9/17/10

Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Product Description

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.

About the Author

Kelly Creagh is a 2008 graduate of Spalding University’s MFA in Creative Writing program. She works for the Louisville Free Public Library, specializing in teen services. When not writing, haunting bookstore coffee shops, or obsessively studying Poe, Kelly's passions include the ancient art of bellydance. She lives with her squirrely, attitude-infused terrier, Annabel, in the heart of Old Louisville, Kentucky’s largest and spookiest Victorian neighborhood.  Nevermore is her first novel.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 560 pages
  • Publisher: Atheneum (August 31, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1442402008
  • ISBN-13: 978-1442402003
SOURCE:  Around the World ARC Tours
    LOVED IT

    Cheerleader Isobel is thrown together with Varen, the creepy goth-punk kid in high school for an English class project about Edgar Allen Poe.  The story quickly becomes creepy and Isobel finds herself with a direct look at Poe's life and the rumors about his death.  I enjoyed the story, but I think anyone would enjoy it even more if they had read Poe's work.  Portions of his stories are the backbone of the theme and structure of Nevermore.  I know I had read these in the past and this book made me re explore those titles once again.  Overall, a nice romance develops between Isobel and Varen, although there are many twists in the path.

    3 comments:

    1. Also sounds like a good book for this time of year.

      ReplyDelete
    2. I'm reading rave reviews everywhere, I need to read this book ASAP! Thanks for sharing:)

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    3. I've heard such amazing things about this book. I really want to read it.

      ReplyDelete

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