for. This could of easily been a 5 star book for me if it was executed differently, it honestly feels like a waste of such a compelling concept. I would still recommend because it is entertaining enough.
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a hard book for me to rate because while there were a lot of interesting ideas in it, there wasn't always great execution. And the stuff that I found really interesting wasn't given as much time as I would've liked. For a book claiming to be psychological suspense, I didn't feel like it was that suspenseful and didn't tap into the psychology of what was going on in as much depth as it could. I feel like telling the story in third person would've done this book a world of good, as an impartial narrator would've gone into detail on things that Bee would've held back.
But anyway, the story. Like I said, there were some very interesting elements. But I've seen the groundhog day concept used in a limbo/pre-death scenario before in Before I Fall and that book just did it so much better. While I think the book did touch on how people would start behaving if they relived the same day no matter what, I feel like more detail and emotion could've been put into it.
Speaking of books, the fictional one they reference a lot in this book seemed more interesting than what was going on in the real story at times. I would've liked to read it and find out why it gained cult status. Instead we get this time travel mystery where in the end, I was left wondering what the point of all that was.
So I guess I'm giving this book a three-star rating because of some ideas rather than the story at large. It was still interesting, but could've been a lot better.
But anyway, the story. Like I said, there were some very interesting elements. But I've seen the groundhog day concept used in a limbo/pre-death scenario before in Before I Fall and that book just did it so much better. While I think the book did touch on how people would start behaving if they relived the same day no matter what, I feel like more detail and emotion could've been put into it.
Speaking of books, the fictional one they reference a lot in this book seemed more interesting than what was going on in the real story at times. I would've liked to read it and find out why it gained cult status. Instead we get this time travel mystery where in the end, I was left wondering what the point of all that was.
So I guess I'm giving this book a three-star rating because of some ideas rather than the story at large. It was still interesting, but could've been a lot better.
YA murder mystery with a time travel twist. It borrows heavily from “I know what you did last summer” and “No Exit,” has one-dimensional characters, and an overly long denouement. The language isn’t as quirky as Calamity Physics, probably because the protagonist is supposed to be so normal. But the plot has some interesting implications; people who liked The Magicians might like this one (though don’t expect the characters to be as well rounded). For a young teen I’d give this four stars, for an adult reader, two stars.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reads like a videogame. One you're really bad at playing. An interesting take on time loops, easy and fun to read, but at the end I was left wondering why this or that was even brought up in the first place. There were loose ends that may have been included to divert attention and keep you guessing, but ultimately just served to clutter the story.
Five friends seek to uncover the truth about the death of one of their own while trapped in a time splinter called the Neverworld Wake. They are, essentially, trapped in time while forced to make an impossible decision.
All in all, I really liked this one which was a pick for my Forever YA book club. I thought the premise was unique in that it was a murder mystery mixed with a bit of fantastical elements. There were a lot of plot twists along the way that kept it moving and engaging, and I was surprised by the outcome and secrecy amongst friends.
I'd definitely recommend this one to YA fans. Though I don't like fantasy for the most part, this one felt mostly contemporary to me, despite the crazy time warp. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Pessl.
All in all, I really liked this one which was a pick for my Forever YA book club. I thought the premise was unique in that it was a murder mystery mixed with a bit of fantastical elements. There were a lot of plot twists along the way that kept it moving and engaging, and I was surprised by the outcome and secrecy amongst friends.
I'd definitely recommend this one to YA fans. Though I don't like fantasy for the most part, this one felt mostly contemporary to me, despite the crazy time warp. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Pessl.
“Neverworld Wake” by Marisha Pessl is an unlikely murder mystery with a touch (and some) of paranormal. Its timeline is full of twists and turns, but ultimately it takes us on a thrilling journey to uncover a pile of secrets as it leads to unveiling to the big one: who did the murderous deed?
