Nevermore (Nevermore #1)

Oct 04, 2010 Janina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, paranormal, young-adult-fiction, read-in-2010, on-my-shelf, unputdownable, titles-i-love, cliffhanger, series-in-progress

It's been a while since a YA paranormal truly blew me away. But this book did. It actually made me stay up until 3 a.m. although I had to get up at seven the next morning (and yes, I regretted this afterwards).

Despite the praise it got from a lot of friends here on GoodReads, I tried to keep my expectations low before starting it. Books in this genre have disappointed me many times before. After reading Evermore, Evernight, Beautiful Creatures, Marked and the like, I’ve become careful and a bit...more It's been a while since a YA paranormal truly blew me away. But this book did. It actually made me stay up until 3 a.m. although I had to get up at seven the next morning (and yes, I regretted this afterwards).

Despite the praise it got from a lot of friends here on GoodReads, I tried to keep my expectations low before starting it. Books in this genre have disappointed me many times before. After reading Evermore, Evernight, Beautiful Creatures, Marked and the like, I’ve become careful and a bit picky and stayed away from quite a few novels that received high ratings.

But this one definitely deserved the praise. I found the paranormal aspect fascinating and original. I have never read anything by Poe nor do I know much about his life (and death, for that matter), but Creagh has succeeded in raising my interest and got me thinking about picking up some of his work. (view spoiler) I found it amazing how she interwove elements from Poe's life and stories with the mysteries surrounding his demise and developed an eerie and scary, but at the same time awe-inspiring world around them.

But to be honest: most of all, this story lives on the interaction between its two main characters. And I loved those characters. Especially Varen. Yes, I think I might even have a little literary crush on him. He is a refreshing change from all those brooding and mysterious heroes with their sometimes stalker-like obsessions towards the heroine. He isn't a jerk because hey, he’s mysterious and hot and therefore can afford it.
His 'mysteriousness' (if you want to call it so) comes mostly from the fact that he keeps to himself and stays within his small group of friends and – of course – from his outer appearance that clearly says: stay away from me. But once he and Isobel get to know each other better, you can actually see that there is way more to him than his looks and that he isn't as hostile as he pretends to be. I really liked his subtle sense of humour and how you could see that he cared for Isobel without him making grand gestures and declaring his undying love. (Thanks a lot for the lack of declarations of love after knowing each other for one day, I really appreciated it!)

That leads me to Isobel. As the story is told from her point of view, I was exceptionally glad that she isn't one of those whiny and – let’s be honest – stupid heroines I've encountered in the books mentioned above. She might not make the wisest decisions at certain points in the story (seriously, what makes a sensible 16-year-old take the way home through a deserted park at night?), but those moments are scarce and don't make her less likable. I liked that she doesn't give in to peer pressure although it might cost her the place among the popular crowd and how she doesn't hold back her fury when she feels treated the wrong way.

Her so-called 'friends' behave horribly, but Creagh manages to include something in them that doesn't make them all loathsome and therefore they aren't painted strictly in black and white.

Also great: for a change, the protagonist's family plays an important role in the novel. Isobel's parents are strict and some of their decisions seem rather harsh, but they definitely care a lot for her daughter and her problems. I loved the interactions between the family members: how her little brother seems to care about nothing much expect his video games but is always there to cover for her when she is in trouble, and especially how her dad doesn't hesitate to make a complete fool out of himself in front of a horde of teenagers to help Isobel with her class project.

So, in fact, my only complaint here is: Why does it end on such a mean cliffhanger? The story ended way too apruptly, and hadn't I loved the book so much, I might have been less forgiving about that. (Cliffhangers always make me think I'm tortured on purpose and lured into wanting to buy the next book. No bait necessary here, folks!)(less)

126 likes · like · see review

Aug 04, 2012 Palice Pottle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who like YA Paranormal Romance

Shelves: could-ve-been-better, dissappointed, i-should-get-a-trophy-for-finishing, hate-a-female-character, hate-most-characters, needs-cutting, really-needs-cutting, those-descriptions-so-not-needed, wtf-is-with-the-cover, hate-a-male-character, okay

A lot of people praised the writing for this one, so I kind of feel bad saying that I didn’t think it was ... well, that great.

I have so much to say about this book, but I won't get to it all. Let me start off with a little summary – just a fast summary of half of the book, bear with me. Spoilers coming. I don't mean just the tagged ones.

Isobel gets partnered up with Varen for her English project. She doesn’t think that’s fair and wants to switch partners because he’s weird. He writes his numbe...more

89 likes · like · see review

Dec 31, 2010 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-arc, books-i-own, signed-books, favorites

I loved this book.

I wanted to love this book, but I was a little apprehensive. I mean... the goth boy and the cheerleader. Haven't I read this story before.... No, Kristi, you have not read a story quite like this one before.

In addition to loving the pages in this book I also love this cover. I wish that B&N hadn't had a little hissy fit and the publisher would have been able to keep Varen's lip ring.... it was so much hotter with the lip ring. But I still love the cover regardless.

The char...more I loved this book.

I wanted to love this book, but I was a little apprehensive. I mean... the goth boy and the cheerleader. Haven't I read this story before.... No, Kristi, you have not read a story quite like this one before.

In addition to loving the pages in this book I also love this cover. I wish that B&N hadn't had a little hissy fit and the publisher would have been able to keep Varen's lip ring.... it was so much hotter with the lip ring. But I still love the cover regardless.

