Nevermore [Hardcover]

Kelly Creagh (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 31, 2010

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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up–Cheerleader Isobel (another Bella?) becomes the reluctant partner of Goth Varen Nethers for an English assignment on Poe. Predictably, she falls hard for him, and he may not be a lost soul trapped between the real world and the dream world; psychologically abused by his father; or just a strange kid. There are so many dropped threads in the story that are just begging to be picked up in sequels that readers aren't really sure what has happened and what hasn't. The characters and story are interesting enough, however, to justify anticipation of further installments.–Corinne Henning-Sachs, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Cheerleader Isobel has been partnered with goth Varen for a report on Edgar Allan Poe. Unfortunately, this does not sit well with her jock boyfriend Brad, who makes sure to let Varen know who’s boss. Realizing that Brad might not be all she thought he was, Isobel dumps him. Rumors immediately begin circulating that she is in love with Varen, and things heat up while the two are researching their project and Isobel peeks into Varen’s private journal. Suddenly, Isobel is haunted by the ghouls, ghosts, and creepy creatures that inhabit Varen’s dreamworld. Now that she has become a part of this world, Isobel must find a way out, and a way to save Varen. The first (and only) kiss between Isobel and Varen doesn’t happen until 400 pages in, and teens might not buy the romance. They might also balk at the length; the story feels as if it needed only half the pages. Still, there are some memorable characters from the slightly-creepy dreamworld, and many Poe references throughout. Grades 9-12. --Shauna Yusko

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (August 31, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442402008
• ISBN-13: 978-1442402003
• Product Dimensions: 1.6 x 6.5 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (176 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #422,633 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As a child, Kelly would hold elaborate one-kid plays for patient relatives, complete with song, dance, and over-the-top melodramatics. Then, whenever Mom or Grandma called for a break, she would venture outside to slay dragons, run from make-believe ghosts and create magical feasts for fairies out of mud and pinecones.

In the third grade, Kelly wrote her first book titled Pink Lettuce, a story about a young girl who comes to the aid of her mad scientist neighbor, helping him to return his potion-pink lettuce patch to its original green and leafy luster.

Kelly holds an undergraduate degree in Theatre Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Today, she finds true joy in transcribing her dramatic daydreams onto the stage of the blank page. When not writing or curled up with a good book, Kelly can be found teaching, learning and performing the ancient art of Bellydance.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Eerie Well-Paced YA Horror August 30, 2010

By S. Melder

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Plot Sketch: Isobel Lanley has it all. She's got the BMOC football-player boyrfriend, Brad. She's the top flyer on the Trenton cheerleading team that is in serious contention for Nationals. All she has to do is pass her English class. Mr. Swanson always gives Juniors a project. In fact, it's infamous. But this year, he's decided to do things a little differently... he's assigning partners instead of letting his students choose. They've got a ten-page paper to write and an oral presentation to give on an author/poet from their book. Isobel eagerly awaits her name to be called, only when it is, she's speechless. She is paired with Varen Nethers, that goth guy who sits in the back corner. She quickly informs him that she's not doing all of the work. He informs her of the same back. They agree to meet and work on a project. Isobel has a jealous boyfriend. Varen has a jealous pseudo-girlfriend. What begins as a partnership blossoms into a friendship, and possibly more as they navigate the murky realities of their chosen poet's life, Edgar Allan Poe, and find themselves standing up for things, and people, they would never have dreamed of standing up for before.

Verdict: Page Turner. Suspenseful. Horrific. Freaktastic. NEVERMORE will take you on a journey unlike you've ever experienced in a YA novel before. It's an emotional roller coaster taking you from happy to anticipatory, frightened to encouraged, sad to hopeful. Creagh takes its time developing the plot, giving the characters good motives for their actions and allowing you to feel like these are people whose actions and psychology you can comprehend. She does a great job of describing a brand-new, scary, chilling dimension, so much so that I actually saw a Noc in a nightmare shortly after finishing this novel.... She adeptly weaves well-researched facts into edgy, dark fiction that made me look at some of Poe's darkest work from new perspectives. This book is a YA horror, but don't let that YA part throw you because it takes YA horror to a whole new level of eerie, and it has elements of romance, mystery, suspense, and action, so you're sure to find at least one element to love. It's paced wonderfully, especially for a YA, and for a memeber of a series, it's quite long. The ARC is just under 550 pages. This is the first book in a planned trilogy. I will purchase a copy of this for my shelf, and would recommend that you do too.

Location: I think they live in a town called Trenton. I think Trenton is in Kentucky.

Main Character: Isobel Lanley. I admire her. I think she has a strong character, and has a talent to love easily, which is admirable.

Favorite Character: Varen Nethers. I never thought I'd read about a goth boy that'd make me swoon. Bravo, Kelly for writing a character so deep and complex and unique as Varen. Though he might make the list of guys I wouldn't let my daughter date, I think I could argue him a place on the guys I'd want my daughter to date list as well.