Jim and his five friends used to be the ‘it’ unit of their elite private school. Then Jim was found dead. A year later Beatrice, his late girlfriend, returns to a seaside estate where her and the rest of their tight group would meet up, get up to mischief, ponder up schemes and hash out their bright futures. At the anniversary of their friend’s death grief-stricken Beatrice has been estranged from them for a year. Full of apprehension but determined to ask the unasked questions that have been gnawing at her for too long, she returns to Wincroft to face her former friends. Then a fast-paced sequence of events has all 5 crashing their car into a drunk driver on a sleek with rain scenic road nearby.
Or does it? At first it seems that instead of death on impact, they swerve their car around at the last second and avoid head-on collision. Shaken up but whole they return to the estate. There they meet an elderly gentleman who walks in as if he owns the place. Which is odd because he doesn’t! He proceeds to explain to them that they did in fact crash and are now in limbo, stuck in time, in something called Neverworld – a creation of their collective minds, an odd non-world they won’t be able to leave until they have unanimously voted on who it is of their group of 5 that gets to survive. It can only be one person. The rules are strict and a vote has to be held. There is no other way out.
Beatrice, Whitley, Martha, Cannon and Kipling are the kind of characters that aren’t instantly likeable. They come across as selfish, overly cynical and arrogant and damn me if each and every one of them isn’t hiding a nasty secret or twenty! That was my initial impression and it reminded me so much of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. (Also, petition to make ‘dark academia’ an official genre because then my life will just get so much easier!)
Everything about this book was terrific. Stellar. Clever. Amazing. Wonderful. Unexpectedly funny at times. Witty as heck. Alluring in its A+ “couldn’t-put-it-down”-ness. Weird but in a fascinating way. It was a great weird. I am not familiar with Pessl’s debut novel called “Night Film” but I was told it was just as awesome. Now that I know it was an adult fiction novel and this one is the author’s debut YA book, I won’t stay away for long for I am enthralled by her beautiful penmanship. Her ability to convey so much crucial information without dumping it all on the reader just for the sake of putting it out there and her undeniable skill at intertwining the key things with almost entirely lyrical, beautiful words are the two bull’s-eye ingredients that turned this 4-4.5 star story into a 5 star YA masterpiece.
(here are some of the most head-turning quotes I wrote down last night)
Life does not belong to you. It is an apartment you rent. Love without fear, for love is an airplane that carries you to new lands. There is a universe in silence. A tunnel to peace in a scream. Get a good night’s sleep. Laugh when you can. You are more magical than you know. Take your advice from the elderly and children. None of it is as crucial as you think, but that makes it no less vital. Our lives go on. And on. Look for the breadcrumbs. (chapter 25)
I had called a place home where details such as life and death didn’t matter, where what did matter were the trembling moments of connection in between. And afterward, you felt nothing but awe for every second of your little life. (chapter 27)
The most we can do is hold out our hands and help each other across the unknown. For in our held hands we find pathways through the dark, across jungles and cities, bridges suspended over the deepest caverns of this world. Your friends will walk with you, holding on with all their might, even when they’re no longer there. (chapter 27)
I loved it so much I could cry. I did, in fact, cry as I was reading the book’s last pages late last night. It felt like one of those custom made for me stories that turns out to be so heart-wrenching and deep it leaves me raw and a mess. There is a number of those out there. This one crept up on me but the best ones do, it’s their specialty.
What starts as a murder mystery slowly unfolds to become a redemption of sorts, soul-baring tale of guilt and what it means when we meet people who oh-so overwhelmingly swallow us whole, like a sun staring straight into our faces, blinding us.
I’m not sure if it mattered to me who did the deed. I’ll leave it to you, dear fellow reader, to decide for yourself and thus I’d like to recommend this truly majestic read to everyone who isn’t in this to judge the characters of the books they read too harshly. And/or to everyone who enjoys murder mysteries and ‘dark academia’. If you’re it, dig in!
Jim and his five friends used to be the ‘it’ unit of their elite private school. Then Jim was found dead. A year later Beatrice, his late girlfriend, returns to a seaside estate where her and the rest of their tight group would meet up, get up to mischief, ponder up schemes and hash out their bright futures. At the anniversary of their friend’s death grief-stricken Beatrice has been estranged from them for a year. Full of apprehension but determined to ask the unasked questions that have been gnawing at her for too long, she returns to Wincroft to face her former friends. Then a fast-paced sequence of events has all 5 crashing their car into a drunk driver on a sleek with rain scenic road nearby.
