DNF'd at 12%

Disclaimer: I am not the target age for this book. Even though I gave up on it, I do think it will appeal to teenagers, so please pick it up and give it a try if it sounds interesting to you.

While I still think the premise is intriguing and appeals to my enjoyment of superhero stories, I didn't really get along with this book. The characters and the language they use just felt very young to me, in a way that really made me feel my age. There's a lot of teenage posturing and picking fights over nothing, and there's an insta-love relationship that becomes "I think we have something" after two minor conversations. I didn't get to see any of the superhero elements by 12% in, and since I wasn't invested in the characters, I couldn't really find it in me to keep going.

When I first started reading this it felt intriguing, like I was about to be pulled into an epic adventure.

Sadly the feeling didn't last, what started as a novel writing style soon became annoying, the slang, the wording, and the way the characters interacted just didn't work for me by the end.

Now on the opposite side of that if you're looking for an example of instalove this is complete and total instant love, I couldn't even really get into the romance before they were already.... well you get the picture.

I will say the visuals painted in this book are superb, it's so easy to see what the author wants us to see, I really feel like that is her strong point.

Overall this book was a miss for me but I still had some fun moments reading it.

Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing a copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Neverwraith by Shakir Rashaan

I really couldn't get into this book because it read soooo teenager on MSN - and although text talk is nostalgic for a 90's kid, I really don't want it in my books.

I feel like this book will be a hit with a younger audience, however!

While the book's description initially piqued my interest, I faced challenges as I delved into the story. The inclusion of instant love, particularly in the context of a fantasy setting, felt jarring and disrupted the immersion I was hoping for.

Additionally, the frequent use of slang, while generally acceptable to me in literature, was, in this case, a bit overwhelming. It was overused to the extent that it felt unnatural, making it challenging to connect with the narrative.

I struggled to follow the storyline, especially during the dialogue, leaving me feeling a bit lost. Unfortunately, the perceived lack of direction made it difficult for me to engage with the plot, ultimately affecting my overall experience.

While I had high hopes for enjoying this book and continuing with the series, I have decided not to pursue further readings. I believe honest feedback is valuable for authors and publishers, and I hope these insights prove constructive.

This book has such an amazing premise but for me, it fell flat.

THE GOOD:
- anxiety rep
- MALE anxiety rep
- UNDENIABLE BLACKNESS 👏🏽
- normalizing use of AAVE / code-switching that occurs daily for BIPOC persons.

THE BAD:
- the author does a lot of telling, and not much showing. Some of the most vivid scenes are the visions…but everything else is just in Townsville, USA

THE UGLY:
- I feel like there was a lot of rehashed information that we as the reader didn’t need to read twice — we were there the first time.

Overall, I may be a little hesitant to pick up book 2, but I probably will anyway..!


Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy!

Neverwraith was an ok story with ok characters. Nothing particularly stood out to me. I was sold by the cover and it's comparison to Cloak & Dagger. Unfortunately for me it just fell flat.

The book was a bit of a struggle for me, mainly because of the excessive slang. It felt like the author went overboard, trying too hard to sound like Gen Z.

The characters were constantly at odds for seemingly no reason. The love story was way too rushed. They laid eyes on each other, got together, and that was pretty much it. Not much room for a genuine romantic connection.

The dialogue was repetitive and didn't really serve a purpose. It didn't offer any new insights or help with character development; it was just a continuous exchange with no real depth.

On the positive side, I appreciated it was a male main character, that’s not overly common and did like how he deals with anxiety.

This was the first book I actually DNF. I really wanted to finish this one to find out what happens, but I just couldn't with all the slang. Now I'm 35 so I'm probably not the target audience here, but I usually love YA books. The storyline sounded really interesting and like it'd be a hit with teens.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

This story was a little different than what I am use to reading. It was a little slow but overall it was a good read.

“You will need every resource at your disposal to get you through. But make no mistake, before this is all over…it may take a monster to save us all.”

It was announced Shakir Rashaan’s Neverwraith was being published about a year before it actually was. When that announcement was made, I knew I had to read the book. At the time, the teaser blurb was imagining The Incredible Hulk in high school. I so wanted to read that story. Throughout the writing process, the story changed and readers are now being asked to picture a mashup of Bel-Air and Cloak & Dagger. I personally think Neverwraith encompasses the Hulk, Bel-Air, Cloak & Dagger, as well as several other superhero-type stories.

Fearing for his life, seventeen-year-old Yasir Salah’s grandmother sends him from their home in Atlanta, Georgia to stay with his uncle Xavion in Oakwood Grove, a suburb of Savannah. Being the new kid is tough, but for Yasir his first day is downright awful, when the self-proclaimed resident king of Oakwood Grove High School, Ian Lance, makes it a point to harass him for no reason. This sets off a frenemies relationship that continues throughout the book. For Yasir, affectionately known as Ya-Ya, the highlight of his day is meeting Zahra Assante. Zahra introduces Yasir to her friends, who quickly become his friends and the two eventually become a couple. While Yasir appears to be settling in, something inside of him is growing and coming to life. Something Yasir doesn’t understand or can control. All he knows is that what’s inside of him is strong and full of rage.

Shakir’s creativity definitely shines through in his storytelling of Neverwraith. The world-building is phenomenal, with characters who can be relatable. The urban vibe is strong. In fact, all the characters are black and have a very rich history that hasn’t fully been revealed yet. Shakir’s writing allows you to be immersed in the story.

