Kelly Creagh was born on August 11th. She’s into the supernatural and paranormal. She used to have multiple jobs, including belly dancing (which she still does today for fun). The story, Nevermore, was inspired by the life and mysterious death of the one and only…Edgar Allen Poe. She wrote it intending to be for teens/young adults. Nevermore, can be in multiple categories, but the ones that stand out to me are: romance, horror, and historical fiction (in a few parts). Now, let me introduce you to the characters and the realm of Varen’s imagination…
There are a lot of characters, but there’s only a handful that are important. First, there’s Isobel Lanley. She’s a high school cheerleader who gets paired with Varen on a project. She’s very self-centered in the beginning. Of course, she’s very popular. She has an obsessive boyfriend named Brad, but doesn’t drink or smoke like him. Then there’s Varen Nethers. He keeps to himself and is very smart. He’s Gothic, and his parents are abusive. He’s not liked a lot, but has a few friends. Then, there’s Brad. He’s a football player who bullies Varen. He dates Isobel, but actually likes her friend, Nikki who’s also a cheerleader (she’s not that important, only a supporting character). Finally, there’s Reynolds. We get introduced to him later, but he helps Isobel and Varen a lot. He’s basically their conscience, like Jiminy Cricket was to Pinocchio. You don’t really see him, because he’s a shadow, more or less.
Now, the plot is my favorite part of the novel. Isobel got paired with Varen on an English assignment, writing about Edgar Allen Poe, and at first they’re unhappy about it, but later on they like each other. No one wants them together, especially because of the fact that Isobel’s a cheerleader, and Varen’s dark and gothic (no one really wants to know him). Since Varen keeps to himself, he carries around a journal he writes in all the time. In his journal are sketches he draws and poetry about his imagination. Isobel wants to read it, but Varen’s hostile towards her when she tries. What’s in the mysterious journal? Read to find out!!! If you do decide to read this, I think you should know that the events leading up to the conclusion was a little difficult to understand. The ending was easy to see, but the events were worded in a way that I couldn’t understand.
In conclusion, I would recommend, Nevermore, to anyone who asks. The plot was well written, and the characters were well thought out. However, the events leading up to the book’s final resolution was a little hard to understand. I feel that it’s a great book, and I can’t wait to read, Enchanted, the second book of the series that came out in August of 2011. Basically anyone would enjoy it, but teens would like it the most. I hope Kelly Creagh gets really far in her writing.