The characters are what made this novel for me. Isobel & Varen were extremely well written, well fleshed out characters. They had a depth to them, especially Varen, I haven't witnessed that sort of depth in a while. I find that I often complain about friendships between characters... especially when the main character continues to stay in a toxic friendship. I loved Isobel for standing up for herself and not becoming a doormat for her not so great friends. Their falling out while I thought it was a little extreme at times, worked rather nicely. I have to say that I Isobel's new friends were much more appealing.

I loved the references to the Poe.... the small insights to his life, factual and fictionalized. I actually had to go out and buy the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe after reading the novel. I forgot how much I enjoyed his twisted story that I had read in high school.... The Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven.... I'm looking forward to reading more.

As much as I loved the story, I do have to say that I was a little confused at times durning the last quarter of the novel... when Isobel is in the 'dream' world. Some of the passages required a re-reading to understand exactly what was going on, and often times, I still wasn't 100% sure. But other than that, I loved the developing relationship between Isobel and Raven.... and Isobel and Gwen. How cool was Gwen. She's the best friend I always wanted in high school.

Nevermore is a tale of a dark romance with a wickedly twisted Poe inspiration.

You will definitely want to read this awesomeness for yourself. I can't wait to read book two.
(less)

40 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2010 Alexa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, favorites, own, to-reread, 2010-reads, tour, exceeded-expectations

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

O.M.G.

That was my reaction, anyway, to the majority of the book. Maybe I had such a strong reaction because I started the book not realizing this was a paranormal. Yes, I read the summary, but obviously it went over my head. This is what I assumed it would be about: The goth boy, Varen, would have some mental issues (like schizophrenia), and the popular cheerleader girl, Isobel, will fall in love with him and find help for him. And they would al...more
My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

O.M.G.

That was my reaction, anyway, to the majority of the book. Maybe I had such a strong reaction because I started the book not realizing this was a paranormal. Yes, I read the summary, but obviously it went over my head. This is what I assumed it would be about: The goth boy, Varen, would have some mental issues (like schizophrenia), and the popular cheerleader girl, Isobel, will fall in love with him and find help for him. And they would all live happily ever after.

I mean, yeah, they are opposites, and they do fall in love, but it was not that simple. It's dark and creepy and eerie. A horror paranormal. (Of course, I should have realized that with Edgar Allan Poe involved). Which made it very exciting for me because I had no idea what would happen next and how this would end.

There were some other things I just did not notice before I read the book. Like the length. It is 500+ pages! Which is not a bad thing because Isobel & Varen's relationship and everything in the story isn't rushed. And at the same time, it didn't feel slow. I felt like something interesting was always happening. And I really liked Kelly Creagh's writing. It was like watching a movie.

Now for the other detail I missed. Actually, I just didn't know. I'm pretty sure not much people know, so let me tell you.
This is going to be a series. A trilogy, apparently.
I know! That was really surpring to me. You would think that a book this long would have everything resolved by the end, but nope, not the case. I will not spoil the ending, but let me just say that when I read the last line in the book, I was thinking, There should be sequel. There has to be a sequel. There NEEDS to be a sequel. o_o

So I haven't revealed much about the story. Well, I don't want to repeat the summary, so I will say this: I was very impressed with the book. I thought the story was really unique and original. Isobel and Varen were great and likeable characters. I wanted to hug Varen! I was proud of Isobel (she deserves a hug too), because she worked so hard to save Varen. Basically, it all goes down October 31. Halloween. But it's not over. Just wait till January 19, the day of Poe's birth.

Seriously can't wait! >.<(less)

32 likes · like · see review

Dec 02, 2010 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: covers-i-love, best-characters, fab-writing, out-of-the-box-ideas, writing-to-which-i-aspire, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, comfort-reads, exceeded-my-expectations, glad-i-gave-it-a-chance, soared-above-and-beyond, wowed-me, swoon-worthy-book-crushes, heroes-i-love-and-respect, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire, wish-i-could-write-a-book-like-this, ultimate-favorites, will-love-it-until-i-die, 2010-reads, prose-envy, reviewed, 2012-reads

I finished this book at the beginning of September, right after its release -- and can enough be said about my love for this book that I left it sitting on my bedside table for about two months just so that I could reread my favorite scenes and passages whenever I needed something to read that I knew would jog something in me? Books are different things to me: some are comfort reads, others are food for my own inspiration, while some are adventures and entertainment respectively. Amazingly, this...more I finished this book at the beginning of September, right after its release -- and can enough be said about my love for this book that I left it sitting on my bedside table for about two months just so that I could reread my favorite scenes and passages whenever I needed something to read that I knew would jog something in me? Books are different things to me: some are comfort reads, others are food for my own inspiration, while some are adventures and entertainment respectively. Amazingly, this book was a comfort, inspiration, adventure, and entertainment to me all at once.

Creagh crafted a pretty amazing tale, and her prose handles both everyday life scenes and spooky nightmare-like scenarios really well. While the integration of Poe and his works into the tale gave the story solid groundwork on which to build, sometimes I had to wonder if it really needed it. Then again, if it hadn't had Poe's works as keys, this book sadly might have ended up like any other paranormal book, and that would have been a sad injustice. As it is, it is engaging and amazing (gee, I'm using that word A LOT in this review).

I never thought I'd like a cheerleader character, but I loved Isobel. She's gutsy and strong when she needs to be, so she's definitely no Mary Sue. Varen became more than just a quiet loner, and I empathized with him just as Isobel did. He was someone you would want to save once you got to know him. A part of me wishes the Isobel/Varen relationship was even more fleshed out -- but that's just me being greedy, I suppose, since I loved their scenes together. There will be more to come in book two, I'm sure!