To say Neverwraith was an amazingly frustrating story would be the understatement of the year. Shakir doesn’t lay everything out for you. He slowly gives you small pieces of the overall big picture. He makes you think and guess as to what is happening. If I have to be honest with myself (because I really don’t want to), I really love that I have all of these thoughts about what’s happening with no signs that my assumptions are right. What I know is: Neverwraith is a violent story, Yasir has been pushed to his limit and is scared (he totally should be), events that have happened so far will not come close to the events yet to come, and the next book in this series is going to be epic, while answering some questions but potentially revealing more questions.

I’m excited for what’s to come and can’t wait to read the next book in this series. I can not stress enough what a brilliant writer and storyteller Shakir Rashaan is. Neverwraith is definitely a story I will read again. I know there are little details I missed, which will help with the overall puzzle that is Yasir and his life.

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“I don’t break easy.”

“Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.”

“Whatever energy you give, I’m returning it, with interest. It’s up to you to figure out how I treat you.”

“Things have a way of working themselves out.”

“You have more power than you realize.”

“I’m not anyone special. I’m simply doing me.”

“If a person can’t embrace their past, they can’t possibly have a future.”

“We all try to figure out how to fit in.”

“Quitting is not an option.”

“Questions deserve answers.”

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

“No one can handle anything alone.”

“Every day might not always be good, but there is always something good in every day.”

“If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Not the biggest fan of Insta-love, especially the way this was done (not much leading up to it), but I was able to ignore it and focus on the main storyline and what Yasir is. I had no clue this was going to leave off on a cliffhanger so that was a shock, but I’m interested in what happens next.

I really stepped out of my comfort zone with this and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I switched over to the Audiobook once it was released and I feel it made the book so much better in my opinion. This book had me all in to the fact I had to take my phone in the shower with me so I could keep listening, like I was going to miss something. I loved the main characters and was really rooting for them. I had all sorts of emotions while reading this and I feel when a author can evoke emotions out of me they have written a very good book and I can relate to the characters and what is going on. I look forward to reading more about these characters.

A debut YA novel, this foray into the fantasy and paranormal was worth the trip! Neverwraith by Shakir Rashaan lives up to the authors reputation for crafting immerse narratives with his other books, and I loved exploring this realm.

Meet Yasir, or Ya-Ya. He has things going on that he can’t talk to anyone about. He lost both his parents at an early age, knows nothing about his heritage, or where he comes from. He is struggling but has endured this pain for a long time. He’s now the new kid in school. He’s trying to keep to himself but still meets others, including a girl named Zahra. They have an instant connection, somehow… will he be able to explore it or will his trauma prevent him from creating a close relationship with a great person?

I cannot wait to read the next book in the series! Rashaan did an excellent job at building the story and I couldn’t put it down. I was hooked from the first chapter and devoured this story. Vivd imagery allowed me to use my imagination to its fullest, and I throughly enjoyed this fast-paced read. I feel like this is going to be a popular read and transcend boundaries. I highly suggest this read!

I was so excited for Neverwraith but sadly it didn't work for me. I DNFed it. The slang and the pacing were the main reasons why.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

thank you to Entangled Teen Publishing and Netgalley for an eARC of this book 💜

what I read of this book wasn’t necessarily bad…it just didn’t feel right for me! however, this could very well be the book for you. I don’t usually review books that I dnf so I’m gonna post some quotes instead!

1. Today was a lot, and I’m feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. “I miss you so much. I wish you and Dad were here. I need you.”
I keep driving down the road, and I don’t know whether there’s something in the wind or if I want my wish to come true so badly that my mind’s playing tricks on me, but I feel a pair of lips kiss my cheek and something like a hand touch my shoulder.
We are always here with you, Ya-Ya. Mommy loves you so much.
We are here with you, my son… I promise.

2. I stop for a few seconds, completely focused on her, unable to move. She’s so pretty, no wonder I have so much trouble talking to her. I mean, look at her.

3. Still, there’s something about a STEM girl. If you know, you know.

4. I close my eyes to bask in the warmth of the waning heat of the sinking sun. Nothing else matters. Not the insanity of being in yet another new high school, not the anger of being away from the A, not even my rising angst over whether Zahra would hit me up to talk. The sunset provides a simple lesson: Don’t rush. Stressing won’t change its outcome. Things have a way of working themselves out.

₦ɆVɆⱤ₩Ɽ₳ł₮Ⱨ
Mulling over the plot, I was reminded by Saya from the manga Blood: The Last Vampire meets the Venom of Marvel - Yasir, the MC is new to town and school and there he discovered something inside him that can be triggered by his temper.

While the world building is decidedly YA, there were some peaks here and there plot-wise. It has some of the standard elements of a fantasy book which makes this a good entry level to urban/grimdark YA fantasy.

Neverwraith is a YA urban fantasy following Yasir Salah, a 16-year old from Atlanta, whose life is uprooted when he is forced to move to a small town in Georgia. Running from a dark and mysterious past, he navigates his new high school and makes promising connections. Trouble somehow still finds him despite his efforts to keep a low profile, and soon he discovers alarming changes in his body - voices in his head, enhanced senses and superhuman strength. While seeking answers, he discovers shocking information about his past, and embraces the important role he has to play to protect his people.

The local flavor in this book is strong - I'm happy to support authors from the A! It was interesting to follow Yasir and learn about his culture. The story took off after the halfway mark and there is definitely potential. I appreciated the mystery and intrigue, especially after his powers manifested a la Bruce Banner. Thank you @entangledteen for the advance copy!

“To become your truest self, you have to embrace the light…and the darkness. It is only then that you will be able to control the rage that is in all of us.”

This was a nice read, I´m not the intended audience so my guess is that younger people will enjoy it more.
That said, I liked it, s little bit of paranormal with a touch of super heroes.
Action and some romance although in the second half of the book is where the pace picks up.
Overall, amn enjoyable read.