Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

NEVERMORE by Kelly Creagh

Pub. Date: August 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Format: Hardcover, 543pp
Age Range: Young Adult
Source: Publisher

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted - nevermore!

-- from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.

Kelly wastes no time luring readers into the dark and mysterious world of Edgar Allen Poe. I found myself fascinated by the mysteries surrounding Poe's life and his writing. I've always been a fan of his writing no matter how strange and dark. It was the mystery of figuring out what actually happened to Poe, combined with the creation of a dream realm, from the writings in Varen’s journal that intrigued me. Kelly's writing captured the history of Poe and weaved it into a modern day work of art.

The characters in Nevermore are well crafted. Right off the bat, I was drawn to the enigmatic Goth, Varen. We see him through Isobel's eyes and he has this magnetism about him. You can't help but want to figure out his deepest and darkest secrets. You know how opposites attract? Isobel and Varen were like yin and yang but they have this intense connection to one another. Kelly's portrayal of these characters brought them to life within the first ten pages as they fell deeper and deeper into the dark workings of Varen's dream world. This book was quite frightening at times. Dark it may be, but I couldn't pry my eyes from this book to save my life. My eyes even misted up at the ending of this book.

This book has dark undertones packed with the mysteries and works of one of Literature’s greatest writers. I found myself lost and drowning into Varen's dream world right alongside Isobel. I did not want to come up for air. With that said, I can only imagine what the next installment will entail. I can’t wait to submerse myself into more of Kelly’s dream world. NEVERMORE is a great start to an exciting series!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars