Nevermore By Kelly Creagh

Nevermore By Kelly Creagh
Release Date -August 31, 2010
Publisher - Simon & Schuster
Pages - 543
My Rating- 7.5/10

Synopsis 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.

When I first heard about this book I was intrigued by the premise. It was different from other paranormal romance books that I had read recently so it caught my attention. The cover is also really pretty. I am a little surprised that they didn't have the cover model have a lip ring like Varen is suppose to in the novel though. I am sure it would have been hotter with the lip ring.

The amount of research into Edgar Allen Poe that Ms Creagh must have done is mind blowing. I was inspired to do a bit of quick research myself and was delighted to see how many little references the book actually had. The research she did gave the book a little something extra and hopefully other people discover some of Poe's amazing work.

The characters in the book were actually my favourite part of the novel. They were well developed and described. I can easily picture Isobel, Varen and the other characters. My favourite character in book, however, was Gwen. The friend that EVERYONE should have had in high school. She was amazing. I hope that she has a larger role in the next few books.

There were some great things that stood out for me in the book - the use of the colour purple, the invitation to the Grim Facade, and the kiss. They all added to my love of the book.

The first half or so of the novel, I felt, was better than the last half. Once Isobel entered into the 'dream world" I found myself getting confused, and reading paragraphs and sections over again to make sure I caught everything. I guess, to me, the pacing just felt off in the later part of the book.

As soon as I was done, I had to go see if this was a first book in a series. It feels like the first part of longer story. I was glad to find out that this is the first book in a 3 book series. I was left with lingering questions that I hope will be answered in the subsequent books.

I would definitely recommend this book; particularly if you enjoy something other than the usual romantic lead found in most novels. Varen will most likely be your next book crush if that's the case!