Customer Reviews

Nevermore

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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

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.

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!.

I actually enjoyed the beginning of the book. I liked how Varen and Isobel were complete opposites and the events that transpired to change their relationship. Then I reached the middle of the book when the story began to change. If you are a fan of Edgar Allen Poe, you will probably love this book. I can honestly say that I enjoy a few of his works like The Tell Tale Heart but this book went far beyond my small interest. There was this point in the middle of the book when I was scratching my head thinking "what in the world is going on!" Probably 40 pages till the end I looked at my husband and told him I had no idea what this book was about but I WAS going to finish it! lol... I kept hoping that in the end it would explain all my questions in a lightening fast conclusion. After finishing though I barely had a grasp on the story. The whole dreamworld and nocs just lost me. And where did Varen get the ability to create things in the dreamworld? Don't let this discourage you though if you are a fan of Poe's. This is probably just this book for you. But if you are like me and tend to get a little confused when it comes to a lot of his work....I would skip this book.

I fell in bliss with the words of Nevermore by Kelly Creagh. What talent she has! This girl has an amazing gift for writing that seems different than many others. I really enjoyed that. And to put Poe in the mix ha HA! Talent I tell you!


Isobel has everything. She's majorly popular at school too. A hot jock boyfriend. Sounds lovely!
How killer that a school project gets her stuck with Varen, the Goth, loner boy that she doesn't want to associate with. Isobel makes the best of it though. Over time, she starts to find him quite interesting, very intelligent, attractive in a unique way, and quite mysterious. She yearns to know more about him. Sadly others don't feel this way. She loses her jock boyfriend and her popular friends.


Varen finally opens up some to Isobel but it could've been the wrong thing to let happen. Now strange things start to happen. Eerie, creepy things. Little by little, over time, these things get worse. Things you couldn't even dream about.

One of my all time favorite books! I can't say enough good things about this book. Varen & Isobel....*sigh* what can I say. I was haunted after reading this. Haunted & obsessed!!

Varen, the king of the goths and Isobel, popular cheerleader obviously inhabit very different social circles but they are thrown together to work on an English assignment on Edgar Allen Poe. The story is told from Isobel's perspective & she is horrified to be partnered with "his Darkness-ship". Also less than thrilled by this, is her possessive boyfriend & cheerleader best friend. However, Isobel finds herself being drawn to Varen & starts lying to her friends about meeting up with him to work on their project. This is where the story starts becoming dangerous. Isobel starts seeing strange creatures and having unexplained events happen to her. At the center of all this is Varen with his mysterious black notebook filled with all things Poe.

This story is very original filled with suspense, creepiness, romance but also hilarity. I was laughing so many times at some of the things Isobel thinks in her head. The most funny lines though, come from Gwen, her wise-cracking new friend and her bratty younger brother, Danny.

I have to say I hadn't ever read anything by Poe & didn't know much about him before reading this book. After reading Nevermore I went & looked up some of his short stories & poems, along with the commentaries on them (that just shows you how obsessed I am with this book!) I'm glad I did. I re-read the book & understood the Poe references that are cleverly laced throughout.

The only drawback with Nevermore is that is ends on a cliffhanger(I hate cliffhangers!). I guess you could look at as a good thing too because that means we get more of Varen & Isobel!

All that being said, I highly recommend reading Nevermore. Trust. It does not disappoint!!