Here's a fair warning: you don't get many answers in this first book, just a lot of questions and mysteries. But who wants all the answers in the first book? The mystery is part of the fun.

I know. I've gushed quite a bit. Now aren't you just dying to know what all my fuss is about? Go read it, STAT! I can almost guarantee you won't regret it. :) (less)

28 likes · like · see review

Sep 29, 2012 Amelia, the pragmatic idealist rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, favorite-books, series-books, ya-kids-teen, simon-schuster, own, lovestory-done-right, paranormal, best-characters-ever, mc-girl

What I want you to know about this book: Of all the 2010 releases I've read this year, NEVERMORE ties with Tyger Tyger as my favorite. The only drawback to it is the length of time we have to wait for the second installment! So just be prepared to take up chewing your nails, pacing, and crawling up the walls once you finish this...

The basic setup for the story - loner, reclusive goth boy and Miss Peppy cheerleader are paired for an English project - just really doesn't begin to cover this epic 5...more What I want you to know about this book: Of all the 2010 releases I've read this year, NEVERMORE ties with Tyger Tyger as my favorite. The only drawback to it is the length of time we have to wait for the second installment! So just be prepared to take up chewing your nails, pacing, and crawling up the walls once you finish this...

The basic setup for the story - loner, reclusive goth boy and Miss Peppy cheerleader are paired for an English project - just really doesn't begin to cover this epic 500+ page saga. I was so curious as to how the author would incorporate Edgar Allan Poe and his works into a modern high school drama setting. But boy howdy, she did. I saw so many Poe references brilliantly and cleverly inserted into the story, and that made reading so very, very enjoyable. Watch for scenes from Cask of Amontillado, a glass-eyed dude bearing strong resemblance to the old man from The Tell Tale Heart, a raven or two, and more! Also, one of the chapter titles is called "Ulalume," which is one of my all-time favorite poems. What I'm trying to say is that this book doesn't just name-drop Poe a few times or make vague, random references to the poet or his works. Instead, Kelly blends Poe's masterpieces with her own incredible imagination to create an original, engaging and highly addictive story.
The characters, too, were so amazing. First off, the main character, Isobel, is not really what you'd expect: she is a cheerleader, but instead of being an overly-cheerful, hyperactive airhead, she actually is really smart, witty, and well-spoken. Varen, too, is not quite what you'd expect either. He was definitely likable, but his cold and aloof personality made him very peculiar - he was actually kind of the mean one in the relationship. While maintaining a steady pace throughout, the first 400 pages gave me a chance to really see the characters interact and get a good understanding for them. Everybody, this is how to portray well-rounded, dynamic characters. And at the same time, Creagh subtly built up the suspense: something's not quite right with Varen, and his peculiar "gift" turns out to be quite a curse. The last 100 pages *BAM* accelerate you into a fantastical-but-creepy dreamworld that Poe himself would probably enjoy. And oh, the ending! How it will make you desperate for the next installment!

Quick say: Everybody, NEVERMORE is an exceptional debut by an amazingly gifted author. You will not want to pass this up. I have a new favorite! And Kelly Creagh has definitely set the standard and raised the bar for exceptional Young Adult paranormal fiction. THIS is what creativity and originality looks like. THIS BOOK RIGHT HERE!(less)

32 likes · like · see review

Jan 25, 2012 Lisa O. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, fantasy, favorites, swoooooon, paranormal-ya, ya-lit

They say not to judge a book by its cover. That appearances are deceitful.

I say this time you should not judge the book by how it starts off. At first, it very much looks like your garden-variety paranormal YA: jocks, cheerleaders, cliques, mean girls, emo-goths, star crossed lovers, you get the gist. There were a couple of scenes at the beginning where I thought I was probably going to ditch it if it went on like it was.
But it didn't.
First of all, you should be aware that underneath the shallo...more

46 likes · like · see review

Jul 24, 2012 Ariana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, romance, series, sweet-romance, to-review, beloved, favorites, rereading-material, best-of

First read in September 2010:
Even though I am not usually into this kind of paranormal stories, and the goth things are not my type either, Nevermore had something really special that kept me reading from the first page to the last one (and wanting for more).

The story seems simple in the beginning: Isobel is paired with Varen in an English project and, as different as they are (she - a cheerleader, he - a strange goth boy), they get to know each other better and slowly fell in love one for the...more

20 likes · like · see review

Sep 26, 2011 Lissa added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

I wanted to read Nevermore ever since I heard of it. It sounded so totally awesome. I mean, a book called Nevermore that has something do with the great Edgar Alan Poe? A romantic interest that is also a writer as opposed to not having any hobbies? How totally rocking does that sound?

The writing is just exquisite. I loved every single sentence. I loved that there was a very nice dose of description of everything as well, especially colours. Some people might say there were too many adjectives, b...more

14 likes · like · see review

Nov 15, 2011 Sarah ~Slow reader, or slowly reading? ;) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, letdowns, hated-this-book, lost-interest, suckfest

I didn't like Nevermore. No, scratch that. I hated Nevermore.

Reading the blurb, I figured this book would be awesome. I am a E.A. Poe fangirl, and hearing all the hype about this book made me want it that much more. I thought the concept was interesting- but it wasn't pieced together well enough for me. It was choppy, boring, and slow- with most of the "action" held within the last chapter.