Or does it? At first it seems that instead of death on impact, they swerve their car around at the last second and avoid head-on collision. Shaken up but whole they return to the estate. There they meet an elderly gentleman who walks in as if he owns the place. Which is odd because he doesn’t! He proceeds to explain to them that they did in fact crash and are now in limbo, stuck in time, in something called Neverworld – a creation of their collective minds, an odd non-world they won’t be able to leave until they have unanimously voted on who it is of their group of 5 that gets to survive. It can only be one person. The rules are strict and a vote has to be held. There is no other way out.
Beatrice, Whitley, Martha, Cannon and Kipling are the kind of characters that aren’t instantly likeable. They come across as selfish, overly cynical and arrogant and damn me if each and every one of them isn’t hiding a nasty secret or twenty! That was my initial impression and it reminded me so much of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. (Also, petition to make ‘dark academia’ an official genre because then my life will just get so much easier!)
Everything about this book was terrific. Stellar. Clever. Amazing. Wonderful. Unexpectedly funny at times. Witty as heck. Alluring in its A+ “couldn’t-put-it-down”-ness. Weird but in a fascinating way. It was a great weird. I am not familiar with Pessl’s debut novel called “Night Film” but I was told it was just as awesome. Now that I know it was an adult fiction novel and this one is the author’s debut YA book, I won’t stay away for long for I am enthralled by her beautiful penmanship. Her ability to convey so much crucial information without dumping it all on the reader just for the sake of putting it out there and her undeniable skill at intertwining the key things with almost entirely lyrical, beautiful words are the two bull’s-eye ingredients that turned this 4-4.5 star story into a 5 star YA masterpiece.
(here are some of the most head-turning quotes I wrote down last night)
Life does not belong to you. It is an apartment you rent. Love without fear, for love is an airplane that carries you to new lands. There is a universe in silence. A tunnel to peace in a scream. Get a good night’s sleep. Laugh when you can. You are more magical than you know. Take your advice from the elderly and children. None of it is as crucial as you think, but that makes it no less vital. Our lives go on. And on. Look for the breadcrumbs. (chapter 25)
I had called a place home where details such as life and death didn’t matter, where what did matter were the trembling moments of connection in between. And afterward, you felt nothing but awe for every second of your little life. (chapter 27)
The most we can do is hold out our hands and help each other across the unknown. For in our held hands we find pathways through the dark, across jungles and cities, bridges suspended over the deepest caverns of this world. Your friends will walk with you, holding on with all their might, even when they’re no longer there. (chapter 27)
I loved it so much I could cry. I did, in fact, cry as I was reading the book’s last pages late last night. It felt like one of those custom made for me stories that turns out to be so heart-wrenching and deep it leaves me raw and a mess. There is a number of those out there. This one crept up on me but the best ones do, it’s their specialty.
What starts as a murder mystery slowly unfolds to become a redemption of sorts, soul-baring tale of guilt and what it means when we meet people who oh-so overwhelmingly swallow us whole, like a sun staring straight into our faces, blinding us.
I’m not sure if it mattered to me who did the deed. I’ll leave it to you, dear fellow reader, to decide for yourself and thus I’d like to recommend this truly majestic read to everyone who isn’t in this to judge the characters of the books they read too harshly. And/or to everyone who enjoys murder mysteries and ‘dark academia’. If you’re it, dig in!
Lots of twists and turns in this young adult novel! While reading, I thought I had it somewhat figured out and then it took another unexpected turn! The Neverworld Wake would be that space in between life and death that once experienced would give you such an appreciation for living your best life! Secrets uncovered. Pasts revealed. The characters had me guessing up to the final chapters. Definitely a different book but worth the read in my opinion!
Marisha Pessl wrote two of my all time favorite books, so I had to read this one. It's a YA book written for a YA audience and since I have not been a YA for quite some time, it's hard to know how well it worked within its intended genre, but it's a great story told by a great writer.