"Nevermore" by Kelly Creagh

Format: Hardback (543 pages)
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

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. 

My Thoughts: First off, I LOVE Edgar Allen Poe. I mean, I'd marry the guy if he wasn't dead. He's one of my favorite poets. Ever. So, when I discovered this book was linked with the Poe legacy, I kind of went nuts. In a good way.

Nevermore was amazing. It lived up to all of my expectations and it was original (which, if you've read any of my reviews you know how important originality is for me). The way Creagh weaves Poe's gothic stories into her own, creating a completely new world, was just simply incredible.

And the characters! I loved Varen and Isobel! I'll admit, I was afraid of the cliches when I seen that she was a cheerleader who was falling for the "goth kid", but somehow it worked! Not to mention the chemistry between the two. Varen and Isobel just seem to fit, even though they are complete opposites. It works. I even got those tingly shivers in certain moments when Varen would open up and show Isobel glimpses into who he was. I love those shivers. They mean that I'm getting completely sucked into the story.

All in all, this story was so worth my time and money! As soon as I finished it I put it up on my favorites shelf! Thank goodness the second book just came out so I can get my hands on it soon!

My Rating: 

Extras:

Soundtrack to "Nevermore":Nevermore Extras

And since this story did have a Poe-esic theme to it, I decided to put in my favorite poem of his for your enjoyment! 

Annabell Lee:

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.