Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

I am currently gathering my thoughts and trying to fully digest what I have read.

Nevermore has totally blown my mind away.

The world of Young Adult books must have made every possible combination of pairing two people different as night and day. Now, in Nevermore, we encounter Isobel, the blonde, perky cheerleader and Varen, dark, mysterious, Varen, the Goth.

I should have known that the unusual combination of the main leads is a prelude to an equally unusual read. I was pretty skeptical when I started reading this book, but I am so glad I continued reading.

Title: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Pages: 543
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Published by: Atheneum
Source: Borrowed
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

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.

I have never in my life read a Poe book. Like most people I know I have only heard of the famous and great poet/writer but have never fully read any of his works. My ignorance of Edgar Allan Poe might have made me feel a bit confused while reading this book, but nevertheless, I enjoyed taking a peek into his life through his works mentioned throughout the story.

Nevermore tells the story of Isobel, the cheerleader, who was paired up with the Goth boy, Varen to do a paper for her literature class. Isobel, reluctant at first in spending time with Varen, has her life thrown out of order the more time she has spent with him. She had learned to lie to her friends, ditched her boyfriend, and was slowly, magnetically pulled into the world of Varen, a world where dreams can be reality, frightening, and dark, and mysteriously, like those of the works of the author they’re writing their paper for, Poe.

Reading Nevermore is a unique experience. There isn't really another word that can properly describe this book. In a sense, it made me want to find out more about Edgar Allan Poe, read his works, and discover for myself how this genius can craft such bone-chilling works.

Hats off to Kelly Creagh for crafting such a novel. Edgar Allan Poe himself will be proud if he can only read this book. It’s like carving a small space into Poe’s world and Kelly made her story, Nevermore, part of it.

Nevermore is probably the first book that gave me a heavy, dark feeling while reading it. It’s not something you can easily shake off, as I think, heavy, dark feelings will always be associated with Poe’s work, and as such, anything else that has been made basing on his work. That small sense of foreboding with each turn of the page is what made me go through the story.

My head couldn't fully wrap around the fact that a blonde cheerleader would ever fall for a Goth boy, but it is one of Nevermore's charms. Everything in it is fresh. Going through the story, I've learned to love both Isobel and Varen's characters for their own flaws and strong points. They couldn't be more different. Isobel was blonde, popular, and a cheerleader, while Varen was automatically labeled as a freak by everyone. I love how their relationship has transformed amidst the confusing and mysterious worlds they are in. See, Nevermore despite it's uniqueness, was also able to touch on the subject of friendship and high school. Isobel is a strong character, and I love reading about strong heroines who can stand up for themselves. I loved Gwen, because she's a dependable friend to Isobel.

I am as confused and clueless as Isobel half of the time. I was trying to figure out how the story would eventually take form because there were so much loose ends that needs to be tied together. Everything became confusing when Isobel was in the dream world. As was in the story, you can barely tell which of it was reality, and which was part of the dream.

Nevermore is a dark, twisted and chilling tale of romance between two people who couldn't be more different. It's frightening, intriguing, a bit happy, a bit sad, depressing in a sense, but hopeful. I cannot wait to read Book Two!

My rating

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

Another book cover crush! I love how Varen's purple squiggly writing is all over the cover!

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