Nevermore, Kelly Creagh

Reading Level:    Young Adult

Hardcover:          543 Pages

Publisher:            Antheneum, August 31, 2010

Parasols:               5




Isobel Lanley and Varens Nethers have been partnered in English class on a project featuring a dead American author.  Of course the project is due on Halloween, one of the busiest days on Isobel's calendar because she is a cheerleader and it's homecoming! Varen for all intents and purposes would never have willingly partnered with a cheerleader, and a typical gorgeous blonde one at that.  Isobel is worried that her standing will be lowered being seen with the silent, goth kid that creeps around the school.


But things get interesting when her extremely over-protective douche of a boyfriend takes an instant disliking to her homework partner.  Brad is the picture-perfect boyfriend in theory, he's handsome, he's on the football team and Isobel's parents adore him.  


Varen suggests to or pretty much tells Isobel that they will be working on Edgar Allan Poe.  As she tries to find ways to work on the project with Varens, her boyfriend and her parents suspect that she is being brainwashed by the pierced, wierd, goth looking kid. Isobel doesn't see that, she sees a gentle soul whose weirdness adds to his personality.  She finds herself looking for ways to be with him.


I loved this book and boy is this a book.  It's huge, but I manage to finish it in two days because I did nothing else while reading this.  I wanted to see Varen and Isobel together and I wanted to see what the draw to Edgar Allan Poe was to Varen.  Why he had to pick that dead author.  What secrets was he hiding and what was he getting Isobel involved with.  Soon Isobel's dreams are showing her things that she should never see and she needs to know when she's awake and when she's sleeping.


A great gothic read for the 21 century!