Rating: 
Summary: A fine modern fantasy by an excellent writer
Review: /Dark Cities Underground/ has a great title and a kick-ass cover--just the kind of book that'll catch your eye at the store. Let it. It's a fairly slim volume, unlike what passes today for a typical fantasy, requiring great strides in the book-binder's art simply to keep the whole damn thing from falling apart, and wonder of wonders, it is complete in a single volume. But don't think there isn't a wealth of invention, some highly sympathetic characters, and some just plain neat stuff, because there is. Goldstein was able to make her story resonate with some of our most cherished children's books, and I was constantly thinking, "Wow, cool. I hadn't thought of that." She made me think, which is something to be treasured. If there was a problem, it was that she's too concise--I would have loved to see more of her invention, and more of the Dark Cities, and more of her characters. But not three volumes' worth. In that sense, I heartily agree with her choices.
Rating:
Summary: Take a subway ride through childhood mythic adventure...
Review: Could there possibly be a connection between Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Hobbit and Wind in the Willows? Could they all be stories that were told, not by the authors to their children, but rather by the children to their parents? Could they all be about the same place, a fantastic world that only children could enter and return to tell stories about? When a struggling journalist is hired to do a biography of A. E. Jones, the author of the classic children's series "Jeremy in Neverwas", her suspicions are aroused. Especially when she meets the author's son, now a disturbed, middle-aged man, who has become estranged from his mother for stealing his childhood. As she continues her research into truth behind Neverwas she never expects that her own daughter will also be drawn into this fantastic world. A world far more dangerous than any children's book. This is terrific book. The author ties in history, myth and literature to create a timeless story. A fast paced and exciting roller-coaster ride. No, make that a fast paced and exciting subway ride! You'll get my meaning when you read the book.
Rating:
Summary: Take a subway ride through childhood mythic adventure...
Review: Could there possibly be a connection between Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Hobbit and Wind in the Willows? Could they all be stories that were told, not by the authors to their children, but rather by the children to their parents? Could they all be about the same place, a fantastic world that only children could enter and return to tell stories about? When a struggling journalist is hired to do a biography of A. E. Jones, the author of the classic children's series "Jeremy in Neverwas", her suspicions are aroused. Especially when she meets the author's son, now a disturbed, middle-aged man, who has become estranged from his mother for stealing his childhood. As she continues her research into truth behind Neverwas she never expects that her own daughter will also be drawn into this fantastic world. A world far more dangerous than any children's book. This is terrific book. The author ties in history, myth and literature to create a timeless story. A fast paced and exciting roller-coaster ride. No, make that a fast paced and exciting subway ride! You'll get my meaning when you read the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Original but disappointing
Review: Dark Cities Underground starts out in the fine tradition of many fantasies in which the characters discover bit by bit a vast, ancient secret world parallel to our own. Lisa Goldstein incorporates many original ideas into this time-tested framework, but unfortunately her prose is, well, prosaic, lacking (to my mind) the mystery and wonder necessary to draw the reader fully into the alternate world. And instead of the characters gradually discovering the secret, one clue at a time, most of it is simply told to them by an obliging trio of sisters, after having first been revealed to the reader as the narrative follows several denizens of the alternate world in their incursions into this one. The plot undergoes numerous twists, some of which are not very convincing, but it does carry you along. The characters were developed to some extent, but they still seemed somewhat simplistic to me. On the whole, I'd say it's worth a read (it doesn't take very long); but for a much richer experience I suggest Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood (dark fantasy) or A.S. Byatt's Possession (literary detective work).
Rating:
Summary: Dark Cities Underground is Fantastical!
Review: For all those lovers of subways, undergrounds, metros & BARTs this author has composed a riveting time & space odyssey. Involving a single mum reporter in the Bay Area & a recluse who had been, as a child, the source for his mother's bestselling children's stories. This is a colorful, whimsical & hair-raising fantasy. Doors to houses become gates to the underworld & stops along the BART become stations to other times & systems. Wonderful imagery, serious & hilarious ideas about believing what you see & the perpetual drama of day vs night, evil vs good & just how much of those underground train systems was actually built & for whom?
Rating:
Summary: Maybe not different, but REALLY COOL!
Review: I found this book extremely exciting to read because it was filled with ideas that I never would have thought of before. I'd give it to any other teen who has a love for fantasy that tries to tie in with real life.