I read a lot of YA novels, and this (along with Matched by Ally Condie) is one of my favorites of 2011. Kelly Creagh's story of cheerleader Isobel Lanley falling for and learning the dark secrets of goth guy Varen Nethers sounded cliche when I heard the synopsis, and I really didn't think I'd enjoy it. I'm so glad I gave it a try anyway, because this book had everything I love in a good YA novel: excellent pacing, character development, backstory so we can see how the people we're reading about became who they are, mystery, and...sigh....a brooding bad boy. He has an actual reason to brood, though, instead of just general angstiness. And it's a really creepy reason!
Varen is the most interesting male lead I've run across in a long time. Taciturn, remote, and sardonic, he's hard to warm up to at first but once you get to know him, he's a great character. Isobel is a typical popular high school girl, whose world has revolved around her jock boyfriend, her friends, and cheerleading. She's never had any of that challenged or been forced to look outside her own little circle until she's paired with Varen for an English assignment. The slow unraveling of Isobel's social standing and eventually her entire "normal" life is written deftly by Creagh. I also loved the supporting characters, people with actual personalities who weren't just placeholders like a lot of secondary characters in books I've read lately. And another rarity in YA: Isobel has parents who are actually a part of the plot and not totally oblivious to what's going on.
And you can't forget Poe. The writings of Edgar Allan Poe play an integral part in the plot. I went into this book not knowing much about it, and just letting the story carry me along without knowing at all where it was going was wonderful. I won't spoil it, I'll only say that if you've ever read any of Poe's works, Nevermore will be even more enjoyable. If you were, let's say, a strange bookish kid who read his entire works at 13 (hypothethically speaking, of course!), you may very well fall in love with this book. I can't wait for the sequel, Enshadowed, to debut Jan. 2012.

I loved this book. The only reason I'd give it four stars is because of the cliffhanger ending. Sheesh! I'm dying! It's about Poe, which is pretty much enough for me. That's not all it is however. It's also about characters that are so dynamic and the relationships between them is so real, I feel like I actually know, and seriously care about what happens to them, which makes cliffhanger endings even worse. I have a total crush on Varen even if he does wear eyeliner. I like how clean and age appropriate it is. What a fun story! I can't wait for the sequel.

There are not enough words in the english vocabulary to describe this book. It was breath taking. From the very begging I was hooked! I was so happy that they were giving a realationship to two completly opposite types of people. Isobel the cheerleader and Varen the Goth. Not only were they completly different but I also liked reading them build a realationship and not just BAM they're in love. Don't get me wrong i also love story's where the characters are instantly in love but the slow build up just made it really believable.

The actiom in this book was also very good there was always a little action going on soemewhere which made the whole thing really come together. The characters are well developed and help really push the story along. The paranormal aspect of the book was also very good and very creative and really had my imagination flowing.

This book is deffinatly going on my favorites shelf and i can't wait for the second book Enshadowed to come out and see how the story progresses!!!!

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
This book has been on my wishlist for a while. When it was finally available I picked it up right away.

I rated this book a 3/5 for several reasons. I found this story to be a little drawn out for my liking. It has a tremendous amount of character development which happens slowly over about 200 pages. During this time I didn't find a lot of action going on and actually began to get quite bored. The characters themselves were a mixed bunch. I didn't actually find any of them very likeable in the beginning. I never really found myself getting attached to any of them, even Isobel and Varen. It was very hard to believe the relationship that developed between the two of them. Im not sure if that if due to society's sterotypical view on the two different character personalities or if it was the writing. The relationship that seeemed to appear out of thin air between Isobel and Gwen was a slight stretch as well. One would like to think that a person would reach out to another during hard times despite the lack of any conversation or interaction in the past, but It was hard to accept especially surrounding two girls in high school. It was all a little too convenient. I think that the author wanted to take Isobel on a self-awareness journey and help her find herself throughout the story. I think that she accomplished that to an extent but I didnt find any depth to the self discovery. It was limited really to opening her eyes to the obvious personality flaws in Brad and also to the potential in Varen.

Once I finally got to the guts of the action about 3/4 of the way through I was practically skimming my way through the pages. I had to force myself to slow down and give it a chance. When I did that I did find the authors depiction of the "dream world" to be vivid and exciting. There was a little bit of a "horror" feel to the read. I began to see Kelly's creativity shine through. I found this portion of the book to be redeeming for her. It was exciting and detailed. Interesting and twisited in a good way. While I thought that the ending was slightly predictible, the way it was written made it believable. I loved the segway she provided to continue the story in the next book. I thought it was unique and easily accepted.

Overall I think for a debut novel Kelly shows a lot of promise and I look forward to continuing this story and I will certainly keep an open mind for any other stories she offers in the future. ( 3/5 )