Poe is notoriously known for his "darker" writings, so I expected this to be darker than it actually was. I...more

44 likes · like · see review

Mar 01, 2012 Kasey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, kindle, romance-four-star, young-adult, contemporary

WHAAAAAT?!?!

I've been sucked in by this book for the last two days - ignoring my family and my life (yes, it was THAT GOOD) - only to come to the uber-shocking, frustrating, non-ending ending. So, as a result, I'm going to walk away from it and give it NO RATING until I can make peace with where things were left (because, I feel that the ending completely skews my opinion of the book as a whole).

And no, while I didn't expect a happily-ever-after ending or to have all the loose ends nicely tied u...more

23 likes · like · see review

Sep 10, 2010 Tammara added it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Here's something I never say: OH THANK GOD this is a series. I grabbed this book at B&N to give it a little preview before ordering it from Amazon, just to make sure I really wanted it. 100 pages and a finished latte later... I decided I didn't want it from Amazon -- I had to have it right then. I paid full price (horrors! but trust me it was that or stay at the store past closing time!), took it home and did little else but read. Despite work the next day, I finished it (I admit this is a b...more

36 likes · like · see review

Jan 16, 2012 Rae rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: out-do-yourself-2011

I . LOVED. IT.

No seriously, I am like obsessed with this book. So, let’s see, it’s around 543 pages, I started this last night around 6:30 PM and it’s 11:47 AM the next day. I have never read a book this thick THAT fast. I am crazy, but holy shit that was a great ride. Woot!

This isn’t going to be a full-front in detail review, because it would just be rants of love. But this is the reason I truly adore the story: It’s so original. Oh, and yeah, Varen.

I think you-- yes you reading this-- underst...more

24 likes · like · see review

Dec 09, 2011 Lisa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal-romance-urban-fantasy

When I picked up Nevermore, I was expecting to like it. So many of my Goodreads friends rated it highly, as did the overall Goodreads community. Unfortunately after finishing the novel, I'm sorry to say that it was barely a two star read for me.

Nevermore tells the story of Isobel Lanely, a popular blonde cheerleader, who is partnered with super goth, Varen Nethers, for an English project about Edgar Allen Poe. This pairing, which was chosen by the teacher, causes outrage among Isobel's friends....more

21 likes · like · see review

Oct 22, 2012 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Edgar Allan Poe's stories or fans who like a different twist in paranormal stories

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, fantasy, leaves-awesomeness-behind, best-characters, books-that-i-love, action-adventure, lovely-writing, heartfelt-and-inspirational, made-me-laugh, cover-i-love, treasure-keeps, heroines-i-love-and-respect, heroes-i-admire-and-respect, favorites, best-couples, series-to-continue-still-like, 2011-favorites, made-the-hype-worth-it, so-much-hype, rainy-day-re-reads, 2012-favorites, books-reviewed

Nevermore is one of those books that I can easily called it one of my favorites. Nevermore stands out in front of many paranormal books mainly because the story’s unique, creative, and shines a new, yet brilliant light in its own name. I remember reading Nevermore last year and devouring in two to three days and now re-reading this book the 2nd time is yet even better than my first time reading it.

The story begins when popular, cheerleader names Isobel and mysterious, goth boy, Varen are assigne...more

8 likes · like · see review

Oct 07, 2010 oliviasbooks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Brenna Yovanoff's "The Replacement"

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, urban-fantasy-paranormal, horror, read-2010, ghosts-dead-people, stays-with-me, other-creatures, cliffhanger, beautiful-writing, i-cannot-tell-you-my-secret, debut

4.5 stars. I hope I'll take the time to elaborate later. It was a great, thrilling story with some great and lovable characters, but it had some unnecessary lengths and some points that bugged me.

And when I compare it to Brenna Yovanoff's The Replacement, which I have rated four stars going on five as well, I have to say that I think although the romance is done better in Nevermore, the writing style / language is more beautiful / better crafted in The Replacement and also the scenes and the cha...more

10 likes · like · see review

Apr 10, 2011 Annabelle Marie Veronica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-that-made-me-cry, favorites, i-love-a-guy-in-this-book, best-books-in-the-world, blew-my-breath-away-amazing, gorgeous-cover, i-own, love-triangles, nevermore, paranormal, romance, horror, sexy-sexy-bad-boy, cliffhangers

Oh my God.

This was the best book I have ever read in my entire life. At least, way, way up there.

I'm speechless. It was amazing.

It's better than so many books.

It is, without a shadow of doubt, one of the most amazing books I'v ever laid my hands on.

I love it so much.

It was just perfect. I loved every moment spent devouring it.

17 likes · like · see review

Oct 26, 2011 Whitney rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, all-time-faves, fucked-up-heroines, lick-this-cover, right-in-the-feels, that-ending-omg, surprised-as-hell

This. Book.

Is nothing like I've ever read before. Sure it starts out in a school, like most cliche books. But then it gets creepy and wicked. And considering as how it's based on Edgar Allan Poe's works...it doesn't surprise me. It excites me. :3 Also, it makes me want to read some of his pieces. And I have The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe myself, so...*hugs it tightly to my chest*

I really ~~liked~~ loved this book because it keeps me guessing on what will happen, and what/who peop...more

31 likes · like · see review

Oct 23, 2012 Kira added it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, will-read-the-next-one, awesome-mythology, awesome-heroine, not-amazing-but-not-shit, rule-of-abeko-you-broke-it, cat-scratch-series, i-ll-try-again-some-day, lolwut, lost-the-will-to-live, made-me-want-to-choke-myself

This book. Trying to finish it is like going back to my chubby eight-year-old self loafing along the track on my school sports day, fighting to finish the race, knowing it's a lost cause because I'm humiliated anyway and I may as well just stop, because I'm tasting blood, but if I don't finish the thing I don't get a consolation medal.