Would Change: There were a few passages in the dreamworld sequences that confused me a little. And at times I felt a little lost, not completely lost, but there were about four times in that sequence (which probably exists over 250 pages) that I had to backup and reread 3-4 paragraphs to figure out what was going on. If it weren't for those instances, I would have NO complaints about the book.

Favorite Line: "He stared forward, unblinking, as a knife of blue lightning slashed the sky. 'No,' he said." p. 543, ARC This line made me go , "Oh I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope!"

Good for Monster? He could get into it. Seriously. He could. But your guy who likes Poe? He'll adore it.

People Who Will Like This: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Mars, lovers of mystery, The Poe Toaster, fans of the dark, people who like cats, people who love All Hallow's Eve

People Who Won't Like This: Torrance Shipman, little kids, those who scare easily, annoying idiotic neighbors Read more ›

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars More of Nevermore. October 7, 2010

By Dark Blood

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book has many pros and cons but I can say with complete honesty that, in fact, is an excellent book.
I love to read and sometimes I have gone a bit too far reading crappy literature because I find some small little detail enchanting. Nevertheless, allow me to assure you that this is not the case with "Nevermore". I am in my early twenties now, but while growing up I fell in love with Poe so you can imagine how delighted I was to find the many references to his books and life spread through out this title.
Sometimes, since I read rather fast, I can't conceive to put a book down until I have finished it. I have to admit it made me rather anxious that I could not do the same with this book. The narrative during the first half of the book is tremendously slow so it took me many different sittings to progress but when I did progress the twists in the story were capturing and I could not stop thinking about it while not reading it, always wondering about what was really going on and what was about to happen.
I also found interesting that although the physical connection and encounters between the protagonist were not strong, the psychological and emotional bond between them grew steadily and was able to capture and move me deeply.
If you are an adult worried about some of the scenes imbedded in some of the paranormal romance books you wont have that problem with this book at all. All the same if you are a young adult like me and enjoy the physical tension emanating from fantasy and paranormal novels, you wont be disappointed either.

This book is intensely romantic but it is also smart and I think it speaks a lot about how damaging some prejudices can be. I think most parents would have a great time reading this title -probably moms would enjoy it more though-....

I, absolutely, recommend you to buy this book if you enjoy thrilling stories fill with angst and twists that keep you enrapture for days.

Finally, I do hope to see more from this author and this particular storyline SOON!. Read more ›

30 of 37 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Original and dark paranormal romance, 3.5 stars September 5, 2010

By Neutron Lurver Reviews VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

In Kelly Creagh's debut, Nevermore, the reader first meets Isobel: a blonde cheerleader with the quarterback boyfriend. Varen Nethers, on the other hand, is everything Isobel isn't: long black hair, kohl around the eyes, and a dismissive attitude. When the two are paired together for an English project, each is irritated, but they soon learn there's more to one another than the stereotype. As Isobel spends more and more time with Varen, she's drawn into the frightening world he's created in the pages of his notebook. Varen's ideas don't just stay on the page, and Isobel must try to save them both from the dream world that threatens them.

NEVERMORE brings a fresh and dark take to the young adult paranormal romance genre. Its original mythology centers on the works of Edgar Allen Poe, and the story is scarier than most, almost bordering on horror. Because of this, the book should appeal to dark fantasy fans. The novel's greatest strength, however, lies in the relationship between Isobel and Varen and its development. Instead of the instant, unexplained attraction seen in other books, their relationship grows over time and for realistic reasons. Character development for Varen is strong; he's more than just an angry goth boy and he becomes an appealing and desirable lead. Isobel was also likeable. Even though a cheerleader, she's depicted as quick, loyal, and not vapid: someone outside of the stereotype. The novel also had consistent pacing that had me turning pages to see what happened next, even with its long length.

Despite these strengths, there were some aspects that could be improved.... While the first two-thirds of the book focused on the characters' relationship with only a hint of the paranormal, the last third became solely about the supernatural. There was little transition for this shift, and I wished the two parts had been merged more seamlessly. Parts of the mythology also became confusing in this portion. Secondary characters like Gwen felt too convenient. The writing also sometimes became cumbersome with drawn-out narrative or action sequences. This made the story feel a little long, not because of actual length, but because it could have been told in fewer words with the same effect. The ending, while left at a definitive point, was a cliffhanger that will require reading the sequel to see what happens next.

In all, NEVERMORE was a unique and darkly enjoyable contribution to this genre, with lots of good relationship building and a new and frightening mythology. I hope that Creagh devotes more time to clarifying her dream world in the sequel and that secondary characters are given more depth and purpose as well.

Note: This review refers to an advance reader's copy. Read more ›