On a snowy night in February--at the improbable corner in lower Manhattan where Waverly Place intersects itself--a photographer named Leo meets... read full description
reviews
Feb 09, 2012
Karo
rated it: 
I picked up a used copy of Veronica based solely on the praise found on its cover, knowing nothing about the novel or the author. I was pleasantly surprised by the book, and can honestly say that it was like nothing I've ever read before. I do read a bit of fantasy, but Veronica is different in that the plot is grounded very firmly in New York City. It's what happens in the city to Leo, an innocent bystander who gets caught up in a whirlwind of magic and time-travel, that's the fantastic part. T
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Dec 23, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
Ordinarily I would hate a book that doesn't hang onto reality enough for me to understand it, but in the case of Veronica<\u> I really liked it. It was strange, unbelievable, and yet took its magic so much for granted that I could, too. The surrealness of this book was like reading a dream, which is an amazing accomplishment for the author, because it's very difficult to let go of hows and whys when you write. After all, humans like knowing how and why something happens, and letting go of
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Jul 12, 2011
Deliah
rated it:
This book took me a year to read. No kidding. I kept picking it up. Stopping. Starting. Picking it up. And the rest is history. It wasn't a slow start, no that wasn't the problem. It was just bizarre. More bizzare than scary and that's my own downfall for thinking one meant the other. But that's OK. It is. Because it paid off. And I can't say too much for fear of spoiling it - even though in hindsight it wouldn't make a lick of sense anyway - but it's worth a read if you can stick with it. Veron
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Jul 25, 2009
Paul
rated it: 
Very disappointed. This book violates one of my cardinal rules of storytelling: plot comes from character, not the other way around. Leo, the main character in Veronica does nothing - the plot happens to him. He is just along for the ride, not really even questioning the odd things that happen to him. There is a good story here, but it's not the one Nicholas Christopher tells. I would have like to have seen some exploration as to why Leo goes along with Veronica and her plan. The few times Chris
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Nov 11, 2009
David
rated it:
4.5 Stars
My first venture into a book by Nicolas Christopher produced a very good, if slightly confusing read.
Leo meets Veronica on a snowy night in Manhattan where Waverly place intersects itself. She leads him through a labyrinth of places and events in an effort to save her illusionist father. Her father has been sucked back in time and has communicated about his return. Leo is the savior of the family.
Leo’s first person narration is very well used in this b More...
My first venture into a book by Nicolas Christopher produced a very good, if slightly confusing read.
Leo meets Veronica on a snowy night in Manhattan where Waverly place intersects itself. She leads him through a labyrinth of places and events in an effort to save her illusionist father. Her father has been sucked back in time and has communicated about his return. Leo is the savior of the family.
Leo’s first person narration is very well used in this b More...
Aug 03, 2009
Peggy
rated it:
This book completely threw me when I started, but once I got into it, I really began to enjoy it. The opening chapters were very confusing, but later, as the plot begins to unravel and become more apparent, it paid off.
I enjoyed that we are as befuddled as Leo when all these strange events, dreams and traveling begin to take place. As he becomes more confident and is given more information, so are we. I read the last 200 pages in one sitting. I was either too wrapped up or to af More...
I enjoyed that we are as befuddled as Leo when all these strange events, dreams and traveling begin to take place. As he becomes more confident and is given more information, so are we. I read the last 200 pages in one sitting. I was either too wrapped up or to af More...
Nov 04, 2009
Oliver
rated it: 
This book came into my life at a fairly chaotic, emotionally tumultuous and generally difficult time, and for many years I wondered if that was why it became so important to me, but the truth is that I have read it several times since then and it is still the magical, insightful, exciting experience that it ever was, pretty much regardless of what is going on in my life at the time.
I don't want to say too much about the story or the characters - I think that I could easily colour a n More...
I don't want to say too much about the story or the characters - I think that I could easily colour a n More...
Dec 10, 2009
Mickjaggernaut
rated it:
Brilliant. Fascinating. Surreal. Contains elements of magic and fantasy intertwined with factual information. Story about a man with an average life who finds his entire existence literally turn upside down by a woman, Veronica, whom he meets at the unlikely intersection of Waverly and Waverly in Downtown Manhattan near Washington Square Park. Thus, begins the adventure of his life as he tries to help Veronica free her father from a peculiar limbo.
Sep 07, 2010
Mollie
rated it:
I had no idea I was picking up an "urban fantasy" book, but I'm glad I did. It was fascinating. But about the first half of it was a little confusing—but once it all starts to make sense, you can see why it would HAVE to be confusing. If it wasn't for the incredible writing and vivid imagery in the first part of the book, I probably would have given up on it. But the words and images worked on me and put my reader's mind in a place where almost anything was possible.
Jan 10, 2012
Dan
rated it: 
Nicholas Christopher deserves a time out for his abuse of reoccurring characters and motifs in Veronica. I'm sure to him the repetition of characters and images seemed profound. To the weary reader, on the other hand, they just smack of lazy writing.