This book.

15 likes · like · see review

Dec 10, 2010 Kristi-The Book Faery rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: written-reviews, poe, fantasy, kelly-creagh, simon-schuster, mild-horror, mystery, random-house, read-arc-in-2010, series-to-watch-for, suspense, thriller, ya-pnr-2010, ya-pnr-5-star

What can I say! Nevermore has it all!

Poe, whom so many don't have a great understanding of, is explained so beautifully by Ms. Creagh, in such a way that it's not the tedious high school project but the brilliant and hauntingly dark writing that it is.

Isobel is the girl who has it all; she sits upon the top rung of the high schools ladder of social hierarchy yet manages to be a strong compassionate person despite her popularity. Varen, Goth boy extraordinaire is thought by Isobels crowd to be a...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 17, 2011 Samantha Young rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, favourite-authors, favourites, ya-paranormal

Well they say never judge a book by its cover. ‘Tis true. ‘Tis true. I would not have picked up Nevermore if it hadn’t been for an extremely well-written review that absolutely raved about it.
I am so glad I picked it up.
Kelly Creagh has created one of the most vivid worlds I have ever discovered. If a book could be described as IMAX then Nevermore is that book; the characters and scenes sprang from the pages of the book to play out in front of me in striking clarity. In a word, it was wonderful....more Well they say never judge a book by its cover. ‘Tis true. ‘Tis true. I would not have picked up Nevermore if it hadn’t been for an extremely well-written review that absolutely raved about it.
I am so glad I picked it up.
Kelly Creagh has created one of the most vivid worlds I have ever discovered. If a book could be described as IMAX then Nevermore is that book; the characters and scenes sprang from the pages of the book to play out in front of me in striking clarity. In a word, it was wonderful. I don’t know what I was expecting. Perhaps a run-of-the-mill supernatural teen romance. But Nevermore is so much MORE. It’s gothic and creepy as all hell sometimes, but there is also a perfect blend of realism and social drama. I loved how Creagh highlighted the cliques at high school and the way certain people are seen for the way they look and act – goths, jocks, cheerleaders etc. She does this without being cliché, and actually brings attention to the often dangerous consequences of making people feel ‘other’.
As for the characters of Nevermore… I fell in love with them all. Isobel is the perfect teen girl’s voice. She cares about school and cheerleading and what her friends think about her, but the slight shallowness of what she deems important is offset by the strength of her character. And Isobel is definitely a strong character with an ingrained sense of right and wrong. Best of all she has the courage to go against the grain and stand up for what’s right when she sees wrongdoing.
Varen is that guy in school I would have had a crush on; dark and broody with the soul of a poet. He can be sarcastic and cold but he has a vulnerable side and a great backstory, and who doesn’t love that in a hero?
Other characters that really shone for me were Danny – Isobel’s annoying and hilarious little brother (the sibling relationship was beautifully described, I really believed in it) – and Gwen, who is quite possibly one of the funniest, quirkiest and likeable sidekicks in YA fiction.
The supernatural element of Nevermore is really different; Creagh’s use of Edgar Allen Poe’s works to build a storyworld is so original and fantastically done, and having not read everything by Poe there was probably some great subtleties I didn’t even pick up on. As I said, this is gothic YA, and there are some very creepy moments, all of which kept me hooked and intrigued.
I can’t believe I have to wait until 2012 for the next book. Not fair.

Darkly beautiful and utterly captivating.

Five Massive Massive Stars!
(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 10, 2011 Scarlet rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: amazing, covers-i-love, i-own, original-stories, paranormal, romance, demons, dark, fantasy, favorites, other-worlds, review

Wow. I mean...WOW. This book...I'm just...I'm speechless. It was breathtaking.

Words cannot even describe just how amazing this book is. The writing, for one, is absolutely beautiful, there is such skill and rich description in Creagh's words that you can picture every image perfectly, almost to the point where you want to read some sentences over again, to savor them.

The plot was very well developed, it's obvious that everything was carefully thought out, which lends to it's success as a novel....more

11 likes · like · see review

Nov 04, 2011 Sloan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-sci-fi, part-of-a-series, read-in-2011, young-adult, books-i-own

Wow! Let me repeat, Wow!! In all honesty, I really wasn't expecting too much from this book. The only reason I picked it up in the first place was because it had something to do with Edgar Allan Poe, who is a favorite author of mine. However, I was surprised and completely blown away with the originality of the story! It is so refreshing to see a young adult writer with something new to offer. It’s a world that could only come purely from Kelly Creagh's imagination, a world that I loved.

The main...more Wow! Let me repeat, Wow!! In all honesty, I really wasn't expecting too much from this book. The only reason I picked it up in the first place was because it had something to do with Edgar Allan Poe, who is a favorite author of mine. However, I was surprised and completely blown away with the originality of the story! It is so refreshing to see a young adult writer with something new to offer. It’s a world that could only come purely from Kelly Creagh's imagination, a world that I loved.

