Review: Nevermore

By: Kelly Creagh
Published: August 2010 by Atheneum
Format: Hardback, 543 pages
First Reviewed: March 2011
Buy: Barnes & Noble//Books-A-Million//Amazon//Book Depository
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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

At once an homage to one of America's greatest writers and a page-turning psychological mystery that is equal parts horror, humor, and romance, NEVERMORE is the story of Varen -- a Poe-fan and goth -- and Isobel -- a cheerleader and unlikely heroine. When a Lit. project pairs the two together, Isobel finds herself steadily swept into Varen's world, one that he has created in his notebook and in his mind, one where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel slowly learns that dreams can be much more powerful than she'd ever expected, and that pain and despair come in all sorts of shades. As labels of "goth" and "cheerleader" fade away, she sees more in Varen than a tall, pale outcast, and a consuming romance is braced against the ever-clearer horror that the most terrifying realities are those within our own minds.
When Isobel has a single chance to rescue Varen from the shadows of his own nightmares, will she be able to save him -- and herself?

Rating: 4/5

I was not too excited to read this one. Only a little bit since I knew it was going to have something to do with the Victorian Era in some way. But I've tried to stay away from paranormal romances lately because they all are seeming to be the same with different creatures or whatnot. But, while this did fall into the "been there, done that" trap somewhat, I still loved it.

Hello, another favorite type of setting in a commercial book: A place with Victorian homes and creepy forests. And then dreamworld, with more creepy cemeteries and forests? Loved it! And they were also very well described without going overboard.

I really liked the characters overall. But characters are one of the main reasons I've tried to stay away from paranormal romance, because they seem all the same. But that only ended up true with this to a degree. I felt Creagh really steered away from the stereotypical cheerleader with Isobel, but then played with the stereotypes in a good way with other characters and characters views on others. However, I felt Varen was a little too cliche. But they were all well developed and likable. I really loved some of the minor characters as well. And I hated the ones we're supposed to. You know, in the "good characterization" way in which I want to punch some of the characters in the face for being idiots.

Finally! A commercial paranormal romance with a fantastic third-person narrative. Okay, yes, there are other paranormal romances with great writing, it just doesn't seem like the norm anymore. Normally, I'll read these types of books where writing seems to come last. Where it'll be commercial and boring and unoriginal. Just like, "Hey, I'm telling a story through character dialogue and actions." But in Creagh's case, she really captured a tone with her writing and drove into more than just characters and story. She not only has beautiful writing that flows, she managed to give Isobel a voice in third person. That's hard to do. Creagh also used her emotions well, making them seem realistic, as well as the dialogue. Loved the writing! It really added so much to the book.

Finally! A commercial paranormal romance that's pretty darn original! But even though the overall story was original, it had those overdone paranormal romance parts in it when it came to setups and whatnot. A lot of books deal with the whole "it happened before, now it's happening to us" thing, but I love that Creagh used Poe and really stuck with the purpose of this. The plot unraveled at the perfect pace, secrets were revealed at the right times, there were twists and turns, and it was dark, creepy, and wonderful. I was literally thrown into the book from the moment I started reading and I couldn't stop. I was so invested in what was happening that I forgot the world. I loved that, even though this is a paranormal romance, the mystery and spooky aspects were more prominent, though I felt it all balanced out extremely well.

Overall, a great, refreshing read with fantastic writing, overall good characters, and a creepy, mysterious plot that kept me reading. Oh, and there are some funny lines in there too, so don't think it's all dark. I do wish Creagh would have kept away from the parts that are done in every YA paranormal because she definitely could have. But this is a very good book in general.