Book Review: Nevermore

The air was hushed and silent,

as if no one had disturbed it recently.

‘What’s all this ready for?’ Tizzie asked.

‘Is someone coming?’

‘No.’ Davy answered. ‘It’s always like this.

No one ever comes.’

‘It feels like the house is waiting.’

‘That’s because it is. Always waiting.’

Going through the spines of hard covers on a sale last weekend, a particular book caught my eye: Linda Newbery’s 'Nevermore'. It’s 200 less the original price, the title is catchy, the cover design is attractive, and the blurb smells of mystery. I love mysteries, so I bought it.

With a setting very much similar to the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic ‘The Secret Garden’, Nevermore is about a young girl named Tizzie who moved to the English countryside with her chef mother who got a job in an old house called ‘Roven Mere’.

Roven Mere is a huge and lonely place that used to be the lively home of Lord Rupert Evershall and his family. It’s been years since the the Evershalls occupied Roven Mere, and their whereabouts are still unknown. However, the helpers in the old house never ceased preparing the old house, in the hopes that the Evershalls will return soon.

Tizzie is the most curious to meet the Evershalls, especially their daughter, Greta. All she longs is to make friends, but as she explores the house, talking to the peculiar man named Finnigan – the current man-in-charge of Roven Mere – she uncovers deep secrets, and makes a startling discovery about why she’s been brought to Roven Mere.

Though I’ve long put reading children’s books to a rest, I have to admit that I really enjoyed the lightly-illustrated Nevermore. It’s a great break from the intense books I’ve been reading these days, and moreover, it made me feel like a sixth-grader again.

I especially loved the way Linda Newbery described the setting, the characters, and even the tiniest details in the story. Everything seemed so real that it made me feel as though I’m a part of the story – it is that engaging, and it’s been a while since I last felt so connected to a book.

Nevermore is something I would definitely recommend to anybody who wants to read a soft mystery as the rain pours outside, with a cup of hot cocoa at reach.

♥Andz