The main characters in the story are all extremely appealing and likeable, but also ironically, polar opposites of each other. The dark, gothic and mysterious, Varen Nethers, is someone you completely fall for right off. Even through his cold demeanor and sarcastic remarks, you want to learn more about him. He even eventually spikes Isobel Lanley's interest, the popular cheerleader with many friends. She gets partnered with him to do a project in English class and is less than enthueastic about it. At first they seem to somewhat clash, not quite understanding one another, coming from completely different ends of the high school social spectrum. Then they slowly form an understanding of one another and a friendship that is turning into something more. Thrown in the mix is my favorite character, the eccentric Gwen, who becomes Isobel's new friend after she is banished from her former gang of friends and Brad, her former jock boyfriend. Brad insists upon antagonizing Varen, who he blames for their breakup. Gwen is like a life raft for Isobel, after the world she is so used to is slowly unraveling before her.

The really great thing though is the way Kelly Creagh has incorporated Edgar Allan Poe into the book. First he is just an author that Varen picks for Isobel and him to do their English project on. Next, his life and works become central to the storyline. Varen is also a writer, being a huge fan of Poe. Through his writings and imagination, Varen has created a strange and frightening dream world which seems to become more solid and real. It also has many similarities with Poe and his writings. His dream world slowly begins to leak into Isobel's life, linking the two of them together in a struggle to eventually escape it. Then there comes Reynold's, a mysterious man who knows all about Varen and the strange things that keep happening. He seems to want to help Isobel, though his words are confusing and less than helpful to her. In the end, they face Varen's dream world, which seems to be becoming more solid and real.

When I finished this book I was almost angry. I felt like I HAD to continue the story! I had this terrible feeling of sadness when putting it down, like I wasn't yet ready to let go of the characters or the story. It ended on a note hinting at where the story was headed and that made me even more eager to go there. I simply cannot wait for the next book to be released! I haven’t been this excited about a series in quite some time. This book is an absolute 5/5!
(less)

8 likes · like · see review

May 23, 2012 Krys rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: long-length-book, young-adult, third-person-narrative, urban-dark-fantasy-paranormal, gothic, ghosts-hauntings, read-in-2010, own, series-i-love, read-in-2012, series

Well, I've had to abandon several books this week - at best, this is totally my fault. My brain has been reduced to mush due to some goings-on in my personal life. Very few books are sticking just now, nothing over-complicated, conceptualized, or long winded.

I want to say it's because I needed light hearted fluff, but I'm reluctant to call this book fluff. It was really...damn...good.

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh was exactly what I wanted to read this week. It had it all. It starts out as a high sch...more Well, I've had to abandon several books this week - at best, this is totally my fault. My brain has been reduced to mush due to some goings-on in my personal life. Very few books are sticking just now, nothing over-complicated, conceptualized, or long winded.

I want to say it's because I needed light hearted fluff, but I'm reluctant to call this book fluff. It was really...damn...good.

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh was exactly what I wanted to read this week. It had it all. It starts out as a high school teen book with a burgeoning romance between two people completely ill suited for each other. Throw in a project about Edgar Allan Poe and the book takes on a Gothic overtone that pleases this cryptic girl to the hilt.

Added to this mix is bad/goth boy... Varen... oh, Varen, Varen, Varen... Varen makes this whole book insanely readable, especially when paired with good girl cheerleader, Isobel, as a potential love interest... And Varen is the new Patch (and Patch is the new Jace...soo)... Varen and his black clothing and his elegant hands and his green eyed gaze... Varen is so sensual to read. That. It. Hurts. Varen is the character you read because you need to read a sexy delightful scamp. Besides the physical description of this gorgeous goth there is a plus side... he has a brain... good goth this beautiful man has a brain!

He's sublime to read. Especially if you are in the mood to fall in love with a new character.

But, Varen aside... there is much more to this book. There is a creepy, mysterious plot that builds up for a large chunk of the book. In truth, I loved and hated that the reveal to this world took sooo long to get to. It was frustrating that I didn't know through a large chunk of the book what was going on, but I didn't completely hate that either. What did get to me was the large portion of the book spent in the dreamworld... it was convoluted and disjointed... exactly what I don't want to be reading right now. That said, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. I suppose dreamworld is supposed to be weird and confusing. In that case it works. Well.

I am in love with this book. Fervently. But, I have to give it a 4.5 of 5 stars... because the confusing dreamworld bits. I'm sure that part of the reading is just me.

- review courtesy of www.bibliopunkk.net (less)

8 likes · like · see review

Apr 19, 2012 Rane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal-pnr, keeper

I'll be honest- I'm not a big fan of Poe's works, while I've read my share of what he's done, his stories have given me nightmares and while I laugh myself sick watching zombies movies I was pretty leery reading this book( take that as you will)

Nevermore surprised me at every turn, Kelly Creagh turned something old into something new, but the best of all was the blooming romance between our main leads Isobel & Varen.

It did start off as something that's been done before with the cheerlead...more

13 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2013 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite

“There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.”

When Isobel is paired with Varen for the English class project, she is horrified. Varen is dark and cold and sarcastic and there are lots of rumors about him that make being around him quite uncomfortable.
Firstly, she only wants to recieve a good mark, but soon it is not about the project anymore. There is something about Varen and his piercing eyes and Isobel does not know what it is, but she cannot resist being with...more

10 likes · like · see review

Sep 09, 2012 Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: could-not-put-it-down-books, read-more-than-once, favorite-series, favorites, supernatural, young-adult

Wow..different. I would suggest going to a site like Wikki and reading about Edgar Allen Poe before delving into this book. I was glad that I did as I was just a tad less lost than if I had not. Be sure to read about Poe's mysterious death and check out his stories Ligeia and The Masque of the Red Death as well as his famous poem, The Raven. Now that you are prepared, start reading. All this is not necessary of course, but at least read about his death.

