The Never List

As someone who is constantly planning and organizing, I related to the two main characters' dedication to their lists. However, their obsession with making sure they were never, ever in harm's way was taken to the extreme where I felt many readers would not be able to connect with the girls, Sarah and Jennifer, and their paranoia.

The novel was filled with interesting twists, creepy details, and a dark plot. The telling of what went on in the cellar was done through flashbacks which I wasn't expecting but got the job done. Towards the end of the novel, the trouble returned. For me, this portion of the book actually took away from the story as a whole. Rather than moving the plot forward, it seemed to remain stagnant as the main concept and premise was simply revisited.

Koethi Zan did a great job developing characters recovering from a horrific and traumatic experience in their own ways. It made me take a step back and think about how I would react or handle myself in a similar situation because of the way Zan explores these same thoughts and feelings in the girls.
The characters are all intriguing and added to the mystery. I appreciated, too, the extensive list of characters with varying traits and levels of complexity. Much of the book is spent trying to figure out the deepest thoughts of the some characters. In the end, finally determining who was behind so much of the pain and anguish of the girls was shocking and sad.

Overall, I would recommend The Never List to anyone seeking a twisted story with unique character development.