Book Review: Nevermore (Kelly Creagh)

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.

Nevermore is one of my most eagerly awaited debut novels of 2010. Quite rightly so - lengthy as it is, I could not put it down. Whenever I take a break to rest my eyes, I cannot get it off my mind and my hands itch to feel the book again. Nevermore's haunting quality hooked me right into Isobel and Varen's world from page one so thoroughly, I still struggle to free it from my consciousness. The book demands to be read in one sitting, folks!

If I were to use one word to describe Nevermore, I'd go for haunting. Although part romance, this book leans more towards horror and mystery. Ingrained within the plot is the prominent figure of Edgar Allan Poe - and reflective of his works, Nevermore is just as dark and as fascinating. Knowing more about the poet would better your reading experience, but regardless, it is hard to resist this compelling book. It is superbly written, descriptive and genuine to its characters. The feel of the narrative is dark but smooth, fluid and completely captivating. Nevermore will drag you into its depths as easy as Poe's works - it's complex, it's twisted, but worth every word. It will have you turning pages well into the night, and leave your imagination running!

Everything begins when Isobel finds herself paired with Varen for an English project. Goth and poetic, and definitely outside of Isobel's crew, Varen finds himself threatened and bullied by Isobel's boyfriend, Brad. Isobel's defence of Varen and her subsequent distance from her crew endeared me to her. Her choice is not to stand by Varen because she is attracted to him, but because she knows her friends are acting wrongly - I liked that best about her. Her actions carry an air of realism and I never had a moment of doubt and dislike for Isobel. Varen is unlike many guys - he wears eyeliners, has lip piercing, he loses himself in the darkness of words, and is distant. He is complex, broken and... hot. It's a classic mismatch, but cheerleader Isobel is undeniably perfect for the Goth Varen. Their chemistry is one of the best I've read in YA romance.

Unlike what you might expect, Varen's and Isobel's relationship is chaste, appropriate, and is strictly within the safety of friendship - but, and it's a humongous, colossal, gargantuan BUT, the air whenever these two are together sizzles. The romantic tension between them is evident in every word, in every touch, in every searing gaze. The lack of physical interaction only intensifies the need for one, and shoot me if I was not scrambling for more Var-obel moments! Only the necessity to understand Varen more prevented me from swooning!

Isobel's difficulty at figuring out Varen's emotions is one of the most compelling parts of the plot. Although written in the third person, the readers are taken into Varen's world through the eyes of Isabel, and only through that. As a result, you only get to know what Isabel knows - a lot of suspicion arises from it and the continuous mysteries and revelations as more about Varen is uncovered is a brilliant rush. With secondary characters that will have you grinning and laughing to frowning and yelling, rest assured you'll enjoy every bit of Nevermore!

I was in tatters by the ending, and it will be a slow, painful torture to wait for the next book. Fantastic first book in a trilogy (thank God!) - and horror fanatic or not, Edgar Allan Poe lover or otherwise, read.this.book.!

Five Stars!