Granted, I didn't finish it. But I didn't finish it because it's god awful. You be the judge.
Granted, I didn't finish it. But I didn't finish it because it's god awful. You be the judge.
Sep 06, 2011
Meeses
rated it:
Lyrical, enigmatic, frustrating. Finally, a mystical mystery that incorporates NYC, a clairvoyant, a woman with a secret past, time travel, the mapping of the moon, magicians, Sir Walter Raleigh, Tibetans, an invisible dog, and the one protagonist who never stops to ask "WTF?"
Nov 19, 2009
Jenny
rated it: 
Ordinarily, I am not a fantasy fan, but I really enjoyed this book. Reading it is like having a strange dream in which nothing makes sense, but you are carried along with the narrative because, well, you can't escape. That's how I felt reading Veronica.
May 22, 2011
Merope
rated it:
Beautifully written, dreamy storyline promising a mix of time travel, magic and the mystics of far-east. It was like a long, very long dream with unusual series of events & characters.
I kept reading it through the end without being able to put it away...Highly recommended to those who are fond of fantasy books and I suppose people who like "The Anubis Gates" will loooove this book.(or vice versa)
Its such a shame that this book is not a best seller! It definitely should b
I kept reading it through the end without being able to put it away...Highly recommended to those who are fond of fantasy books and I suppose people who like "The Anubis Gates" will loooove this book.(or vice versa)
Its such a shame that this book is not a best seller! It definitely should b
Sep 14, 2009
Black Heart
rated it:
Great book, lots of amazing descriptions, a total page-turner. Even though I had about 100 pages left, I couldn't put it down and go to bed, so I stayed up reading until I was finished. Brilliant work. Makes me want to get back to my own fiction. Highly recommended!
Aug 16, 2010
Guy A
rated it:
This is my favorite urban fantasy. The story is set in New York. Veronica is the daughter of a magician (and so much more). This novel has more twists and turns than the streets of Manhattan.
Jun 29, 2010
Joanna
rated it:
i gave it 50 pages, during which i just kept thinking: "yes we get it, she's magical, WHAT OF IT." so i moved on to something else.
Feb 21, 2009
Paula
rated it:
I loved this one. Another good one with NYC as the backdrop. Romantic and mysterious, Christopher spins a lovely tale.
Dec 24, 2008
Josh
rated it:
there were some really cool ideas, but not as solid a book as trip to the stars. for me.
i enjoyed the feng shui concepts...
i enjoyed the feng shui concepts...
Jan 30, 2009
Tom
rated it:
An odd book, but I loved it. Tibetan tea, magicians, astral travel and reality. The nature of time. And true love.
Dec 08, 2008
Austensibly
rated it:
Get caught up in a tail of intrigue, the world of magicians, all set against a very downtown Manhattan scene.
Oct 27, 2009
Carly
rated it:
An interesting syle of writing, but the plot was now where near as interesting as "A Trip to the Stars"
Nov 23, 2010
Andrew
rated it:
A whirling, magical novel full of half-steps and confusion. Nonetheless, it succeeds in creating a fantastic and atmospheric progression which is satisfactorialy resolved in a series of grand set pieces. If you allow the meanderings of this magical realist story then you will reap a fair reward in terms of ponderous, intriguing characters and dramatic denouement. A firm recommendation.
Jul 31, 2009
Anita
rated it:
This is one of the most memorable, surreal books I've ever read. It's haunting and beautiful.
Apr 26, 2009
John
rated it:
I've read a lot of books, but never one like this one. Mystic, mythic, magic, poetic, symbolic. WOW!
Dec 03, 2010
Chris
rated it:
If you liked "The Celestine Prophecy," you'll love this book. I didn't. How did I not like it? Let me count the ways:
*Veronica is verrrrrry magical
*New York city is apparently verrrrry magical
*Leo is the ultimate in passive observers or maybe he just likes taking orders
*Magic happens a lot
*Detailed to the extreme (want to know how many steps there are in the Empire State Building?)
*Even though Veronica is magical, she can't stop her friends from dying or b More...
*Veronica is verrrrrry magical
*New York city is apparently verrrrry magical
*Leo is the ultimate in passive observers or maybe he just likes taking orders
*Magic happens a lot
*Detailed to the extreme (want to know how many steps there are in the Empire State Building?)
*Even though Veronica is magical, she can't stop her friends from dying or b More...
Dec 21, 2009
Michelle
rated it:
This book started off in a rambling and confusing mix of magical realism and time-jumping, with too many underdeveloped characters to track. But as I read more, the underlying story developed, characters became more relateable and the story ended up being pretty interesting. Definitely NOT one for light reading, as there was a LOT of time and place rearrangements, but the ending was rewarding enough to make the ride worthwhile. I would look into other books of Christopher's, but I probably wo
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