Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Title: Nevermore

Series: Nevermore #1

Author: Kelly Creagh

Publisher: Atheneum Books for young readers)

Publication date: August 2012

Source: I own a copy.

From Goodreads:

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.

My Review

Man! Why did somebody not warn me that this book doesn’t end here? That the most MAJOR issue of the tale is unresolved? That the reader would be left somewhat sad and desolate at the end and almost devoid of hope? I raged on through to the end, desperate to see Isobel conquer, yet found a door slammed in my face, knowing the answers and ending I sought would not be forthcoming unless I read on. This is my payment for rarely reading blurbs, eh?

Okay, gripes out of the way, I’ll move on. With the amount of bog-standard paranormal books out there for YA readers at the moment, this one was such a refreshing change. I was a little concerned at one point, that I’d be left behind due to not being familiar with the work of Poe but that wasn’t the case. The authors descriptions are done well enough that I followed the tale just fine and dandy. And what descriptions they were. This is possibly one of the most ‘visual’ novels I have read in a good while, to the point I could almost imagine each and every scene–especially toward the end–spread across a huge screen as they played out within my mind.

As for the characters? I loved who the author intended me to–Gwen was a welcome addition to Isobel’s friends list, and Isobel’s little brother was just an all-round awesome and amusing character that brought her home life to life–and I disliked all the right characters, as well as felt sorry for those I probably didn’t really want to, telling me the writer did a great job of pulling me in all the right directions.

I have no idea of the title of the next book in this series, but rest assured I shall be looking for it, and it will definitely be placed on my to-read pile. Would I recommend it? Oh, you betcha.