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Nowever
High school misfit Stevie juggles secrets—her haunting visions, her uncanny gift, a confusing relationship that might be love—and searches halfway around the world for her lost dad. Two shocking deaths lead her with unlikely allies deep into crocodile-ridden Australian bush, where she uncovers alarming truths about her family and herself. Back home in Seattle she’s rocked by new revelations.
279 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 1, 2020
Nowever, by Kristina Bak is a story that was easy to fall in love with. The main character, Stevie, is an intriguing young woman with a complex inner life. In Stevie's character, Bak nails what it feels like to be a teenager; Stevie is both confused and certain, sexy and unsure, ethical and irritable.
The settings in the book were fresh and vivid with detail. They were enjoyable places to escape to. It was creative that Nowever was set in the not-too-distant future--it allowed for a realistic world with intensified problems in which the characters could express themselves a little more freely.
Bak's writing style is clever and imaginative, clear, and full of momentum that made me want to keep reading.
As in life, there is just a hint of magic in this book--enough to make you wonder, but not so much that it makes things too easy for the heroine.
I really like the plot; it was well-crafted, with so many interwoven stories that it's amazing how much was packed in to relatively short book. Many times I found myself fanning the remaining pages thinking, how is she going to wrap all this up in time before it ends? And when you can get your reader to do that on the last page as I did, and still have a satisfying ending, you know you've got a good story.
I loved Stevie's inner courage and hope this book finds its way onto many bedside tables. I don't know if there's a sequel in the works, but I certainly wouldn't mind running into these characters again someday. A lovely book.
The settings in the book were fresh and vivid with detail. They were enjoyable places to escape to. It was creative that Nowever was set in the not-too-distant future--it allowed for a realistic world with intensified problems in which the characters could express themselves a little more freely.
Bak's writing style is clever and imaginative, clear, and full of momentum that made me want to keep reading.
As in life, there is just a hint of magic in this book--enough to make you wonder, but not so much that it makes things too easy for the heroine.
I really like the plot; it was well-crafted, with so many interwoven stories that it's amazing how much was packed in to relatively short book. Many times I found myself fanning the remaining pages thinking, how is she going to wrap all this up in time before it ends? And when you can get your reader to do that on the last page as I did, and still have a satisfying ending, you know you've got a good story.
I loved Stevie's inner courage and hope this book finds its way onto many bedside tables. I don't know if there's a sequel in the works, but I certainly wouldn't mind running into these characters again someday. A lovely book.
July 23, 2020
Lots of intriguing ideas and plots that seem to have no connection to each other. There was the romance, the supernatural story, the childhood trauma, the murder mystery, and the lost-parent problem all stuck together with no clearer connection than that they happened to the same person. Each one seemed like its own story and I'm not sure what they had to do with each other. I think they would have benefited by focusing in on one of them and fleshing it out more. As is, none of them seemed fully resolved and we are only left with a bunch of questions. Maybe that's what life is like...a bunch of distinct plots that seem to have no obvious connection aside from all of them happening to you.
June 28, 2026
3.5 stars.
First of all, full disclosure, Kristina and I are in a writing group together in the Pacific Northwest. This isn't my usual type of read, but I found myself in quite a different work than what I might have anticipated.
In a way, this is almost like three stories woven together, and any one of the strands might have stood by itself. First, there is the segment about Stevie's childhood and her power to remove people's pain (boy, we could sure use her now--can she touch me while I watch the news?). The middle segment in Australia, where she is looking for her father, is an entirely self-contained tale--actually, for me, maybe the most fun and interesting part of the book. Except for one scene with her father (and one with another character), Stevie's ability to remove pain plays almost no part in this central part of the book. There are very good descriptions here of the Australian north, and Australia in general. The attention to the Aussie vocabulary is praiseworthy.
After Stevie comes back from Australia there is a totally different section of the book, different in tone, urgency (or lack thereof, at least initially), and even in the breathing of the character. Some readers may see the ending (and I won't reveal it) with Stevie's early flame Nate about twenty miles off. There are many problematic (for Stevie) aspects of the relationship with Nate; they are young and hardly know each other, like many men Nate takes Stevie for granted, etc.
Stevie's repeated temper tantrums and snarkiness sound appropriate for her age.
The author displays a gift for description and the notes on the psychology of her characters are engaging. Personally, I like the first-person narrative.
Enjoy!
First of all, full disclosure, Kristina and I are in a writing group together in the Pacific Northwest. This isn't my usual type of read, but I found myself in quite a different work than what I might have anticipated.
In a way, this is almost like three stories woven together, and any one of the strands might have stood by itself. First, there is the segment about Stevie's childhood and her power to remove people's pain (boy, we could sure use her now--can she touch me while I watch the news?). The middle segment in Australia, where she is looking for her father, is an entirely self-contained tale--actually, for me, maybe the most fun and interesting part of the book. Except for one scene with her father (and one with another character), Stevie's ability to remove pain plays almost no part in this central part of the book. There are very good descriptions here of the Australian north, and Australia in general. The attention to the Aussie vocabulary is praiseworthy.
After Stevie comes back from Australia there is a totally different section of the book, different in tone, urgency (or lack thereof, at least initially), and even in the breathing of the character. Some readers may see the ending (and I won't reveal it) with Stevie's early flame Nate about twenty miles off. There are many problematic (for Stevie) aspects of the relationship with Nate; they are young and hardly know each other, like many men Nate takes Stevie for granted, etc.
Stevie's repeated temper tantrums and snarkiness sound appropriate for her age.
The author displays a gift for description and the notes on the psychology of her characters are engaging. Personally, I like the first-person narrative.
Enjoy!
April 13, 2024
Intriguing, surprising, engaging. The positive adjectives could go on and on for this novel. You'll like it!
July 20, 2026
Wow! Lots of surprises packed in one arresting story. Sheer fun and delightful at a satisfying page-turning pace with a message that strikes at the heart. Have every intention to wade into the depths of the full trilogy, Cold Mirage is next. Dying to Help will bring up the rear. A great way to spend a long summer afternoon.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews