Nevermore

Author: Kelly Creagh
Rating: 5/5 Stars
 Summary: 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. (From Goodreads.com)


I was initially drawn to this book because I love Edgar Allan Poe's stories. I love how they are so creepy and eerie and gothic. Which was exactly what this book was. Everything was dark and mysterious, which I loved in contrast with the main character, Isobel, who is a preppy blond cheerleader. I really liked how even at times she felt stupid, but she stayed true to herself. She was a really strong and stubborn girl who stuck up for what she believed in.
    The romance between her and Varen wasn't an insta-romance like it is a lot of the time, either. At first, they didn't even like each other, but gradually as they were forced to work together, they became friends, and then they started to acknowledge their feelings.
     I also really liked how there was references to Poe and all of his works throughout the book. They were bot in the dream world and the real world. If you aren't already familiar with some of Poe's works, I recommend you read a couple of his famous works before reading this, like The Raven and The Cask of Amontillado. Also, I found it extra creepy how some of the characters form his stories came alive and haunted the catacombs of the dream world.
     I really liked reading this book, and I think it's for almost everyone. It's got the mysterious factor, but it also has a little bit of contemporary mixed in, which is really hard to do when writing a book with unrealistic things. But it kind of stays like a contemporary fiction book until it starts leading up to the climax towards the end. But you should definitely read it.
P.S. As I was looking for a picture of the cover, I noticed that some of the covers have Varen with a lip ring, and some don't. Personally I like it without, and I also think the hard copies are missing it too.