Rating: 
Summary: A promise betrayed
Review: I give this book a single star because it so horribly betrays the promise of its fascinating premise: that the world's most beloved children's stories come from a real place, a secret world that's hidden behind the world of everyday, and can be entered only by the favored few. Through pedestrian language, two-dimensional characterizations, and unconvincing plotting, Goldstein manages to bleed all the wonder out of this compelling idea. To add insult to injury, she seems to tire of her story about three-quarters of the way through; the book's climax, which ought to be thrilling, is even flatter than the rest, and feels like something she slogged through in order to meet a deadline. I'm at a loss to understand the praise and award nominations this book has received, or why it's on so many people's "best of" lists. Among other things, "Dark Cities Underground" has been lauded for its originality. But a very similar theme was previously explored by UK author Mark Chadbourn in his novel "Scissorman"--which, though flawed, is far and away the better book.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely recommended
Review: I just finished reading this yesterday. Lisa Goldstein has created an intersting world connecting up the various subways in cities around the world. She also brings in Egyptian mythology, children's literature, and literary archetypes as parts of her Nefer Lands(Netherworld). The only weak aspect was her trying to tie in what seemed like all great children's literature. I could see a connection to some, but not all of the books mentioned. In all though, it's a pretty good story. The characters are interesting and fleshed out enough to make them sympathetic protagonists or effective antagonists. Two years ago I bought and read Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. There are obvious parallels between that book and Dark Cities Underground. I enjoyed both and would recommend both, but I feel that Neverwhere is the superior book. DCU is a bit thin. Much is written of the build up to the main characters realizing that something else is down there underground, but there just isn't the development of the underground world the way there is in Neverwhere. I also liked the characters in Neverwhere a bit better. Read both books and see what you think.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely recommended
Review: I just finished reading this yesterday. Lisa Goldstein has created an intersting world connecting up the various subways in cities around the world. She also brings in Egyptian mythology, children's literature, and literary archetypes as parts of her Nefer Lands(Netherworld). The only weak aspect was her trying to tie in what seemed like all great children's literature. I could see a connection to some, but not all of the books mentioned. In all though, it's a pretty good story. The characters are interesting and fleshed out enough to make them sympathetic protagonists or effective antagonists. Two years ago I bought and read Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. There are obvious parallels between that book and Dark Cities Underground. I enjoyed both and would recommend both, but I feel that Neverwhere is the superior book. DCU is a bit thin. Much is written of the build up to the main characters realizing that something else is down there underground, but there just isn't the development of the underground world the way there is in Neverwhere. I also liked the characters in Neverwhere a bit better. Read both books and see what you think.
Rating:
Summary: Promise Half Kept
Review: I looked forward to reading this book because I do like Lisa Goldstein's fantasy work, and I love books about other worlds. The good part was the clever mystery built on mythology, via London's Underground. What a clever concept! Unfortunately, the mystery isn't solved by the characters, it's told by the omniscient Corn sisters--and then there's yet another of Goldstein's utterly tone-deaf "historical records." I wish, if she continues to write historical work, she'd learn that people of other times not only spoke differently than nineties San Franciscans, but thought differently. The second problem was dragging children into it. Goldstein doesn't seem to remember what it's like to be a child, and she must not have ever had to care for one. Gilly was like a doll--always conveniently stowed away for Ruthie, whenever Ruthie needed time to go out adventuring. She never acted like kids normally do, there was never any hassle about being late to the daycare center, or the kid got sick, or crabby, or just didn't want to budge away from her kid routine. And I could not believe in Ruthie leaving her alone in a car in a dangerous area! NO parent with Ruthie's supposed sensitivity would ever do that, no matter how tempting. She'd drive the kid to safety and then return. But then Gilly was a Plot Device, not a character, and it was clear that she'd have to be taken by the bad guys before Ruthie did that unbelievable thing. It was also clear that Goldstein has swallowed some of the foolishness about "kids having no preconceptions" which is how they see magic, which isn't quite true. Kid perspective on the world is different than adult, but they do have preconceptions--in fact, kids insist far more than adults do on inner consistency, though adults might not perceive that paradigm. I hope that Goldstein will return to her adult fantasy work, which is what she does best.
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