Isobel is a cheerleader in high school, and...more Wow..different. I would suggest going to a site like Wikki and reading about Edgar Allen Poe before delving into this book. I was glad that I did as I was just a tad less lost than if I had not. Be sure to read about Poe's mysterious death and check out his stories Ligeia and The Masque of the Red Death as well as his famous poem, The Raven. Now that you are prepared, start reading. All this is not necessary of course, but at least read about his death.

Isobel is a cheerleader in high school, and I rather do not like reading about high school cheerleaders. However, in this book it works. There are 543 pages in this book and for the first about 130 I really was not very interested. It's one of those books where I would say, just keep reading. The next 400 pages or so are going to be intense, confusing, mysterious, macabre at times, romantic in a distant way that worked for me. It was not until close to the end that I even started to understand what was happening to Isobel and Varen.

But let me go back. Isobel is assigned a partner in her English class to do a presentation on an author. To her horror she is partnered with Varen, one of the goths complete with dyed black hair, a lip ring, chains dangling from his pocket, black boots. The only non typical thing about him (to me) is that he is not all in black but wears a dark green jacket with a picture of an upside down bird pinned to the back. Varen decides they need to do the project on Edgar Allen Poe. Isobel must get a passing grade on this project or she will be off the cheerleader squad and not be able to go to Nationals (she seems to be more of a gymnest than a stand up cheerleader which made me like her a little better). Her attempts to work with Varen on this project, her jock boyfriend's reactions as well as her friends are pretty predictable. I liked the way as Isobel proceeds through a lot of very weird things that are happening, she learns a lot about who her friends are and who are not and that life is not as simple as she thought in her beautiful little world as Miss Popularity. An interesting character enters the story although she has been there all along in the form of the girl with the next locker who wears strange clothes and runs around with a hippy group. Beneath Isobel's notice previously, Gwen becomes a real part of her life and her only thing close to a confidant. Throughout this book Isobel has to constantly stuggle with what is a dream and what is reality and just what or who is Varen? It takes a very good author to make me fall for a goth guy with a lip ring and dyed black hair, but in this case, it happened. The romance is subtle but very very well done.

A cute bit of humor is added in the form of Isobel's video game crazed younger brother who she does not get along with, but he seems to be there for her when she needs him. Unlike a lot of other YA books I have read, Isobel's parents are quite nice people, strict with her as it seems like she is grounded through most of the book. Her family loves her and she loves them which is cool.

I am leaving out one major character because you need to find a lot of this out as you go along. Hint - it is why I told you to read about Poe's death before starting this book.

This book is pretty much a roller coaster read and it definitely is a mystery. Not solved at the end although you get some answers, so I assume there MUST be going to be a next book.

[Edit] I first read this book in January 2011 when I wrote the review above. Just finished for the second time so I will be ready for Enshadowed that will be released next week. I am glad I re-read it because I would have been lost starting the sequel if I had not. I enjoyed it once again, still not totally understanding it but well enough to want to learn more! [Edit#2] Just finished Enshadowed - INCREDIBLE SECOND BOOK TO A TRILOGY!

(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Sep 08, 2010 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, read-in-2010

This review is difficult to write because I usually don't have that much to say about books I love. It's mostly facial expressions, gestures and noises when I try to explain why I like something. Oh and it will look like this was written by a 17-year old, not a 27-year old. And I'm sorry, but I just can't help myself. I even wish I could write this review in purple ink, that's how much I'm into this book. And Varen. ♥

If I ever had to describe the kind of guy I desperately want then I think Varen...more This review is difficult to write because I usually don't have that much to say about books I love. It's mostly facial expressions, gestures and noises when I try to explain why I like something. Oh and it will look like this was written by a 17-year old, not a 27-year old. And I'm sorry, but I just can't help myself. I even wish I could write this review in purple ink, that's how much I'm into this book. And Varen. ♥

If I ever had to describe the kind of guy I desperately want then I think Varen comes closer than anybody else. (minus the eyeliner, I just can't imagine it looks hot on any guy, just emo). You wouldn't believe how much I'm crushing on him. Oh don't give me that look, half the planet swoons over a dead guy whose genitals sparkle in the sunlight, so don't act like this is weird.

So, meet Isobel, your typical cheerleader who lives up to every stereotype that comes with being a girl who waves pom poms around in a short skirt. Meet Varen, your typical... Um... I dunno. Nothing I say will make him look good. So I'll stick with saying he's smart, witty, funny, deep, sardonic and not to mention interesting.

They are forced to work together on a school paper on Poe and I don't think I need to make clear how much both of them are looking forward to working with each other. To make matters even worse: It doesn't go smooth to begin with and Isobel's overprotective (I just say he's jealous and insecure as hell) boyfriend decides to make Varen's life miserable because he wrote his number on Isobel's hand in class.

Isobel didn't want Brad to know because he would overreact but her 'friend' Nikki, who I didn't like from the moment I met her, decided to tell anyway. There was a part about how badly she wanted to tell Brad. I could have punched her in the face.

But waring Varen didn't seem to be enough for Brad and the rest of his gang of idiots. They mess up the ice cream parlor (of all the places a guy like Varen could work...), much to my, and Isobel's disgust.

