Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore by Birgitte Märgen

Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore by Birgitte Märgen
on January 4, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 272
Format: ARC
Source: Author
Purchase on: Amazon// Barnes & Noble
Add to: Goodreads

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

rating
one-star

A trailer park Alice. A hole that traps souls. The white rabbit's a tricky hare. And the world is upside down. This fairy tale just got twisty . . .
" . . . quite possibly the most fantastical book I have ever read." --Frankilucy, Rarely in Reality Blogspot
A dark fairytale in the tradition of Pan's Labyrinth and Dorothy Must Die, Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore is a twisted tale of dreams and reality. How far can we push ourselves before we give in to madness?
Rule One: Don't eat or drink.
Rule Two: Never, ever tell anyone your name.
AFTER FALLING INTO a dark hole when she was running through the forest, Evie finds herself trapped in a strange new world that mirrors our own. Her only guide is a compass stick given to her by an angry gnome who lives in an ancient knobby tree. As she travels through the lands of this upside-down world she happens upon creatures that are twisted versions of fairytale folklore. A place where fairies bite, unicorns charge, mermaids are menacing, and nightmares are more than dreams. A world where the souls of those who could not follow the unspoken rules are trapped forever.
As a southern girl born on the wrong side of the tracks, Evie relies on the wisdom passed down by her grandpappy and the haunting memories of her mama to teach her perseverance of the soul. She learns that things are rarely what they seem as her world is turned upside down.
Praise for Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore:
"This book reminds me a lot of Alice in wonderland. Really great book for young audiences that has a meaningful message of not giving up!" --Kaili Taghon, Entertainingly Nerdy
". . . a unique weaving of familiar fairy tale beings and stories mixed and blended to create both a suspenseful, fantastical tale." --Christina, Indie Fantasy Review
"Märgen has created such an irresistible and bewitching world that I wanted more of it."--Debjani's Thoughts
"I got Alice in Wonderlandand Dorothy Must Die vibes, and would recommend this to lovers of fantasy and fairy tale retellings." --Catherine, Ethereal Pages
What Amazon reviewers are saying:
"Captivating!"
"Evie is an easy protagonist to identify with, as her insecurities come across as authentic."
"I really liked the connection this book has to many of the classic fairy tales, especially the Grimm Brothers' collection."
"Cute story, well-written take of Alice in Wonderland."
"A great charmer of a book."
". . . a delightfully quick read that anyone who wishes to keep their imagination in use will have a great time reading."
"Loved the character, and the story has a fun, whimsical feel to it>"
"Märgen makes the everchanging landscape very unique each time, so the book never feels repetitive, and the challenges Evie faces in each new area is markedly different, again add to the sense of adventure and suspense without sacrificing momentum or creativity."

Review

When I was approached to review Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore by Birgitte Märgen, I was hesitantly interested. The synopsis had me expecting something akin to Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland with a Southern Gothic twist. And to its credit, that isn’t necessarily wrong. It simply fails to live up to either the genre or the well-known book/movie/etc.

The two big positives for me that kept me reading were the short page count and the ease of reading. Not only was this very easy to read through, it was also short enough that I didn’t feel burdened or the need to DNF it. There are crumbs of potential to a greater story, but sadly, we never see more than hints.

Now, the negatives for me also seem to branch off of the positives. The idea was there. It was interesting and I think Märgen has more in mind, a complex background for Evie. Unfortunately, it never makes it to the page. I am unsure if Märgen had a hard limit for page count or if she was afraid of elaborating, but this was incredibly rushed. It read almost like a 200 page synopsis of a longer book. Instead of going into what is happening, the reasons, descriptions, having time exist, everything simply happens as though it were a checklist. Evie has friends. Evie eavesdrop drama. Evie falls. Evie meets a dwarf. Evie gets a stick. Evie goes through meadow. Evie meets other dwarves. None of this gets elaborated on. Even if Evie wouldn’t know what to say or reasons behind anything, the pacing shouldn’t be this abrupt. There should be transitions. There should be introspection or elaborations even if it is Evie just stopping to wonder what is happening or actually observe what is happening. Instead, it is a rush to the end and once we get there, nothing happens or really changes. The ending is just as abrupt as the rest of the novella.

I hate having to give negative reviews, but unfortunately Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore by Birgitte Märgen needs a second pass at workshopping before I can even think about revisiting it to recommend. It is too rushed and too bare bones to enjoy or justify the $10 price tag for the physical copy on Amazon.

one-star

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