I won't give away too much of the story, because I want all of you to read this beautiful book but I enjoyed reading this so much.

The pink ribbon on the back... The raven... And the kiss. That kiss. I read those lines 50 times already and thinking about them still gives me chills. I'm in love!

I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.(less)

47 likes · like · see review

Sep 04, 2011 Kelly Leigh rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

I don't judge a book by its cover, literally and figuratively speaking. I pretty much stick by that motto in life. That was until . . . Nevermore. I’m not gonna lie, all chances for me to swoon over Varen - one of the main characters - pretty much flew out the window once the words goth were mentioned, and the book cover didn’t help, not one iota - what? Really? That's the cover you go with? ( I josh, it's not that bad.) No tingly, giggly Jericho Barrons feeling goin’ on here. The second I hear...more I don't judge a book by its cover, literally and figuratively speaking. I pretty much stick by that motto in life. That was until . . . Nevermore. I’m not gonna lie, all chances for me to swoon over Varen - one of the main characters - pretty much flew out the window once the words goth were mentioned, and the book cover didn’t help, not one iota - what? Really? That's the cover you go with? ( I josh, it's not that bad.) No tingly, giggly Jericho Barrons feeling goin’ on here. The second I hear the word goth, I immediately envision skinny jeans. I can’t explain why. It just is a fact. And I don’t care if Johnny Depp, one of the most gorgeous guys to ever walk the planet, donned skinny jeans, I’d be so turned off. Just sayin’. (But who am I kidding, I wouldn't' exactly kick him to the curb, but we'd have to have series discussions about his er, fashion choices.) With that said, I wasn’t feeling the romance whatsoever between Varen and Isobel. But you know what? I didn’t pick this book up to be wooed by the romance. So once I knew I wouldn’t be hooked with said romance, I shrugged it off with a “that’s okay. Whatevs.”

Okay, so now that that’s out of the way and in the grand scheme of things not that big of a deal, I figured there’d be plenty of other goodies within Nevermore to hold my attention. Or so I thought. Yeah, way, way too much dialogue. Ridiculously so. At one point I skimmed 40 odd pages of nonstop “in between class loitering at a locker” dialogue and didn't even get into the meat of the story. For a 547 page book, I didn’t know what the heck was going on until around 250 or 300. Point being, way too long to get to the well, point, the plot, the crux of the story. (By the by, this seems to be a running theme in my as-of-late YA reading experiences.) And I’m being generous when I say 250 pages. Mostly it took 500 pages for me to understand a modicum of the story. I don’t get why the book had to be that long. Here’s the dealio. I don’t care about reading long-ass books. Hello, I’ve read every Song of Ice and Fire tome. If the story is riveting, I’m all in. In fact, if I’m digging a book, I don’t want the story to end. Sadly, that is not what happened in this case. I slogged through this book and when I’d put it down, I didn’t exactly look forward to plucking it back up. To sum up, the overall story moved at a glacial pace.

At the end of the day, I didn’t connect with the characters. Not one out of the lot. And I must say, is it really that big of a deal that your friend gets paired with the token goth kid in school? Really? What year is it? It’s an english project, people. That's what the drama was built around in this book. I didn’t find the hate believable, not to build a story around. In fact, I found it quite odd. I found the whole story quite odd. And now that I’m at it, I’ll add dull and just plain meh into the bunch.

For a book I've been wanting to read for a really long time, for a book revolved around my beloved Poe, for a book that is so highly rated, I am wholly disappointed. I REALLY wanted to like this novel. And judging by the "ohmigod this book is the best", stellar reviews, I, yet again, am clearly in the minority. But don’t let my review sway you from not reading Nevermore. You should try it out for yourself. The story is slow-moving, but if that doesn’t bother you, then you won’t be disappointed.

(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Feb 26, 2011 Nomes marked it as graveyard-of-abandoned-books · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, not-for-me, paranormal-stuff

I made it to page 165 (secretly proud of that, haha)

I guess, being an adult reading YA they are not all going to be a good fit.

The first 30 pages were dedicated to the drama caused by Varen writing his phone number on Isobel's hand (the scandal!). Ah, high school dramas :D 100 pages later, not much more has happened. The characters so far seem too stereotypical for me to have connected with them and as for the mystery/paranormal angle ~ I haven't yet been intrigued as it is so slow moving I don'...more

4 likes · like · see review

topics	posts	views	last activity
Nevermore by Kel...: Favorite Quotes from the Book/ Edgar Allen Poe Quotes	1	6	Apr 11, 2013 06:32pm
Nevermore by Kel...: Poetry	1	2	Apr 11, 2013 05:10pm
Nevermore by Kel...: Varen	1	3	Apr 08, 2013 04:35pm
You know your a Nevermore fan when...	3	15	Apr 06, 2013 08:56am
You know your a Nevermore fan when...	5	15	Apr 06, 2013 08:56am
Book Boyfriends: Varen Nethers	92	96	Apr 01, 2013 08:30pm
Did anyone else cry after they finished reading this???	17	33	Mar 29, 2013 02:10pm

title link	preview: Nevermore
avg rating	preview: Nevermore Goodreads rating: 3.94 (14297 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9337673-nevermore?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333743756l/9337673.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9337673-nevermore?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Nevermore by Kelly Creagh[/url]

Nevermore (Nevermore #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (8)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Kelly Creagh

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Nevermore

Quotes from Nevermore